Abercrombie & Fitch

You may know of Abercrombie & Fitch as a popular clothing line, but the company has been through a variety of incarnations since its founding by David Abercrombie and Ezra Fitch in New York in 1893. The brand sold travel and sporting equipment, but closed its doors in 1976. The company was resurrected when Oshman’s Sporting Goods purchased the company and used the brand as a mail order outlet, and boutiques were set up throughout New York, Texas and California.
The Abercrombie & Fitch as you know it began in 1988 when The Limited acquired the company and rebranded the name as an upscale lifestyle and clothing line for young people. The company is based in Ohio and has over 300 stores throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Canada and Puerto Rico. The company has branched into different subsidiaries that include Abercrombie Kids, Gilly Hicks of Australia and Hollister Co. The company is notable for using sales associates to market its clothing and photographing shirtless and scantily clad models in black and white.
The company also became unique for its youthful atmosphere and blaring music in its stores. Its first perfume was Woods from the 1990s, but it was discontinued and revived in 2010. The men’s fragrance Fierce was introduced in 2002 and is considered a success for the company. Perfume No. 1 is another popular fragrance for women.