1892 David
Abercrombie
establishes the company as Abercrombie Co. in New York City.
1900 Ezra
Fitch joins as partner/co-founder.
1904 Re-christened as
Abercrombie & Fitch Co..
1907 Abercrombie leaves. Fitch comes sole owner: The Fitch Years begin.
1909 The revolutionary A&F catalogue is released.
1910
Abercrombie & Fitch becomes first store to outfit both men and women in New
York City.
1917 Moves into its historical Madison Avenue store.
Early 1920s A&F introduces Majong to the United States which gains
high popularity. The company has accumulated an elite following.
1927
Charles Lindberg is outfitted by A&F for his historic flight across the
Atlantic Ocean.
1929 Ezra Fitch retires, and the company comes under
succeeding leaders.
1939 Adopts the slogan The Greatest Sporting Goods
Store in the World.
1950s Launches store openings nationwide. A&F
president Guernsey remarks, "The Abercrombie & Fitch type does not care
about the cost; he wants the finest quality," this becomes A&F's modern
philosophy.
1976-78 After a financial decline, declares bankruptcy and
closes doors. Oshman acquires the company, and fails to produce an uplifting
image.
1988-1992 Limited Brands purchases A&F, and Mike Jeffries
becomes president. Abercrombie & Fitch is re-established as a youthful
upscale fashion retailer.
1996 Abercrombie & Fitch enters the NYSE
and becomes an independent company.
1997 The A&F Quarterly
publication is launched.
1998 The abercrombie brand is launched.
2000 The Hollister Co. brand is launched.
2001 Company
operations move to Home Office in New Albany, Ohio.
2004 The RUEHL
No.925 brand is launched.
2005-2007 First flagship store opens in New
York City. Second flagship opens in Los Angeles. Thrid flagship opens in London,
marks the beginning of international expansion.
2008 The Gilly Hicks
brand is launched.
2009 The RUEHL No.925 brand is closed.
The history of Abercrombie & Fitch spans over three
centuries: the 19th, 20th, and 21st century. Key figures which changed and
influenced the course of the Abercrombie & Fitch's background exclusively
include David T. Abercrombie (the founder), Ezra Fitch (the co-founder), Limited
Brands and Michael Jeffries (current Chairman and CEO).
David Abercrombie
founded the A&F in 1892 as a sporting goods store. Forming a partnership
with Ezra Fitch, the company continued to economically expand into 20th century.
After Abercrombie left, Fitch became sole owner and ushered in the "Fitch Years"
of continued success. After his retirement, the company fell under succeding
leaders until its financial fall and closed doors in 1977. Limited Brands
purchased the ailing brand in 1988 and brought in Mike Jeffries who completely
revolutionized the image of Abercrombie & Fitch in to an upscale youthful
fashion retailer. Today, the company continues to experience economic expansion
through the introduction of four growing concepts and cautious internation
expansion into key markets.
Prominent figures who patronized the company
in its excursion goods, early-20th century days.