很　很暴露－Revealing Abercrombie catalog sparks a boycott

The Associated Press and The Cincinnati Enquirer

Abercrombie & Fitch says its summer catalog is sexy in a wholesome sort of way: “Norman Rockwell of 2001.” Critics from conservative Christians to liberal feminists call it soft porn, and now they've joined forces to boycott the trendy, youth-oriented retailer.

By the standards of Penthouse or Hustler, the A&F Quarterly might seem tame. But it is displayed in tightly wrapped plastic, intended only for buyers 18 or older, and features young, unclad male and female models in what the company touts as “pictures hotter than a backyard barbecue.”

Abercrombie & Fitch spokesman Hampton Carney said the publication is as much a magazine as a catalog, targeted at the college market. But boycott organizers contend the company also is wooing younger customers and using sex to popularize its image.

Nora Rubinoff and her 17-year-old son, Brandon, shop at A&F. The West Chester mother says they were recently in the store but “didn't notice anything significant about the store's advertising.”

They both had heard rumors that the catalogs contained suggestive items but hadn't actually seen this summer's catalog.

“To be honest,” says Mrs. Rubinoff, “the few things he's purchased have been straight out of the store. He hasn't looked at the catalogs. He's 17 and, while I may not like it, how can I keep my son from seeing it? He gets more exposure to a lot of things I think are unnecessary. It's an unfortunate part of our culture. I do wonder why the A&F boycott when you can look at other companies and find things more objectionable. I don't approve of it, though.”

Illinois Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood — a Republican who has been sparring with A&F since 1999 — announced the boycott campaign last week in Chicago. She has recruited a diverse mix of supporters more familiar with facing off against each other than with working together.

The broad alliance “shows the importance of this issue,” said Michelle Dewlen, president of the Chicago chapter of the National Organization for Women. She faulted the catalog for promoting “unrealistic body types” and displaying images that evoked group sex.

The Rev. Bob Vanden Bosch, head of Concerned Christian Americans, said it was “quite unusual” to find himself allied with NOW. But he welcomed the coalition.

“The exploitation of sex and young people in A&F's catalog is not only atrocious but also a psychological molestation of their teen-age customers.”

Mr. Carney said Abercrombie & Fitch takes the criticism seriously but has no intention of changing the catalog.

“You have to be true to your customers — and their response is overwhelmingly positive,” he said. “There's nothing in it you don't see on any public beach in Miami.”

Circulation of the quarterly is about 300,000. Half go to subscribers; the rest sell at stores for $6 apiece.[upload=jpg,getimage.jpg]UploadFile/2008-7/20087200524391386.jpg[/upload]

[此贴子已经被作者于2008-7-20 5:44:52编辑过]

歧视女性，尤其是非金发的 (AMAZOMBIE AND BITCH)

Abercrombie Pulls Sexist Shirts

Nov. 8, 2005 -- A national "girlcott" of Abercrombie & Fitch has forced the clothing giant to pull two offensive T-shirts from its shelves.

By Carrie Kilman | Staff Writer, Tolerance.org

In response to growing outcry from young women and girls across the country, Abercrombie & Fitch agreed Friday to stop selling two T-shirts many have called offensive and sexist.

The clothing giant also agreed to meet face-to-face with a group of 23 Pennsylvania teens who organized the local-turned-national "girlcott" of A&F stores.

Those teens, members of the Women and Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania, felt "triumphant" after the announcement, said Heather Arnet (free registration required from the Chicago Tribune), the foundation's executive director.

Arnet negotiated the agreement with A&F officials. Afterward, the two sides released a joint statement: "We recognize that the shirts in question, while meant to be humorous, might be troubling to some," wrote A&F officials.

The two shirts removed as part of Friday's settlement contain the slogans, "Who Needs Brains When You Have These?" and "All Men Like Tig Old Bitties."

Arnet said those were the two deemed most offensive by the teen organizers. Other shirts in the same line include phrases like "Muck Fe," "I Had a Nightmare Last Night I Was a Brunette," and "Blondes Are Adored, Brunettes Are Ignored."

"We want to replace the old ones with better new ones," Alexis Papalia, 14, told the Chicago Tribune.

Papalia and other members of the Women and Girls Foundation are meeting this week to brainstorm ideas for new T-shirt slogans, to share with A&F officials when they meet later this month at the company's headquarters in Ohio.

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[此贴子已经被作者于2008-7-20 20:07:30编辑过]

Civil rights attorneys today announced the settlement of a class action lawsuit, Gonzalez v. Abercrombie & Fitch, requiring the retail clothing giant to pay $40 million dollars to Latino, African American, Asian American and women applicants and employees who charged the company with discrimination.

The settlement, approved this morning by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston, also requires the company to institute a range of policies and programs to promote diversity among its workforce and to prevent discrimination based on race or gender.

The lawsuit was originally filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco in June 2003 by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) and the law firm of Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann, & Bernstein, LLP, on behalf of nine young adults of color, including students and graduates of the University of California and Stanford, who were refused sales jobs or terminated based on their race or ethnicity.

"This agreement promises to transform this company, whose distinctiveness will no longer stem from an all-white image and workforce," stated Thomas A. Saenz, Vice President of Litigation at MALDEF. "This welcome change results from the courageous actions of the plaintiffs who, beginning five years ago, stepped forward to challenge prevalent discrimination at Abercrombie & Fitch." Saenz explained that the case began with the 1999 filing of a charge of discrimination by Juancarlos Gomez-Montejano.

The original plaintiffs were later joined by others across the country. During the course of the negotiations, the plaintiffs were also represented by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), who validated their claims, as well as Minami, Lew & Tamaki LLP, and a team of eastern law firms led by Kohn, Swift & Graf, P.C. in Philadelphia.

Attorney Bill Lann Lee of Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein explained the breadth of the Consent Decree, which covers recruitment, hiring, job assignment, promotion and training of employees: "This comprehensive package of reforms will ensure that minority and women employees feel welcome. The company should get credit for agreeing to changes that will transform how Abercrombie does business," said Lee, who is the former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice.

The settlement requires the store to pursue "benchmarks" for the hiring and promotion of Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans and women; the company must report on its progress toward these goals at regular intervals to the plaintiffs' attorneys and to a Special Master named by the court.

In addition, the company must hire 25 recruiters who will seek out minority employees. The company is barred from targeting particular fraternities or sororities for recruitment purposes, a practice that previously helped to ensure a predominantly white sales staff.

To ensure compliance with the provisions of the Consent Decree, the company will name a Vice President for Diversity, and provide diversity training for all employees with hiring authority. A new internal complaint procedure will provide employees with a mechanism to report any problems they face.

Abercrombie has more than 700 stores and a workforce of 22,000. The retail chain uses visual media to promote the "A&F Look" and image to employees, customers, and potential applicants. The settlement requires that marketing materials - including the posters, shopping bags and catalogue - include members of minority racial and ethnic groups.

"Abercrombie now realizes diversity makes good business sense," said Kimberly West-Faulcon, Director and Western Regional Counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. "We hope the rest of corporate America gets the message."

The settlement provides very detailed guidance and mechanisms for compliance. In addition, an appointed monitor will regularly evaluate and report on Abercrombie's compliance with the Decree. The Consent Decree will be in effect a minimum of four-and-a-half years; its duration will depend on the progress of the company.

If the settlement is properly implemented, the stories of the named plaintiffs will be a thing of the past, according to the attorneys.

Eduardo Gonzalez, a Stanford student from Hayward, California, was pleased with the settlement. "I remember how discouraged I felt when I applied for a job at the Santa Clara store and the manager suggested that I work in the stock room or on the late night crew in a non-sales position. I felt it was because I was a Latino - but there was no one I could report this to at the time."

Plaintiff Anthony Ocampo, a recent Stanford graduate, who was told he couldn't be hired because "there's already too many Filipinos," agreed with Gonzalez. "It is important that Abercrombie seek out employees of color and provide them training and opportunities for promotion."

Jennifer Lu worked at the Crystal Court Mall store in Costa Mesa, California for three years while she was a student at U.C. Irvine. She and five other Asian American employees were terminated after a visit from senior management and replaced with white sales staff. "I was very distressed after I was terminated for being an Asian American woman. I am now very excited about the policies and programs Abercrombie must implement that came about as a result of this lawsuit. I am looking forward to seeing a more diverse Abercrombie; one that actually reflects the look of America," said Lu.

Carla Grubb, an African American student at California State Bakersfield, was constructively discharged from the Abercrombie store in the Bakersfield Valley Plaza Mall after being assigned cleaning and other menial jobs. "I felt demoralized being the only African American employee and being specifically assigned to dust the store, wash the windows and clean the floors. With this settlement, I now know that Abercrombie cannot treat other employees of color in such a manner."

Minah Park, staff attorney with the Asian Pacific American Legal Center applauded the courage of the plaintiffs. "This case is an example of a handful of individuals making an impact in the struggle to end racial discrimination. Thanks to these plaintiffs who stepped forward to take action, we are going to see real change in Abercrombie stores nationwide," Park said.

Attorney Martin J. D'Urso of Kohn, Swift & Graf, P.C. explained that the monetary awards to the class members will be based on the number of claimants who come forward and the kind of discrimination they faced: "The true value of this settlement goes far beyond the money being paid to class members. The changes that are being made, pursuant to the consent decree, will help to transform Abercrombie into the type of company that, I believe, its customers want and the law demands."

[此贴子已经被作者于2008-7-20 2:58:45编辑过]

Obama门事件

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH & OBAMA

DRESSED FOR SUCCESS: Three mystery men — clad in Abercrombie & Fitch garb — stand behind Barack Obama during Tuesday's nationally televised speech.

Barack Obama didn't fare so well Tuesday night, but Abercrombie & Fitch sure did.

As Obama delivered his nationally televised Pennsylvania concession speech before a cheering crowd in Evansville, Ind., viewers couldn't miss three unidentified young men - all sporting T-shirts with huge Abercrombie & Fitch logos - standing directly behind the candidate.

The huge white "Fitch" lettering on one of the shirts screamed so loudly that it dwarfed the signs touting Obama's "Change" slogan.

The Web lit up, with a number of blogs wondering whether it was a college prank or a paid-for product placement.

One site, shoppingblog.com, jokingly dubbed it "Fitchgate."

Elsewhere on the Internet, a visitor to the Yahoo! Answers site asked, "Are they giving Obama money for this advertisement?"

Even MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann remarked, "If you have the sudden desire to go out and buy a fleece, it's probably because of the product placement."

An Abercrombie & Fitch spokesman said the placement was nothing more than coincidence, although he acknowledged fielding several calls from friends, relatives and an investor wondering the same thing. "We don't pursue product placement as a company at all," said spokesman Thomas Lennox.

That isn't to say that the retailer doesn't appreciate the free publicity.

"Thanks to the Obama campaign for the great product placement," Lennox said. "We wish we had thought of it."

The Obama camp also denied any paid sponsorship from the company. Indeed, campaign finance records list just one individual donation from an Abercrombie & Fitch employee, for $500.

[此贴子已经被作者于2008-7-20 3:06:06编辑过]

兄弟品牌

在上个世纪末取得巨大成功后，又推出了几个针对不同年龄段的新品牌，原来的AF面向18～22岁的大学生群体，Abercrombie kisd面对7～14岁的孩子，这几乎完全是小一号的AF。Hollister面向15～18岁的学生，Hollister力求体现出一种加州海滩冲浪风格，不过样式和材质均比AF差一个档次，相应的价格也低一些。最后就是面向已经工作的22～30出头的人群的RUEHL（发音如同rule），尤其是那些从九十年代起就伴随着AF一起成长的青年消费者们，它的风格更加成熟，质地也是比AF再上了一层楼，自然价格也是相应的增加了许多。更加奇怪的是RUEHL毫无在网络销售的意思，专卖店全美也才十几家而已。

就是连AF自己也有逐年趋向成熟的味道，体现在推出的Ezra Fitch系列就是超过22岁的顾客，大概商家本身预计到年龄越大就越有钱吧。

[此贴子已经被作者于2008-7-20 3:10:06编辑过]

2. 大致价位和购物策略

A&F 原价真是贵，不仅我们觉得贵，在加拿大、英国更贵。在产品线和顾客群相似的品牌中处于价格的高端。

以下是英国消费者抱怨价格贵：

The trendy US gear that costs double over here

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-446004/The-trendy-US-gear-costs-double-here.html

A&F 很高调，从来不会大幅宣传xx% off, 从来没有coupon。爱买不买：要不买原价，要不买clearance. Clearance 的柜台总是在里面最角落的地方，上面有很小的一行clearance 字样。像我这样的近视眼在A&F店内昏暗的灯光下，几乎很难找到阿。

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今日网站价格数据统计：

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3. 购物指南

1. 捡白菜，经常去逛，看到clearance的好东西立马抢回来（需要年富力强，时间充沛）

2．去outlet, clearance store:

Tanger Outlets:

Commerce, Georgia  • (706) 423-9395
Hilton Head, South Carolina  • (843) 836-5771
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware  • (302) 227-8480
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin  • (608) 254-4986

Prime Outlets里没有A&F

3．代购

4.  网上买gift card, 用gift card 买

5．换班和EBAY抢白菜 （要手明眼快，身手矫健)

6.  sample sales (概率较小）

[此贴子已经被作者于2008-7-20 4:16:20编辑过]

4．实物图片

[此贴子已经被作者于2008-7-20 6:09:50编辑过]

　　　　群众的眼睛是雪亮地　　

[此贴子已经被作者于2008-7-20 19:43:23编辑过]