Abercrombie & Fitch steps up online push in China

Abercrombie & Fitch is expanding its online presence in China by launching its namesake brand and children’s brand Abercrombie kids on Alibaba Group’s Tmall on 26 July.The fashion retailer currently has 10 physical stores in mainland China and a local site at abercrombie.cn, the addition of Tmall will help Abercrombie reach a larger audience, said Fran Horowitz, Abercrombie’s CEO, in a statement.The brand will feature products from denim and outerwear to sweaters and graphic tees, while it will have also seven items that are exclusively sold on Tmall including a mix of fleece, jogger sweatpants and knit tops.Abercrombie’s other main brand, Hollister, has been on offer on Tmall since 2014.While Abercrombie is known for its racy advertisements, the 125-year-old brand said as it celebrates its long history, it is returning to its roots."We have new leadership in place driving this return to our heritage and we also have research from our customers that show their affinity for the brand’s rich history and authenticity. Within our marketing and our new store design, we have incorporated the original A&F logo from 1892 and our design team takes inspiration from our product archives to weave in aspects of our heritage where it feels right," said Horowitz.Horowitz added that China is an important and growing market for the brand, "so we’re expanding our omnichannel capabilities here through features such as “find in store” and “return to store” and through new payment options such as AliPay"."Abercrombie is an iconic global brand that consumers, both on our platform and in China, have sought out for some time. We look forward to connecting our consumer base to the brand and working with Abercrombie & Fitch to further its international growth," said Jessica Liu, president of Tmall fashion of Alibaba Group.