Hemingway committed suicide in 1961, shooting abercrombie and fitch himself in the head with a double-barreled, 12-gauge shotgun, while wearing a robe and pajamas in the foyer of his Blaine County house.
He had a turbulent personal life. He told people that he despised his mother. He had been married four times and involved with many other abercrombie and fitch women. He was often unkind to other writers whom he knew, and wrote vicious portraits of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein, which were published in his memoir A Moveable Feast.
His memoir was actually published abercrombie and fitch posthumously by his widow, Mary Hemingway, in 1964. She edited extensively the memoir manuscript, patching stuff together from various sources. She included things he'd explicitly stated that he didn't want published, and excluded other parts of his unfinished memoir manuscript.
This month, July 2009, Scribner is releasing a "restored edition" of Hemingway's memoir. The new edition is edited by Sean Hemingway, abercrombie and fitch the grandson of Hemingway and his second wife, Pauline, a woman who was much maligned in the edition of the memoir edited by Mary, the fourth wife.
Sean Hemingway is a curator at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, and he has edited other anthologies of Hemingway's writing. He is including parts of the original manuscript that Mary had cut out, passages that he says show his grandfather's "remorse and some of the happiness he felt and his very conflicted views he had about the end of his marriage" to Pauline. The new edition, he says, is more inclusive and portrays his grandmother in a more sympathetic manner. Sixteen thousand copies of the new edition of A Moveable Feast are being printed in the first run, and Scribner is also releasing new editions of all of Hemingway's novels with redesigned covers.
Hemingway said, "The writer's job is to tell the truth." In A Moveable Feast, he wrote: "I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, `Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.' So finally I would write one abercrombie and fitch true sentence, and then go on from there. It was easy then because there was always one true sentence that I knew or had seen or had heard someone say."
There's a legend that Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to create a six-word story, and he said, "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." Inspired by this, an online magazine invited readers to submit their own six-word memoirs, a collection of which was published by Harper Collins in 2008 as Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. Six-word memoirs include: "All I ever wanted was more" and "Moments of transcendence, intervals of yearning" and "They called. I answered. Wrong number."
2009年9月28日星期一
2009年9月27日星期日
A socialist education
From the New York Times:
President Obama’s plan abercrombie and fitch to deliver a speech to public school students on Tuesday has set off a revolt among conservative parents, who have accused the president of trying to indoctrinate their children with socialist ideas and are asking school officials to excuse the children from listening.
“The thing that concerned me most about it was it seemed like a direct channel from the president of the United States into the classroom, to my child,” said Brett Curtis, an engineer from Pearland, Tex., who said he would keep his three children home.
“I don’t want our schools turned over to some socialist movement.”
Obviously, the whole “argument” over whether Obama’s speech to students on Tuesday will be rife with socialist rhetoric is now completely debunked. The White House released the full speech today, and it’s far from a call to arms for some kind of child-led socialist revolution. Rather, Obama encourages kids to try their best, no abercrombie and fitch matter their economical, geographical, or physical circumstances. So, that’s that. Easiest blog ever.
Oh wait! There’s something else.
The idea of messages being beamed into classrooms across the country is a scary one. Who wants children to be exposed to messages over which parents and teachers have little control? Nobody. Right?
At the risk of being labeled a socialist myself, I’ll bet that Channel One – the nationwide, 12-minute teen “news” program shown in some US schools, and subject of much scrutiny over the years – would be enough to combat any “socialist” speech from the President. The channel’s “news” is often product-related and many of its special segments are sponsored by corporations (like AT&T) or, as in the case of Glory Road, the US Army.
As Naomi Klein wrote in 2000’s No Logo:
Channel One, meanwhile, charges advertisers top dollar for accessing its pipeline to classrooms… because, with mandatory attendance and no channel-changing or volume control, it can boast something no other broadcaster can: “No audience erosion.”
The channel also offers teachers complimentary discussion topics for their classes that revolve around that day’s program. The September 3rd program, for example, (script available to download here) features a report on the decline of Abercrombie & Fitch sales during the current recession. Reporter Steven Fabian informs students that A&F had considered lowering prices, but were worried that it would affect the perceived quality of the label. It’s all very serious “business” news, of course. And the related questions for teachers to discuss with students? Just as serious:
* Why has abercrombie and fitch decided against lowering its prices?
* What impact has the recession had on Abercrombie and Fitch?
* Why is Abercrombie considering a change in strategy?
OMG, I dunno, yo! But totes going to abercrombie and fitch during spare!
The impact of product placement in schools has been the topic of endless debate, but it seems even more fitting to discuss it now, when everyone’s panicking over how Obama’s message will affect the political leanings of six-year-olds. If parents are really going to put any serious thought into what kind of messages their children are privy to a school, maybe they should start at the Coke machine.
But just so we leave on a completely twisted note, abercrombie and fitch I’ll say one more thing about Channel One:
The other day on his show, Glenn Beck went on a nine-minute diatribe about “socialist” and “fascist” artwork at Rockefeller Center in New York City – the home, he was eager to point out, of his most hated rival network, NBC.
President Obama’s plan abercrombie and fitch to deliver a speech to public school students on Tuesday has set off a revolt among conservative parents, who have accused the president of trying to indoctrinate their children with socialist ideas and are asking school officials to excuse the children from listening.
“The thing that concerned me most about it was it seemed like a direct channel from the president of the United States into the classroom, to my child,” said Brett Curtis, an engineer from Pearland, Tex., who said he would keep his three children home.
“I don’t want our schools turned over to some socialist movement.”
Obviously, the whole “argument” over whether Obama’s speech to students on Tuesday will be rife with socialist rhetoric is now completely debunked. The White House released the full speech today, and it’s far from a call to arms for some kind of child-led socialist revolution. Rather, Obama encourages kids to try their best, no abercrombie and fitch matter their economical, geographical, or physical circumstances. So, that’s that. Easiest blog ever.
Oh wait! There’s something else.
The idea of messages being beamed into classrooms across the country is a scary one. Who wants children to be exposed to messages over which parents and teachers have little control? Nobody. Right?
At the risk of being labeled a socialist myself, I’ll bet that Channel One – the nationwide, 12-minute teen “news” program shown in some US schools, and subject of much scrutiny over the years – would be enough to combat any “socialist” speech from the President. The channel’s “news” is often product-related and many of its special segments are sponsored by corporations (like AT&T) or, as in the case of Glory Road, the US Army.
As Naomi Klein wrote in 2000’s No Logo:
Channel One, meanwhile, charges advertisers top dollar for accessing its pipeline to classrooms… because, with mandatory attendance and no channel-changing or volume control, it can boast something no other broadcaster can: “No audience erosion.”
The channel also offers teachers complimentary discussion topics for their classes that revolve around that day’s program. The September 3rd program, for example, (script available to download here) features a report on the decline of Abercrombie & Fitch sales during the current recession. Reporter Steven Fabian informs students that A&F had considered lowering prices, but were worried that it would affect the perceived quality of the label. It’s all very serious “business” news, of course. And the related questions for teachers to discuss with students? Just as serious:
* Why has abercrombie and fitch decided against lowering its prices?
* What impact has the recession had on Abercrombie and Fitch?
* Why is Abercrombie considering a change in strategy?
OMG, I dunno, yo! But totes going to abercrombie and fitch during spare!
The impact of product placement in schools has been the topic of endless debate, but it seems even more fitting to discuss it now, when everyone’s panicking over how Obama’s message will affect the political leanings of six-year-olds. If parents are really going to put any serious thought into what kind of messages their children are privy to a school, maybe they should start at the Coke machine.
But just so we leave on a completely twisted note, abercrombie and fitch I’ll say one more thing about Channel One:
The other day on his show, Glenn Beck went on a nine-minute diatribe about “socialist” and “fascist” artwork at Rockefeller Center in New York City – the home, he was eager to point out, of his most hated rival network, NBC.
2009年9月25日星期五
Abercrombie & Fitch fined in MOA discrimination case
A judge ordered retail giant abercrombie and fitch to pay $115,000 for discriminating against a 14-year-old autistic customer at its Mall of America store.
The civil penalty, the largest of its kind in at least two years, came four years after store employees refused to let the autistic teen join her older sister in a fitting room because of the clothing chain's anti-shoplifting policy. The store refused to relent even after the sister, and later the girls' mother, explained that the 14-year-old couldn't be alone because of her disability.
The confrontation humiliated the girl, abercrombie and fitch who testified that the incident made her feel like a "misfit."
"She was singled out and required to hear her sister and mother repeatedly ask for accommodations based on her disability, in front of a long line of customers, at a store that markets itself to young people abercrombie and fitch as a purveyor of a particularly desirable 'look' " administrative law judge Kathleen D. Sheehy declared in her ruling.
When several complaints to the company were ignored, the girl's mother, Elizabeth Maxson of Apple Valley, took the case to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The investigation encountered fierce resistance from abercrombie and fitch, a New Albany, Ohio-based company that posted $3.5 billion in revenues last year. The company even denied that the girl, identified only as M.M. in court documents, had a disability until the first day of the administrative law hearing in April. She was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 2.
In her ruling, Sheehy found that abercrombie and fitch violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act and ordered the company to pay the girl $25,000 for mental anguish and suffering. The company also was ordered to pay $25,000 to the state as a civil penalty, $41,069 in attorney's fees, $20,441 to the human rights department for its expenses and $3,753 in other expenses.
The civil penalty, the largest of its kind in at least two years, came four years after store employees refused to let the autistic teen join her older sister in a fitting room because of the clothing chain's anti-shoplifting policy. The store refused to relent even after the sister, and later the girls' mother, explained that the 14-year-old couldn't be alone because of her disability.
The confrontation humiliated the girl, abercrombie and fitch who testified that the incident made her feel like a "misfit."
"She was singled out and required to hear her sister and mother repeatedly ask for accommodations based on her disability, in front of a long line of customers, at a store that markets itself to young people abercrombie and fitch as a purveyor of a particularly desirable 'look' " administrative law judge Kathleen D. Sheehy declared in her ruling.
When several complaints to the company were ignored, the girl's mother, Elizabeth Maxson of Apple Valley, took the case to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The investigation encountered fierce resistance from abercrombie and fitch, a New Albany, Ohio-based company that posted $3.5 billion in revenues last year. The company even denied that the girl, identified only as M.M. in court documents, had a disability until the first day of the administrative law hearing in April. She was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 2.
In her ruling, Sheehy found that abercrombie and fitch violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act and ordered the company to pay the girl $25,000 for mental anguish and suffering. The company also was ordered to pay $25,000 to the state as a civil penalty, $41,069 in attorney's fees, $20,441 to the human rights department for its expenses and $3,753 in other expenses.
2009年9月24日星期四
Bayer in Berkeley, Abercrombie & Fitch, Fed study
Bayer HealthCare announced Wednesday that it abercrombie and fitch will invest more than $100 million to upgrade and improve its Berkeley manufacturing capabilities, a decision that dispels fears the pharmaceutical giant and the city's largest private employer would exit.
The decision by Bayer HealthCare to manufacture future versions of its hemophilia drug Kogenate isn't just about the patients. It's also a major relief for Berkeley and Oakland. Earlier this year, Bayer hinted it was considering a move out of Berkeley.
"There has definitely been a lot of bad news with abercrombie and fitch NUMMI leaving and the threat of Bayer possibly leaving, so it's nice to finally give people some good news," said Tom Bates, mayor of Berkeley. "This is not just important for Berkeley but for the region as well."
This is the largest investment ever made by Bayer on the Berkeley site, said Joerg Heidrich, head of Bayer HealthCare's product supply biotech organization.
nation
abercrombie and fitch sues Beyoncé
Teen clothing retailer abercrombie and fitch is suing singer Beyoncé Knowles over her plans for a fragrance named after Sasha Fierce, her alter ego.
Abercrombie & Fitch says in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Columbus, Ohio, that Knowles' intent to use the name constitutes trademark infringement, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices.
New Albany, Ohio-based Abercrombie says its Abercrombie & Fitch Trading Co. subsidiary has owned the Fierce trademark since 2002 for its own men's fragrance.
It asks the court to order Knowles to halt her plan to sell a fragrance with a similar name.
abercrombie and fitch says sales of its fragrance have exceeded $190 million. It projects 2009 sales at $64 million.
washington
Fed looks at medium-size lenders
Federal Reserve supervisors are examining the vulnerability of medium-size lenders to falling commercial real-estate values to gauge the size of potential losses across the banking system.
The Fed is focusing on banks smaller than the 19 largest lenders examined in detail in May, a central bank official said on condition of anonymity. The process involves gathering data from individual banks and comparing it with their peers, an approach known internally as a "horizontal review."
Policymakers need to estimate the timing for a revival in bank lending when deciding when to withdraw emergency credit programs and record monetary stimulus. While the Fed has pumped billions of dollars of liquidity into financial institutions, total bank credit to the economy grew just 2 percent in August compared with the same month last year, according to Fed data.
The decision by Bayer HealthCare to manufacture future versions of its hemophilia drug Kogenate isn't just about the patients. It's also a major relief for Berkeley and Oakland. Earlier this year, Bayer hinted it was considering a move out of Berkeley.
"There has definitely been a lot of bad news with abercrombie and fitch NUMMI leaving and the threat of Bayer possibly leaving, so it's nice to finally give people some good news," said Tom Bates, mayor of Berkeley. "This is not just important for Berkeley but for the region as well."
This is the largest investment ever made by Bayer on the Berkeley site, said Joerg Heidrich, head of Bayer HealthCare's product supply biotech organization.
nation
abercrombie and fitch sues Beyoncé
Teen clothing retailer abercrombie and fitch is suing singer Beyoncé Knowles over her plans for a fragrance named after Sasha Fierce, her alter ego.
Abercrombie & Fitch says in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Columbus, Ohio, that Knowles' intent to use the name constitutes trademark infringement, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices.
New Albany, Ohio-based Abercrombie says its Abercrombie & Fitch Trading Co. subsidiary has owned the Fierce trademark since 2002 for its own men's fragrance.
It asks the court to order Knowles to halt her plan to sell a fragrance with a similar name.
abercrombie and fitch says sales of its fragrance have exceeded $190 million. It projects 2009 sales at $64 million.
washington
Fed looks at medium-size lenders
Federal Reserve supervisors are examining the vulnerability of medium-size lenders to falling commercial real-estate values to gauge the size of potential losses across the banking system.
The Fed is focusing on banks smaller than the 19 largest lenders examined in detail in May, a central bank official said on condition of anonymity. The process involves gathering data from individual banks and comparing it with their peers, an approach known internally as a "horizontal review."
Policymakers need to estimate the timing for a revival in bank lending when deciding when to withdraw emergency credit programs and record monetary stimulus. While the Fed has pumped billions of dollars of liquidity into financial institutions, total bank credit to the economy grew just 2 percent in August compared with the same month last year, according to Fed data.
2009年9月23日星期三
Analyst upgrades Gap, Abercrombie
An analyst on Monday upgraded apparel retailers Gap Inc. and abercrombie and fitch., citing expectations of future improvement despite anticipating weak July same-store sales from most retailers when they report on Thursday.
Barclays Capital analyst Jeff Black forecast sales in stores open at least one year, a key retail metric known as same-store sales, will fall 5.2 percent for the industry overall in July. That compares to a 5.1 percent drop in June.
"We expect July sales to come in worse than the previous month in part because 10 states have shifted their tax-free shopping periods to later in August," Black wrote in a note to investors. That could hurt same-store sales by as much as 2 percentage points, he estimated.
abercrombie and fitch has reported weak same-store sales over the past year as it has stuck to relatively high price points amid the recession. Black said it should see its same-store sales improve, although he still predicts a 23 percent drop, as shoppers pick up back-to-school items.
Results should be helped by improved results at the chain's surf-themed Hollister offshoot, Black said.
Longer term, Black said he expects abercrombie and fitch should begin to get more revenue from international flagship stores beginning in the fourth quarter. Also, lower cost-of-goods in 2010 should help the company lower opening price points, Black said. He upgraded the stock to "overweight" from "equal weight."
He also upgraded Gap to "overweight" from "equal weight," based on merchandise improvement and likely improvement at its Old Navy stores by abercrombie and fitch the December holiday season.
He expects same-store sales to fall 8 percent in July, helped by better results from Old Navy.
Gap shares rose 88 cents, or 5.4 percent, to close at $17.20 on Monday. Shares have traded between $9.41 and $20.80 during the past 52 weeks.
abercrombie and fitch shares rose $1.47, or 5.1 percent, to $30.06. The stock has traded between $9.41 and $20.80 over the past year.
Barclays Capital analyst Jeff Black forecast sales in stores open at least one year, a key retail metric known as same-store sales, will fall 5.2 percent for the industry overall in July. That compares to a 5.1 percent drop in June.
"We expect July sales to come in worse than the previous month in part because 10 states have shifted their tax-free shopping periods to later in August," Black wrote in a note to investors. That could hurt same-store sales by as much as 2 percentage points, he estimated.
abercrombie and fitch has reported weak same-store sales over the past year as it has stuck to relatively high price points amid the recession. Black said it should see its same-store sales improve, although he still predicts a 23 percent drop, as shoppers pick up back-to-school items.
Results should be helped by improved results at the chain's surf-themed Hollister offshoot, Black said.
Longer term, Black said he expects abercrombie and fitch should begin to get more revenue from international flagship stores beginning in the fourth quarter. Also, lower cost-of-goods in 2010 should help the company lower opening price points, Black said. He upgraded the stock to "overweight" from "equal weight."
He also upgraded Gap to "overweight" from "equal weight," based on merchandise improvement and likely improvement at its Old Navy stores by abercrombie and fitch the December holiday season.
He expects same-store sales to fall 8 percent in July, helped by better results from Old Navy.
Gap shares rose 88 cents, or 5.4 percent, to close at $17.20 on Monday. Shares have traded between $9.41 and $20.80 during the past 52 weeks.
abercrombie and fitch shares rose $1.47, or 5.1 percent, to $30.06. The stock has traded between $9.41 and $20.80 over the past year.
2009年9月22日星期二
Abercrombie & Fitch Fined For Discriminating Against Autistic Shopper
The PR geniuses at abercrombie and fitch are in the news again for refusing to let a 14-year old autistic
shopper have help trying on clothes. The Minnesota Department of Human abercrombie and fitch Rights has fined the company $115,264
for discriminating against a person with a abercrombie and fitch disability.
Hm. This sure sounds familiar.
The injured parties abercrombie and fitch include Molly Maxon, who has autism, and her older sister. When the two tried to enter a
fitting room together so that the sister abercrombie and fitch could help Molly try on clothes, an A&F employee refused to let
them, citing a store policy to prevent shoplifting.
shopper have help trying on clothes. The Minnesota Department of Human abercrombie and fitch Rights has fined the company $115,264
for discriminating against a person with a abercrombie and fitch disability.
Hm. This sure sounds familiar.
The injured parties abercrombie and fitch include Molly Maxon, who has autism, and her older sister. When the two tried to enter a
fitting room together so that the sister abercrombie and fitch could help Molly try on clothes, an A&F employee refused to let
them, citing a store policy to prevent shoplifting.
2009年9月21日星期一
Abercrombie & Fitch food in the United State
By the mid-1990s, there were dozens of abercrombie and fitch food in the United States. On September 26, 1996, The Limited, Inc. took abercrombie and fitc accessible on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker attribute “ANF” and with the per allotment alms as $16. In backward 1990s, the aggregation began to opt architecture food alone averaging amid 8,000 to 20,000 aboveboard anxiety (700 to 2,000 m2) in high-volume retail centers about the country. It aswell launched the canoe abundance ancestor of white bluff and autogenous gray walls to board the advance of its brand.
In 1997, abercrombie and fitch launched A&F Quarterly. The advertisement included photography, account beach online writing about sex, pop culture, and added boyhood interests. In 1998, the aggregation alien its aboriginal subsidiary, abercrombie and fitch. The abstraction was advised as the abercrombie & Fitch for a adolescent audience amid the ages on 7-14. In 1999 began a 3-year-long chic activity accusation in which abercrombie and fitch was one of several American retailers complex for its sweatshops in Saipan. Revenue recorded for Abercrombie & Fitch at the end of budgetary 1998 was at $805.2 actor USD. By 1998, Abercrombie & Fitch went became an absolute company, and Mike Jeffries affected the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.[16] As the cast regained its prominence, industry analysts began to brainstorm how continued Abercrombie and Fitch would be able to absorb its popularity.
In 1997, abercrombie and fitch launched A&F Quarterly. The advertisement included photography, account beach online writing about sex, pop culture, and added boyhood interests. In 1998, the aggregation alien its aboriginal subsidiary, abercrombie and fitch. The abstraction was advised as the abercrombie & Fitch for a adolescent audience amid the ages on 7-14. In 1999 began a 3-year-long chic activity accusation in which abercrombie and fitch was one of several American retailers complex for its sweatshops in Saipan. Revenue recorded for Abercrombie & Fitch at the end of budgetary 1998 was at $805.2 actor USD. By 1998, Abercrombie & Fitch went became an absolute company, and Mike Jeffries affected the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.[16] As the cast regained its prominence, industry analysts began to brainstorm how continued Abercrombie and Fitch would be able to absorb its popularity.
2009年9月20日星期日
Abercrombie & Fitch recently announced
A&F has never been a stranger to discrimination suits; abercrombie and fitch one was recently settled in the US for discrimination during the hiring process in that they would allegedly only hire “young and beautiful” men and women to work in their stores.
abercrombie and fitch recently announced it will pull the plug on its RUEHL chain, a concept with 29 stores in high-profile malls across the country that targeted well-heeled consumers in their 20s. abercrombie and fitch blamed “the severe economic downturn” for sinking the stores, which launched in 2004, generating an operating loss of $58 million during the company’s prior fiscal year.
But maybe it’s not just the economy’s fault in this case. abercrombie and fitch REUHL is just another example long line of concepts rolled out by established chains over the last few years that were either closed or abandoned. The lesson here is that some of these retailers might be better off sticking to their core concepts abercrombie and fitch instead of pushing ever more demographic-specific options out to the consumer.
abercrombie and fitch recently announced it will pull the plug on its RUEHL chain, a concept with 29 stores in high-profile malls across the country that targeted well-heeled consumers in their 20s. abercrombie and fitch blamed “the severe economic downturn” for sinking the stores, which launched in 2004, generating an operating loss of $58 million during the company’s prior fiscal year.
But maybe it’s not just the economy’s fault in this case. abercrombie and fitch REUHL is just another example long line of concepts rolled out by established chains over the last few years that were either closed or abandoned. The lesson here is that some of these retailers might be better off sticking to their core concepts abercrombie and fitch instead of pushing ever more demographic-specific options out to the consumer.
2009年9月18日星期五
(ANF) Abercrombie & Fitch Disappoints – net sales of the company during the quarter decreased 23%
abercrombie and fitch. (ANF), a leading international specialty retailer, reported disappointing second quarter results with a net loss of $26.7 million or -30 cents per share compared to a net income of $77.8 million or 87 cents per share in the year-earlier quarter.
The year-over-year decline in results was primarily due to the continued economic downturn plaguing the industry that has resulted in reduced consumer discretionary income and a cut in non-essential spending.
Overall net sales of the company during the quarter decreased 23% to $648.5 million from $845.8 million in the year-ago quarter. Total company direct-to-consumer net sales decreased 13% year-over-year to $48.7 million, while overall comparable store sales decreased 30%.
Gross profit rate during the quarter decreased 360 basis points year-over-year due to a higher markdown rate. abercrombie and fitch was able to reduce its stores and distribution expense (as a percentage of sales) through savings in store payroll, and reduction in direct-to-consumer and other variable expenses. The marketing, general and administrative expenses also decreased during the quarter from $109.0 million to $88.7 million due to savings related to employee compensation and benefits, and cut in travel and outside services.
However, the rate of sales decline of the company was much higher than the reduction in expenses. Furthermore, Abercrombie witnessed an increase in rents, depreciation and lease termination costs related to the exit of RUEHL branded stores.
During the quarter, the management approved the closure of 29 RUEHL branded stores and associated direct-to-consumer operations. abercrombie and fitch incurred $23.6 million of pre-tax charges during the quarter to exit RUEHL, along with an impairment charge of $0.8 million. The company expects to complete the closure by the end of fiscal 2009.
At quarter end, abercrombie and fitch had $366.5 million of cash and cash equivalents along with outstanding debt and letters of credit of $79.6 million. The company repaid $100 million of US dollar-denominated outstanding debt, and obtained approximately $37 million in foreign currency denominated borrowings to fund its international lease and capital expenditures.
During the quarter, the company opened its first Epic Hollister flagship store in New York, two Hollister mall-based stores in the UK, and one Abercrombie store in the US. Abercrombie mulls opening nine mall-based stores in fiscal 2009 in the US, which includes two Abercrombie stores, four Hollister stores, one Gilly Hicks store, and two outlet stores. Internationally, the company intends to open 10 mall-based stores in the current fiscal year, including one Abercrombie store in Canada, one Hollister store each in Germany and Italy, and seven Hollister stores in the UK.
abercrombie and fitch has reduced its earlier capital expenditures projection for fiscal 2009 from $200 million to $185 million, due to lower-than-expected construction costs and the reduction and deferment of non-essential projects related to existing stores.
The year-over-year decline in results was primarily due to the continued economic downturn plaguing the industry that has resulted in reduced consumer discretionary income and a cut in non-essential spending.
Overall net sales of the company during the quarter decreased 23% to $648.5 million from $845.8 million in the year-ago quarter. Total company direct-to-consumer net sales decreased 13% year-over-year to $48.7 million, while overall comparable store sales decreased 30%.
Gross profit rate during the quarter decreased 360 basis points year-over-year due to a higher markdown rate. abercrombie and fitch was able to reduce its stores and distribution expense (as a percentage of sales) through savings in store payroll, and reduction in direct-to-consumer and other variable expenses. The marketing, general and administrative expenses also decreased during the quarter from $109.0 million to $88.7 million due to savings related to employee compensation and benefits, and cut in travel and outside services.
However, the rate of sales decline of the company was much higher than the reduction in expenses. Furthermore, Abercrombie witnessed an increase in rents, depreciation and lease termination costs related to the exit of RUEHL branded stores.
During the quarter, the management approved the closure of 29 RUEHL branded stores and associated direct-to-consumer operations. abercrombie and fitch incurred $23.6 million of pre-tax charges during the quarter to exit RUEHL, along with an impairment charge of $0.8 million. The company expects to complete the closure by the end of fiscal 2009.
At quarter end, abercrombie and fitch had $366.5 million of cash and cash equivalents along with outstanding debt and letters of credit of $79.6 million. The company repaid $100 million of US dollar-denominated outstanding debt, and obtained approximately $37 million in foreign currency denominated borrowings to fund its international lease and capital expenditures.
During the quarter, the company opened its first Epic Hollister flagship store in New York, two Hollister mall-based stores in the UK, and one Abercrombie store in the US. Abercrombie mulls opening nine mall-based stores in fiscal 2009 in the US, which includes two Abercrombie stores, four Hollister stores, one Gilly Hicks store, and two outlet stores. Internationally, the company intends to open 10 mall-based stores in the current fiscal year, including one Abercrombie store in Canada, one Hollister store each in Germany and Italy, and seven Hollister stores in the UK.
abercrombie and fitch has reduced its earlier capital expenditures projection for fiscal 2009 from $200 million to $185 million, due to lower-than-expected construction costs and the reduction and deferment of non-essential projects related to existing stores.
2009年9月17日星期四
Abercrombie and Fitch lifestyle
abercrombie and fitch is not a lifestyle! It is an illusion of one. You're being sold to, and taken for a fool because of how cheaply made their clothes are. They're acutally making you think that ripped jeans are worth paying over $100 for?
If people want a casual lifestyle, then stop obsessing over clothes, and how you look. Don't worry about it, most people look fine. It's only when we compare ourselves to abercrombie and fitch others, when we feel bad!
abercrombie and fitch in in just about every mall in the nation, and now they're all over the world. Our country has a huge obesity epidemic on its hands, and our teenagers are being marketed to by these people to think that they need to live up to this ideal of beauty that they portray.
abercrombie and fitch is not a lifestyle, it's a business. People on the East Coast, want the West Coast style, etc- so they sell it to you in paper thin shirts that rip and shrink and jeans with holes in them. In reality...nobody really dresses like that, abercrombie and fitch and you end up walking around looking like a carbon copy of everyone else who has bought into the hype!
If people want a casual lifestyle, then stop obsessing over clothes, and how you look. Don't worry about it, most people look fine. It's only when we compare ourselves to abercrombie and fitch others, when we feel bad!
abercrombie and fitch in in just about every mall in the nation, and now they're all over the world. Our country has a huge obesity epidemic on its hands, and our teenagers are being marketed to by these people to think that they need to live up to this ideal of beauty that they portray.
abercrombie and fitch is not a lifestyle, it's a business. People on the East Coast, want the West Coast style, etc- so they sell it to you in paper thin shirts that rip and shrink and jeans with holes in them. In reality...nobody really dresses like that, abercrombie and fitch and you end up walking around looking like a carbon copy of everyone else who has bought into the hype!
2009年9月16日星期三
Abercrombie & Fitch Posts Q2 Loss on Charges, Sales Decline (ANF)
Teen clothing retailer abercrombie and fitch. (ANF) on Friday said that it lost $26.7 million in the second quarter, hurt by lower sales and charges related to shutting its ill-conceived Ruehl stores brand.
The New Albany, Ohio-based company reported a second quarter net loss of $26.7 million, or 30 cents per share, compared with a profit of $77.8 million, or 87 cents per share, in the year-ago period. The latest results included $24.4 million in abercrombie and fitch special charges.
Sales fell 23% from last year to $648.5 million.
On average, Wall Street analysts expected a loss of 7 cents per share, excluding special items.
Same-store sales, perhaps the most telling metric for retailers, plunged 30% from last year. Same-store sales are considered a key indicator of a retailer’s health, since they measure the performance of stores open at least one year.
In order to combat the lower sales of its relatively-high priced merchandise amid the recession, abercrombie and fitch cut its marketing, general, and administrative costs by 19% in the quarter.
abercrombie and fitch shares rose $1.03, or +3.1%, in morning trading Friday.
The Bottom Line
We have been avoiding shares of ANF since our early June coverage began, and the stock was trading at $67.37. The company has a dividend yield of 2.12%, based on last night’s closing stock price of $32.96. The stock has technical support in the $25-$27 price area. If the shares can continue the recent run, we see overhead resistance around the $36 price level. We would remain on the sidelines for now.
abercrombie and fitch . (ANF) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS? Rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars.
The New Albany, Ohio-based company reported a second quarter net loss of $26.7 million, or 30 cents per share, compared with a profit of $77.8 million, or 87 cents per share, in the year-ago period. The latest results included $24.4 million in abercrombie and fitch special charges.
Sales fell 23% from last year to $648.5 million.
On average, Wall Street analysts expected a loss of 7 cents per share, excluding special items.
Same-store sales, perhaps the most telling metric for retailers, plunged 30% from last year. Same-store sales are considered a key indicator of a retailer’s health, since they measure the performance of stores open at least one year.
In order to combat the lower sales of its relatively-high priced merchandise amid the recession, abercrombie and fitch cut its marketing, general, and administrative costs by 19% in the quarter.
abercrombie and fitch shares rose $1.03, or +3.1%, in morning trading Friday.
The Bottom Line
We have been avoiding shares of ANF since our early June coverage began, and the stock was trading at $67.37. The company has a dividend yield of 2.12%, based on last night’s closing stock price of $32.96. The stock has technical support in the $25-$27 price area. If the shares can continue the recent run, we see overhead resistance around the $36 price level. We would remain on the sidelines for now.
abercrombie and fitch . (ANF) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS? Rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars.
2009年9月15日星期二
Abercrombie and Fitch Downgrade: A Sign of the Times?
This is just continuing evidence of a lackluster consumer environment. abercrombie and fitch(ANF) same store receipts were down in August, setting up what I predict will be a downward accelerating consumer environment. Both Citi and Merrill Lynch downgraded ANF on Friday, citing deteriorating sales and increased markdowns. In fact, Citi went as far as to say that they think ANF could trade at its lowest abercrombie and fitch multiple in five years. This is just something to keep an eye on as you try to balance your portfolios.
Specialty retail is being hit hard (and will continue to take a hit), as the negative effects from the housing market, consumer credit crunch, and inflation take a toll on consumer's pocketbooks. abercrombie and fitch is known for its upscale niche within the teen segment, often selling more expensive items than the likes of competitors Aeropostale (ARO), who seems to be doing fine in this environment. So, look for consumers to "trade down" in this environment.
In any given sector, I like to take a balanced approach and often times am market neutral. For instance in retail, being long the likes of Wal-Mart (WMT) or various other discounters who sell essentials (food, gas, toiletries, medicine) is very appealing to me. Then, you take the other side by going short discretionary retailers, such as ANF: long cheap and/or necessary items versus short expensive and/or discretionary items.
The same logic can be applied to food by abercrombie and fitch going long the likes of McDonald's (MCD) for the "cheap" factor (although they might see some slight headwinds due to their strong international presence and a rising U.S. dollar). Then, shorting casual dining restaurants such as BJ Restaurants (BJRI) or Darden Restaurants (DRI), who are feeling the pinch of rising input costs and slower dining traffic.
The main point to take away here is that we all know the consumer is strapped for cash. However, I think too many people are counting on a recovery. With vast evidence of the housing market accelerating to the downside, I just abercrombie and fitch don't see how that is possible. Add in the consumer credit crunch and the inflationary pressures consumers are seeing on everything they buy, and you have a recipe for a very thrifty consumer.
Specialty retail is being hit hard (and will continue to take a hit), as the negative effects from the housing market, consumer credit crunch, and inflation take a toll on consumer's pocketbooks. abercrombie and fitch is known for its upscale niche within the teen segment, often selling more expensive items than the likes of competitors Aeropostale (ARO), who seems to be doing fine in this environment. So, look for consumers to "trade down" in this environment.
In any given sector, I like to take a balanced approach and often times am market neutral. For instance in retail, being long the likes of Wal-Mart (WMT) or various other discounters who sell essentials (food, gas, toiletries, medicine) is very appealing to me. Then, you take the other side by going short discretionary retailers, such as ANF: long cheap and/or necessary items versus short expensive and/or discretionary items.
The same logic can be applied to food by abercrombie and fitch going long the likes of McDonald's (MCD) for the "cheap" factor (although they might see some slight headwinds due to their strong international presence and a rising U.S. dollar). Then, shorting casual dining restaurants such as BJ Restaurants (BJRI) or Darden Restaurants (DRI), who are feeling the pinch of rising input costs and slower dining traffic.
The main point to take away here is that we all know the consumer is strapped for cash. However, I think too many people are counting on a recovery. With vast evidence of the housing market accelerating to the downside, I just abercrombie and fitch don't see how that is possible. Add in the consumer credit crunch and the inflationary pressures consumers are seeing on everything they buy, and you have a recipe for a very thrifty consumer.
2009年9月14日星期一
Abercrombie posts Q2 loss; international growth on track
BANGALORE, Aug. 14, 2009 (Reuters) — abercrombie and fitch Co reported a quarterly loss as sliding sales, higher markdowns and increased costs weighed on the teen-apparel retailer.The operator of the Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie and fitch for kids and the surf-inspired Hollister chains said, however, it remained on track with its international expansion plans.
Its shares were up $1.54, or 4.7 percent, at $34.50 in trading before the opening bell.
The retailer recorded a net loss of $26.7 million, or 30 cents a share, compared with a net profit of $77.8 million, or 87 cents a share, a year earlier.
As recently as a year ago, abercrombie and fitch was the most popular clothing store in the mall among teens and college-age students, but as the downturn deepened, rivals with cheaper prices such as Aeropostale and Forever 21 cut into market share.
Revenue fell 23 percent to $648.5 million. Comparable-store sales fell 30 percent in the quarter, hurt by double-digit declines at all chains.
abercrombie and fitch has been known for the higher prices on its clothing when compared with rivals like American Eagle Outfitters Inc .
But the company -- which long defended its higher-price cachet -- has slowly begun to discount or lower the starting ticket prices on some items to address the consumer aversion to high prices in the downturn.
In the quarter, gross profit came in at 66.5 percent, 3.60 percentage points lower than the year-ago period. Abercrombie blamed a higher markdown rate for the fall in gross profit.
Earlier this month, abercrombie and fitch posted a 28 percent same-store sales decline for the month of July.
The company was also hurt by higher rent, depreciation and other occupancy costs as well as $23 million of net lease termination related costs associated with the winding down of its RUEHL chain.
Investor interest in the stock -- which has fallen about 39 percent in the past year -- has been negative, but the company's international expansion opportunity is often cited by analysts as a long-term growth driver.
Besides its U.S. stores in the United States, which number more than a thousand, the company operates a handful of stores in Canada and a flagship Abercrombie & Fitch store in London.
The company said it remained on track to open three international flagship stores in fiscal 2009, including two stores in Milan and one outlet in Tokyo.
Abercrombie also remains on track to open 10 mall-based stores in the period, including one Abercrombie store in Canada and seven Hollister stores in Britain. It also plans to open one Hollister mall-based store in Germany and one in Italy.
Its shares were up $1.54, or 4.7 percent, at $34.50 in trading before the opening bell.
The retailer recorded a net loss of $26.7 million, or 30 cents a share, compared with a net profit of $77.8 million, or 87 cents a share, a year earlier.
As recently as a year ago, abercrombie and fitch was the most popular clothing store in the mall among teens and college-age students, but as the downturn deepened, rivals with cheaper prices such as Aeropostale and Forever 21 cut into market share.
Revenue fell 23 percent to $648.5 million. Comparable-store sales fell 30 percent in the quarter, hurt by double-digit declines at all chains.
abercrombie and fitch has been known for the higher prices on its clothing when compared with rivals like American Eagle Outfitters Inc .
But the company -- which long defended its higher-price cachet -- has slowly begun to discount or lower the starting ticket prices on some items to address the consumer aversion to high prices in the downturn.
In the quarter, gross profit came in at 66.5 percent, 3.60 percentage points lower than the year-ago period. Abercrombie blamed a higher markdown rate for the fall in gross profit.
Earlier this month, abercrombie and fitch posted a 28 percent same-store sales decline for the month of July.
The company was also hurt by higher rent, depreciation and other occupancy costs as well as $23 million of net lease termination related costs associated with the winding down of its RUEHL chain.
Investor interest in the stock -- which has fallen about 39 percent in the past year -- has been negative, but the company's international expansion opportunity is often cited by analysts as a long-term growth driver.
Besides its U.S. stores in the United States, which number more than a thousand, the company operates a handful of stores in Canada and a flagship Abercrombie & Fitch store in London.
The company said it remained on track to open three international flagship stores in fiscal 2009, including two stores in Milan and one outlet in Tokyo.
Abercrombie also remains on track to open 10 mall-based stores in the period, including one Abercrombie store in Canada and seven Hollister stores in Britain. It also plans to open one Hollister mall-based store in Germany and one in Italy.
2009年9月10日星期四
Abercrombie & Fitch Confiscated Photos
An abercrombie and fitch
store in Virginia Beach, Va. has had it’s racy display photos removed by city police, and its manager was cited for a misdemeanor obscenity charge. The store had two photos of questionable images. One of the photos features abercrombie and fitch three shirtless men, one with butt cleavage sticking out. The other of a woman with one of her breasts almost fully exposed.
store in Virginia Beach, Va. has had it’s racy display photos removed by city police, and its manager was cited for a misdemeanor obscenity charge. The store had two photos of questionable images. One of the photos features abercrombie and fitch three shirtless men, one with butt cleavage sticking out. The other of a woman with one of her breasts almost fully exposed.
Apparently, the city code prohibits the display of “obscene materials in a business that is open to juveniles.” Police say they gave the abercrombie and fitch
warnings to remove the images after customers complained, but their warnings were ignored. In response to the charges and controversy, abercrombie and fitch
released the following statement:
warnings to remove the images after customers complained, but their warnings were ignored. In response to the charges and controversy, abercrombie and fitch
released the following statement:
“The marketing images in question show less skin than you see any summer day at the beach. And certainly less than the plumber abercrombie and fitch working on your kitchen sink.”
The company plans to pursue its legal rights aggressively, while the manager of the store faces a fine of up to $2000 and a year in jail.
2009年9月9日星期三
$50 Million, Less Attorneys' Fees and Costs
In December 2005, the Claims Administrator in the Gonzalez v. Abercrombie & Fitch discrimination lawsuit settlement sent award checks to the over ten thousand class members who submitted valid claim forms in accordance with the process set forth by the Court in the April 2005 settlement order.
Checks ranged in size from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, in proportion to Class members' damages and their contributions to the prosecution of the case.
If you have moved since you submitted your claim form, it is possible that a check was mailed to your past address. Please note that the checks became void after June 15, 2006, regardless of when they are received.
The Importance of Standing Up to Discrimination in the Workplace
Our attorneys have prosecuted and continue to investigate large-scale employment discrimination class actions. We have represented individuals and large classes of workers and applicants against companies in retail, financial services, food & beverage, transportation, and other industries who have discriminated on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, and other grounds.
If you are aware of widespread discrimination by a company anywhere in the United States, please contact us via email or by telephone at 1-800-541-7358 or 1-415-956-1000. We are available to discuss your experience with you, and, if appropriate, represent you in a discrimination case. However, there is no guarantee that we will be able to represent you.
Summary of the Settlement of the Abercrombie & Fitch Class Action Lawsuit
On April 14, 2005, Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted final approval to a settlement of the class action lawsuit Gonzalez v. Abercrombie & Fitch. The settlement requires the retail clothing giant to pay $50 million, less attorneys' fees and costs, to Latino, African American, Asian American and female applicants and employees who charged the company with discrimination.
The settlement 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. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is a clothing retailer marketing to young adults, teenagers and children. It employs over 22,000 employees, most of whom are college-age adults, in over 700 stores throughout the United States.
Ongoing Consent Decree Governs Abercrombie's Employment Practices into at Least 2009
The Consent Decree (settlement agreement) contains provisions related to the recruitment, hiring, job assignment, training, and promotion of Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, and abercrombie kids employees. The Decree is effective immediately, pursuant to the Court's order. An appointed Monitor will regularly evaluate and report on Abercrombie’s compliance with the provisions in the Consent Decree. These provisions include:
* "Benchmarks" for hiring and promotion of women, Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans. These benchmarks are goals, rather than quotas, and Abercrombie will be required to report on its progress toward these goals at regular intervals;
* A prohibition on targeting fraternities, sororities, or specific colleges for recruitment purposes;
* Advertising of available positions in publications targeting minorities of both genders;
* A new Office and Vice President of Diversity, responsible for reporting to the CEO on Abercrombie’s progress toward fair employment practices (the Office has already been created, and the VP has been hired and begun work);
* The hiring of 25 recruiters who will focus on and seek women and minority employees. (At least 24 of the 25 have already been hired, and are working.);
* Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Diversity Training for all employees with hiring authority;
* Revision of Performance Evaluations for managers, making progress toward diversity goals a factor in their bonuses and compensation;
* A new internal complaint procedure; and
* Abercrombie marketing materials will reflect diversity by including members of minority racial and ethnic groups.
In addition, abercrombie and fitch created a $40 million Settlement Fund for distribution to individual class members. Abercrombie will also pay attorneys' fees and costs associated with monitoring compliance during the time that the Consent Decree is in effect (4.5 to 6 years from Final Approval, depending on Abercrombie’s progress). This will total approximately $10 million, bringing the total amount abercrombie and fitch
must pay to approximately $50 million. Click here to read the court-approved Consent Decree [pdf format]. The provisions in the Decree are currently in effect.
must pay to approximately $50 million. Click here to read the court-approved Consent Decree [pdf format]. The provisions in the Decree are currently in effect.
“The young men and women who applied to work at abercrombie and fitch should have been judged on their qualifications, and not their skin color or gender. The class action settlement compensates class members for being subjected to the challenged practices and ensures that Abercrombie will improve its employment practices and diversity efforts nationwide,'' commented Lieff Cabraser attorney Kelly M. Dermody.
Abercrombie and Fitch
Yet another American company that sells clothes that were made in a sweatshop overseas then turns around and sells the items for ridiculous amounts of money. Now, don't get me wrong. I know there are much more expensive stores out there and that they probably have sweatshops as well. However, abercrombie and fitch were sued in the 1990's for unsatisfactory working conditions in their sweatshops in Saipan, a US territory. These violations included rat infested barracks (the places where the workers slept), locked fire exits (so that in case of a fire, the workers were trapped) and over 100 other health violations. Personally, i think that
abercrombie and fitch is a stupid store, and it's not because i can't afford it, or am ugly, or whatever everyone who absolutely loves the store thinks. It's because of the products they sell (sexually oriented clothing, even for children) and the way they sell it (half naked models who are unhealthily thin). Plus, my sister and i both agree on this point, the stores I've always been in stink to high heaven.
abercrombie and fitch is a stupid store, and it's not because i can't afford it, or am ugly, or whatever everyone who absolutely loves the store thinks. It's because of the products they sell (sexually oriented clothing, even for children) and the way they sell it (half naked models who are unhealthily thin). Plus, my sister and i both agree on this point, the stores I've always been in stink to high heaven.
oh, and for all of you abercrombie lovers out there who claim that everyone who hates it is ugly, please go listen to yourself and decide if you actually sound like someone who others would care to listen to.
Next time you put on that nice little minimum-material-required t-shirt from abercrombiea and fitch
, think about the kids that made that shirt making less than $1 dollar/hour. Yeah. have fun with that.
, think about the kids that made that shirt making less than $1 dollar/hour. Yeah. have fun with that.
2009年9月7日星期一
The History of Abercrombie and Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch began in 1892 under the name David T. Abercrombie Co. It was a small waterfront shop and factory in New York City. The founder, David Abercrombie, was a former trapper, prospector, topographer, and railroad surveyor. His love for the great outdoors influenced his store, abercrombie and fitch
., and was dedicated to camping, fishing, and hunting gear. His clientele consisted mostly of hunters and explorers. Ezra Fitch, a lawyer in New York crossed paths with Abercrombie & Co. in his search for outstanding outdoor gear. In 1900 abercrombie and fitch became Abercrombie & Fitch and Ezra became a partner.
., and was dedicated to camping, fishing, and hunting gear. His clientele consisted mostly of hunters and explorers. Ezra Fitch, a lawyer in New York crossed paths with Abercrombie & Co. in his search for outstanding outdoor gear. In 1900 abercrombie and fitch became Abercrombie & Fitch and Ezra became a partner.
Long arguments formed between the two men regarding the future of Abercrombie & Fitch. Abercrombie wanted to continue selling gear to professional outdoorsmen, while Fitch wanted to focus the store on the general public. abercrombie and fitch resigned in 1907 leaving the store in the hands of Ezra Fitch. Fitch wanted the store to have an outdoor feeling. He set up a tent in the middle of the store, and a campfire blazed in a corner. The clerks hired at A&F were not professional salesmen, they were true outdoorsmen. Inventory expanded as did the store. A&F became the first store in New York to supply such clothing to women as well as men. A&F began publishing a magazine which contained 456 pages of outdoor gear and clothing. Now there were 50,000 prospective customers for A&F. abercrombie and fitch soon became the largest sporting goods store in the world. Ezra Fitch retired and in 1977, the store went bankrupt. After a few owners, A&F was bought by Limited Inc. in 1988.
Today Abercrombie & Fitch is a successful company. Their image has drastically changed throughout the years from a store for outdoorsman to the advertising of naked teenagers. The company also publishes the A&F quarterly, which is not just selling clothes, it is selling a lifestyle.
2009年9月6日星期日
“Field Guide” Bye-Bye , Abercrombie and Fitch stops selling porn.
In matters of foreign policy, Teddy Roosevelt advised, one should speak softly and carry a big stick. Last month tens of thousands of Americans applied that advice to a vexing domestic matter. Their "big stick" was the threat of a nationwide boycott of one of Roosevelt's favorite stores, abercrombie and fitch.
The threat worked. Four days before the official start of the Christmas shopping season — abercrombie and fitch, known for overpriced clothes and underdressed models — ordered its 651 stores to stop selling "The Christmas Field Guide," the latest edition of the company's pornographic quarterly magazine. It's evidently the start of a permanent ban on selling the quarterly in stores, and it's evidence that when enough people get mad — and take action — even the most libertine companies will sometimes back down.
abercrombie and fitch quarterly has long angered parents and others concerned about cultural decay. The 2003 Christmas issue features dozens of naked young men and women in various sexual poses, including group sex. The pictures are accompanied by a column from a "sexpert" who, among other lewd advice, suggests readers engage in oral sex in movie theaters "so long as you do not disturb those around you."
Earlier editions featured pictures of Santa in sadomasochistic poses with his elves, drinking tips, advice on seducing everyone from teachers to nuns, and a recommendation that students "negotiate a special group rate at a local motel, which your entire quad can take advantage of." A&F recently outraged parents by marketing, to seven-year-old girls, thong-style panties featuring slogans like "Eye Candy" and "Wink Wink."
I visited an A&F store at the Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, Maryland last Wednesday. I was planning to write a story about the quarterly, and wanted to see a copy for myself. But when I got to the counter, the sales associate told me they were no longer selling the Christmas issue. This was confirmed by store manager Matt Willard, who said all A&F stores were ordered to stop selling the quarterly last Tuesday. Store managers were given no explanation for the decision, he said.
I called abercrombie and fitch national headquarters in New Albany, Ohio to confirm this. CEO Mike Jeffries and his staff were not available, but an employee who gave his name as "Brennan" said the company had been, over the last two weeks, received 300 calls per hour from people announcing they were boycotting A&F stores until the clothier stopped selling the quarterly. The decision to yank the Christmas issue from stores was made at the beginning of Thanksgiving week, he added.
Who was behind the boycotts?
"Ever hear of Dr. Dobson?" Brennan asked.
James Dobson of Focus on the Family recently spent a radio program and an appearance on MSNBC's Scarborough Country urging listeners to boycott Abercrombie until it stopped publishing the quarterly.
Dobson was joined in his efforts by former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, Chuck Colson, the American Decency Association (ADA), the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families, and others.
Pressure on A&F may also have come from another source: Corporations that own other stores. Bill Johnson, president of the American Decency Association, says that his group had come up with a unique new strategy for getting a Grand Rapids, Michigan A&F to not only stop selling its raunchy quarterly, but also to get rid of the huge photographs of naked models that decorate the walls of every A&F store.
Discussions with Abercrombie and the manager of the Rivertown Crossings Mall in Grand Rapids had gone nowhere. So Johnson sent a letter to the managers of all 120 mall stores expressing concerns about what children visiting the mall were being exposed to. He enclosed several photos from A&F's quarterly. Police yourselves, he warned, or we'll urge people to boycott the entire mall — right at the start of the Christmas shopping season.
Johnson immediately heard from two stores, including the manager of one of the mall's largest department stores. In the last two weeks there have been, Johnson says, "significant discussions" between the corporation that owns the department store and Abercrombie, leading the ADA to agree to agree to delay the boycott.
The mainstreaming of porn is nothing new. What outrages many parents is that Abercrombie is deliberately aiming its porn and damaging lifestyle advice, not at dirty old men, but at kids.
The best news is the lasting Christmas gift Abercrombie is giving to America. When I tried to order a "Field Guide" by telephone, an A&F employee told me the company's decision to keep the quarterly out of stores is permanent. She, too, blamed the boycotts. The only people who will have access to the quarterly in future, she added, are those who already have a subscription. It's a huge step forward.
A&F's CEO Mike Jeffries has for years sneered at those who complained about his quarterly's filth. Asking him softly to clean up his act didn't work, but big stick evidently did.
2009年9月3日星期四
A&F’s Comment on the Resolution of Riam Dean’s Claim
As to the Judgment of the Employment Tribunal, released 11 August, 2009, David Cupps, General Counsel of abercrombie and fitch said, “We are pleased that the Tribunal found that abercrombie and fitchFdid not discriminate against Ms. Dean on grounds of her disability and also found that A&F provided Ms. Dean with the accommodation she requested. While the Tribunal did make a finding of failure to accommodate and harassment, that finding was based on the events of a single day - - events which were not at all representative of Ms. Dean’s abercrombie and fitch overall employment with A&F. We continue to believe that these events resulted from a misunderstanding that could have been avoided by better communication on the part of both parties.
We were happy to employ Ms. Dean, and we have always been, abercrombie and fitch and will continue to be, supportive of the rights of disabled individuals.”
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