this article appears to have a close connection with its subject . it may require cleanup to comply with wikipedia s content policies particularly neutral point of view . please discuss further on the talk page . march 2016 learn how and when to remove this template message this article needs additional citations for verification . please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . march 2016 learn how and when to remove this template message abercrombie & fitch type public traded as nyse anf industry retail founded manhattan new york city june 4 1892 ; 124 years ago 1892 06 04 founder david t. abercrombie ezra fitch headquarters new albany ohio united states number of locations 1 049 dec 2014 1 area served worldwide key people mike jeffries former ceo modern era reestablishment founder arthur martinez executive chairman products apparel accessories personal care footwear revenue us 3.518 billion 2015 1 operating income us 72.84 million 2015 1 net income us 35.58 million 2015 1 total assets us 2.433 billion 2015 1 total equity us 1.291 billion 2015 1 number of employees 65 000 2015 1 divisions abercrombie & fitch abercrombie kids hollister co. website abercrombie.com abercrombie & fitch a & f is an american retailer that focuses on upscale casual wear for young consumers and is headquartered in new albany ohio a suburb of columbus . 2 it has over 300 locations in the united states and is expanding internationally . 3 the company operates two offshoot brands abercrombie kids and hollister co. in addition to two brands ruehl no. 925 and gilly hicks that closed in early 2010 and 2015 respectively . 2 abercrombie & fitch is notable for using brand representatives previously called models for store customer service . 4 its main competitors are a ropostale and american eagle outfitters . its younger subsidiary abercrombie kids competes with a ropostale s p.s. and american eagle outfitters s 77kids . contents 1 history 1.1 headquarters 2 marketing advertising and brand identity 2.1 store staff 2.2 products 2.3 brand protection 3 stores 3.1 international expansion 4 brands 5 humanitarian projects 6 legal issues 6.1 employment practices 6.2 customer issues 6.3 lawsuits against other parties 7 controversy and criticism 7.1 advertising 7.2 employment and labor practices 7.3 a & f quarterly 7.4 product criticism 7.5 renaming of trauma center 7.6 red poppy prohibition in the uk 7.7 proposed abercrombie kids shop on savile row 7.8 jeffries 2006 target demographic quote 8 notable abercrombie & fitch models 9 see also 10 references 11 further reading 12 external links history edit main article history of abercrombie & fitch cover of a & f catalog from 1909 . founded in 1892 in the manhattan borough of new york city new york by david t. abercrombie and ezra fitch abercrombie & fitch was an elite outfitter of sporting and excursion goods particularly noted for its expensive shotguns fishing rods fishing boats and tents citation needed . in 1976 abercrombie & fitch filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy finally closing its flagship store at madison avenue and east 45th street in 1977 . 5 shortly thereafter the name was revived in 1978 ; oshman s sporting goods a houston based chain owned by jake oshman 6 bought the defunct firm s name and mailing list for 1.5 million 7 5.2 million in 2013 dollars . 8 oshman s relaunched a & f as a mail order retailer specializing in hunting wear and novelty items . it also opened shops in beverly hills dallas and by the mid 1980s new york city . finally in 1988 oshman s sold the company name and operations to the limited a clothing chain operator based in columbus ohio . 9 abercrombie & fitch gradually shifted its focus to young adults first as a subsidiary of limited brands and then as a separate publicly traded company ; and grew to become one of the largest apparel firms in the united states . 10 since 1997 the company has consistently kept a high profile in the public eye due to its advertising its philanthropy and its involvement in legal conflicts over branding clothing style and employment practices . in the first decade of the 21st century the great recession battered the company s business as teenagers looked to lower priced fast fashion brands like h & m and forever 21 for fashion . abercrombie & fitch s stock price dropped from an all time high of 84.23 in october 2007 to a low of 14.64 in november 2008 . 11 the company worked to overhaul its merchandise mix and cut underperforming stores 12 but lackluster performance has continued . longtime ceo michael jeffries stepped down in december 2014 after 22 years with the company . 13 abercrombie & fitch store in new york city to combat heavy competition from fast fashion retailers like forever 21 and h & m abercrombie & fitch announced key changes to change its image . it aims to reduce emphasis on sexualized advertising and focus more on customer service & diversity . among the changes announced are eliminating sexualized advertising no longer having shirtless models at new store openings and eliminating sexualized pictures and advertising on bags gift cards and in stores . they are changing the name of store employees from models to brand representatives and will allow a more individualistic dress code . brand representatives will also focus more on customer service by asking customers for help in stores as opposed to past policies of aloofness . they also aim to promote more diversity among store employees and executives as well . a & f is signaling it will be implementing changes quickly . 4 as of may 2015 the changes were already very apparent in stores . all permanent marketing images at the cash wrap and fitting rooms have been removed . also store models are no longer dressed in abercrombie clothes . 4 headquarters edit the company s headquarters referred to by the company as the home office is located outside of columbus in new albany ohio . 14 the home office is designed as a campus of sorts and is referred to as such . the company s merchandise distribution centers 1 million square feet are located exclusively on campus to help ensure brand protection . 14 also on campus are mock up stores one for each of the company s brands where store layout merchandise and atmosphere are determined . 14 the company also has a european office in mendrisio switzerland . 15 16 as of december 9 2014 update following the retirement of mike jeffries the following were key corporate officials 17 arthur martinez executive chairman diane chang executive vice president of sourcing leslee k. herro executive vice president of planning and allocation ronald a. robins jr. senior vice president secretary and general counsel jonathan ramsden chief operating officer amy zehrer senior vice president of stores christos angelides president of abercrombie & fitch and abercrombie kids brands fran horowitz president of hollister brand marketing advertising and brand identity edit the trademark slogan casual luxury . a & f is known for its racy marketing photography by bruce weber . 18 it is rendered to grayscale and features outdoor settings usually with semi nude males and females for an increased tone of sexuality . a & f casts only store employees for marketing campaigns . casting directors from the home office travel to key a & f regional stores in the united states and to london to hold casting calls for employees aspiring to become the next a & f new face . 19 the company promotes its casting sessions models and photo shoots in the a & f casting feature online at abercrombie.com . the website also provides a gallery of current photography . framed copies at a & f stores will sometimes name the model and store . the abercrombie & fitch brand image is heavily promoted as an international near luxury lifestyle concept . 20 the company began cultivating an upscale image after the 2005 opening of its fifth avenue flagship store alongside prada and other upscale retailers . 21 having for years used high grade materials in the construction of its merchandise and pricing them at near luxury levels a & f introduced the trademark casual luxury 21 as a fictional dictionary term with multiple definitions such as using the finest cashmere pima cottons and highest quality leather to create the ultimate in casual body conscious clothing 22 and implementing and or incorporating time honored machinery ... to produce the most exclusive denim ... 22 this upscale image has allowed a & f to open stores in international high end locations and further promote the image by pricing its merchandise at almost double the american prices . overall ceo jeffries calls the a & f image a movie because of the fantasy that plays out instore . 23 even some of the clothing is given story you buy into the emotional experience of a movie jeffries explains and that s what we re creating . here i am walking into a movie and i say what s going to be at the box office today 23 following a dismal earnings announcement on august 2014 24 the company decided to drop its logo branded apparel line arguing that this element of its brand does not resonate with its target market . the company is now shifting its marketing strategy to trendier outfits and faster production processes . some experts argue the retailer s focus on exclusivity has caused it to fall out of fashion with its target market . 25 abercrombie & fitch models store staff edit the company is noted for its use of brand representatives previously called models for store customer service . 4 the models were required to buy and wear a & f clothing but following a company settlement with california state labor regulators may now wear any no logo clothing as long as it corresponds with the season and style of the brand . the california settlement also provided 2.2 million to reimburse former employees for their forced purchases of company branded clothing . 26 an impact team was created in 2004 to control merchandise within each store and maintain company standards . bigger and higher volume stores have a full time stock who trains impact associates processes shipment maintains stock room standards and can act as a manager if the store is short on management staffing . the store manager and assistant managers are responsible for forms lighting photo marketing fragrance presentations and to ensure models comply with the look policy . 27 products edit high end ezra fitch clothing marker . the signature a & f fragrance fierce . women s wear daily calls abercrombie & fitch clothing classically neo preppy with an edgy tone and imagery . 28 the company s fashions have a reputation for luxury with the majority of designs trend driven . there is heavy promotion of premium jeans . in early 2010 the company introduced a leather handbag collection inspired by designs from ruehl . its prices are recognized as the highest in the youth clothing industry . 29 internationally prices are almost double those in its american stores . retail analyst chris boring warns that the company s brands are a little more susceptible should recession hit because their specialties are premium priced goods rather than necessities . 30 indeed as the late 2000s recession continues a & f has noticeably suffered financially for its refusal to lower prices or offer discounts . a & f argues that doing so would cheapen its near luxury image . analyst bruce watson warns that a & f risks finding itself transformed into a cautionary tale of a store that was left by the wayside when it declined to change with the times . 29 a &