A & ampf's first store in Shanghai will close soon after clearance, 20 14, American casual wear brand A&; F entered China for the first time, and the first store opened in Shanghai Jing 'an Kerry Center. The shop will close in a few days. A & ampf's first store in Shanghai is about to close due to clearance.
A & ampf's first store in Shanghai is about to close. 1a & amp； On Nanjing West Road; Recently, the F flagship store reported that it was about to close, and the "clearance discount" at the scene attracted many citizens to go shopping.
Compared with the lively scene when the first store of 20 14 brand in Chinese mainland settled in Shanghai, it is awkward to leave now.
In fact, as early as the beginning of last year, the brand has confirmed that it will close its flagship store in Shanghai in FY 2022, but the rumor of "quitting China" is not true. a &； F Xingye taikoo hui Store has not been affected at present and is still operating normally.
Just, a&; F How to take the road to China in the future and how long it will last are still unknown.
The signboard "Our store will be closed at the end of February" is not displayed outside the main entrance of Nanjing West Road along the street, but is located in the gap of different shelves. It also reads "I look forward to meeting you online and offline" and indicates the address of the store on the second floor of Xingye taikoo hui.
At noon, there are not a few customers in the store, mainly concentrated in the first floor clearance discount car. On different shelves, the size range and "40% discount for more than 2 pieces" are marked, and shirts, sweaters and coats are lined up, which looks a bit messy.
"The price is ok, if you count 60% off, it's ok. However, the code in the store is seriously broken, the display is a bit messy, and the shopping experience is average. According to Miss Xue's observation, the new products or basic models in the store still use the original 30% discount and 20% discount, which is not very attractive to her.
During the random interview with reporters, many consumers mostly said that they only browsed during lunch break and were not familiar with the brand. Whether or not to close the store has no effect on themselves.
In fact, this leisure brand, which focuses on American sports style, had many appearances when it entered China. When the first store in Chinese mainland opened in Shanghai, it continued the tradition and invited more than a dozen male models to help out, which was no different for a while. Before the popularity of Internet celebrity economy, A &；; F can be regarded as the "original network celebrity" of Magic Capital.
Just a few years later, how can "the originator of internet celebrities" say goodbye?
The answer given by the staff of the flagship store for the reason of closing the store is "company decision". In fact, as early as the beginning of last year, A &；; F brand executives have made it clear that the remaining seven global flagship stores will be closed by the end of 2023, including A & amp； F The flagship store located on Fifth Avenue in New York and the flagship store in Shanghai have also been included in the closure plan for FY22. The brand claims that it will invest more capital expenditure in digital business.
However, this brand has not completely abandoned the offline market, and the "exit from China" circulating on the Internet is not true. At present, there is another Xingye taikoo hui store in Shanghai. The staff said that it was not affected by the closure of the flagship store, and the discounts and activities in the store were consistent with those in the flagship store. "There may be some differences in styles and categories, such as the clearance area of the flagship store. The quantity is larger and our code number is more complete. "
Looking at social platforms, netizens are interested in A &；; F evaluation, combined with the reporter's interview at the store today, can also draw a little part of the reasons for the decline of this brand.
The product has low viscosity and strong substitutability, and the brand memory only stays on the male model who helped out at the opening ceremony, so it is naturally impossible to firmly grasp the eyes of consumers; After the clothing quality declines and the brand positioning inclines to fast fashion, the pricing remains high, so it is naturally impossible to convince picky consumers to pay the bill; In recent years, the e-commerce market in China has developed rapidly, and with the rise of national culture, people's recognition of local domestic brands has increased, further reducing the living space of overseas clothing brands.
From mergers and acquisitions; S to Forever 2 1, from C & ampa to Topshop, many fast fashion brands have failed to gain a foothold in China market in recent years. a &； F is not the first and will not be the last. It is still an arduous task for overseas fashion brands to better explore the China market in the future.
A & ampf's first store in Shanghai is about to close. 2 20 14, American casual wear brand Abercrombie &；; Fitch (hereinafter referred to as "A & amp； F ") I entered China for the first time, and the first store opened in Shanghai Jing 'an Kerry Center. However, eight years later, the store will close in four days.
On February 17, a reporter from International Finance News visited A &；; F is located in Kerry Center Store, Jing 'an District, Shanghai. As soon as I entered the store, I saw the signs of "20% discount on selected jeans in limited time" and "60% discount on goods in clearance discount area". Many shelves in the store also have discount signs and signs reminding customers to shop in the nearby Xingye taikoo hui store.
(Yu Miao/photo)
According to what the store clerk told reporters, the store is expected to close on February 20th, which will be the last working day. After Jing 'an Kerry Center Store closed, A &；; F Shanghai Xingye taikoo hui will have only one store.
The first store in Shanghai is about to close.
Public information shows that A &；; F Yu 1892 was founded in new york, USA, focusing on American leisure fashion, which is deeply loved by young people in Europe and America, except for the main brand A &；; In addition to F, after 2000, the group successively launched Hollywood, a California-style youth brand, Gilly Hicks, a home sports brand, and Social Tourist, a clothing brand with social media popularity as its core.
According to the timeline, A &；; F located in China market. The original layout can be traced back to 8 years ago, when the first store opened in Shanghai Jing 'an Kerry Center. When it opened, the company used "sexy marketing" to create momentum and hired more than a dozen male models with bare upper abdominal muscles for publicity, which attracted a large number of fans to take pictures, but it also caused a lot of controversy. At that time, there were media reports that onlookers had blocked Nanjing West Road, and the queue in front of the door exceeded 1000 meters. Some people even started queuing in the early hours of the morning.
I can still remember the grand occasion of the past, but now this store has ushered in the end of closing the store. The reporter learned by asking the clerk that at present, women's wear and men's wear in the store have set up separate areas on the first floor and the second floor respectively to carry out two clearance promotions with a discount of 60%, but the rest of the product areas can only enjoy a discount of 7 to 20%, and some products are still on sale at regular prices.
The reporter noticed that at noon, there were several waves of customers entering the store to choose, but most of them were concentrated in the promotion area. According to a customer's feedback to reporters, he works nearby and often comes to this store to shop. Recently, he learned that the shop was about to close, so he came to have a look. "This store usually has some discounts, but this time it's far from it. The discount is very strong The brand quality is average, polo shirts are easy to stretch by machine washing, but sweaters and pants are ok, comfortable to wear, and sweaters are good, but you need to pay attention when cleaning. "
Currently A &；; F the official did not give the specific reasons for the closure of the above stores. A clerk told reporters that perhaps because the contract expired, another clerk said he didn't know.
According to independent retail critic Ma Gang, A & amp； F There are three main reasons for closing the first store in Shanghai. First, in recent years, the consumption environment in China is extremely complicated and the impact of the epidemic has increased uncertainty, while the brand's ability to cope with complex changes is insufficient; The second is the change of domestic new and old brands, and the launch of new brands has seized the market share of traditional old brands. The third is that the consumption environment has changed from marketing-oriented to consumer-oriented, and the brand has not adjusted its products and marketing in time, resulting in a decline in performance.
According to official website, the brand has only 15 stores in China, which are located in Beijing, Chengdu, Nanjing, Xi 'an and other places except the first store to be closed soon.
"Loneliness" of Fast Fashion People
Not only in China, but also in the international market, A &；; F's performance is not satisfactory.
A & ampf's latest financial report shows that as of 20021,10/0.30, there were 735 stores in the world, of which 536 were located in the United States, and the number of stores in the international market was only 199. In addition, hollister stores account for more in the international market, 15 1 stores, A &；; There are only 48 F stores.
From the performance point of view, the main income of A & ampf is still concentrated in the American market. The report of the third fiscal quarter of 20021shows that the company's net sales increased from $820 million in the same period of 2020 1036% to $905 million, but mainly due to the income performance of the core market, the United States, the sales in the Asia-Pacific region recorded a decline of 12%, which was the largest among all regions.
Cheng Weixiong, an expert in brand management of shoes and clothing industry and general manager of Shanghai Liang Qi Brand Management Co., Ltd., said in an interview that A & amp； F brand positioning is relatively small and the price is high. The actual product quality and design are inconsistent with positioning, and there is also a lack of innovation. "With the rise of the national tide, this brand with inaccurate positioning can easily be iterated by more affordable alternative brands. Coupled with the impact of the epidemic, it is reasonable to close the store. "
In fact, in recent years, the life of international fashion brands is not easy.
On the eve of 20 18 "Shuang 1 1", TOPSHOP, a fast fashion brand known as "the originator of British high street", posted a notice of "store closing and clearance" in its Tmall flagship store, saying that due to the adjustment of international business operation strategy, the Tmall flagship store will be closed and the whole store will be cleared from now on. At the end of the same year, NEW LOOK, a British high street clothing retailer, officially announced its withdrawal from the China market.
201In May of 9, the customer service staff of Forever 2 1 China official website confirmed to the reporter of International Finance News that Forever 2 1 will officially withdraw from the China market due to the adjustment of international business operation strategy after announcing the closure of the flagship stores in official website, Tmall and JD.COM in China.
At the end of 20 19, the old navy also confirmed that it will withdraw from the China market in early 2020, and offline stores and online shopping malls will be closed in early 2020.
Half a year later, the British fashion brand Superdry officially withdrew from the China market through its official WeChat account. Superdry said that due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, it will bid farewell to the Chinese mainland market temporarily.
At that time, a person who had worked in a large domestic clothing enterprise told the reporter of International Finance News that the fast fashion industry had been in a state of surplus after more than ten years of rapid development. With the impact of the epidemic, "closing stores" and even "quitting" have become the most frequently mentioned words in this industry.
A & ampf's first store in Shanghai is about to close. 3 American fashion brand Abercrombie &；; Fitch (A & ampf) Now I am in an awkward position. Recently, a reporter from beijing business today visited and learned that A &；; F The first store in Chinese mainland will be closed on February 20th, and the children's wear business in the Asia-Pacific region will be removed. Pay attention to a&; Fans of F can still recall the grand opening of the first store on 20 14: people jostled shoulder to shoulder, clamoring for photos with fashionable male models. In the past eight years, A &；; Why did F fall from the altar?
Gaoguang is no longer the first store and will be closed.
How emotional it used to be and how lonely it is now.
Recently, beijing business today reporter from A &；; A customer service staff in official website, China confirmed that A & amp； F Kerry Center Store in Jing 'an District, Shanghai is expected to close on February 20th. As for the reason for closing the store, the person responded to the reporter and said that he did not know. Judging from the pictures exposed by some netizens, the store is carrying out two 60% off clearance activities.
Some customers who patronize the store still remember the grand occasion when it opened a few years ago. 20 14 April 19, A &；; F When it entered the China market, it settled its first flagship store in Shanghai landmark Jing 'an Kerry Center. When opening the store, dozens of muscular male models gathered in front of the store to take photos with the fans who rushed forward, and the onlookers crowded Nanjing West Road. "Queue 1000 meters, there are still many people waiting in line in the early morning!" At that time, some media described it like this.
However, nearly eight years later, a&; F The market in China is quite narrow. According to a &；; F China official website shows that Abercrombie kids has stopped operating in the Asia-Pacific region. Visit two farms in Beijing; In Store F, beijing business today reporter learned today that children's clothes were taken off the shelves in Sanlitun Store on June 5438+ 10/0, while children's clothes were never put on the shelves in Huiju Store.
At the same time, the Beijing store that continues to operate is still on sale. For example, in Sanlitun store, you can enjoy a 15% discount when you buy two coats, and the products on the first floor are being cleared. "After the Spring Festival, some stocks need to be promoted." A staff member said that if you take a fancy to some styles and there are no sizes in the store, the store can deliver the goods to consumers free of charge after payment.
At present, according to official website information, if the first store in Shanghai is subtracted, A &；; F The number of stores in Beijing, Nanjing, Chengdu and Qingdao is 15, while the number of stores in Hollister, another sub-brand of the Group, is 18. It is understood that the hollister market is targeted at young people.
Stagnation of expansion, backwardness in wandering
On social media, some netizens are still recalling and discussing A &；; F's highlight moment "I often bought this brand when I was studying in the United States. It's very affordable and the quality is good. I'll buy one&; F products are also particularly sought after. " "It is the memory of international students." But apart from regret, many netizens think that A &；; The price and quality of F are incompatible, and the fashion design is more and more attractive.
"More than one&; F. Some American fashion clothing brands, such as GAP and Victoria's Secret, have also developed poorly in the China market, including business strategy mistakes and inadequate product adjustment. " Yang Dajun, founder of the Center for Sustainable Fashion Digital Innovation (Beijing), told the beijing business today reporter, "Don't talk about children's wear, A &；; F's adult clothing market is also very small in China, and the time to enter the China market is not proportional to the development speed. Uniqlo and ZARA were more conservative and cautious when they triumphed. Nowadays, the casual wear market in China is fiercely competitive, saturated and the consumption level is increasingly clear. a &； F's brand innovation has been difficult to keep up with the needs of the China market, and the success rate is even smaller. " .
From a &；; According to the latest financial report of F Group, as of 20021654381October 30, A &；; F There are 735 stores in the world, of which 199 are in the international market and 536 are located in the United States. Hollister stores account for a large proportion in the international market, 15 1 store, Abercrombie &；; Huiyu has 48 stores.
However, judging from its international expansion, A & amp； F is almost stagnant. According to the financial report data, as of February 1, 20 19, 2020 and 202 1, the number of stores of the two brands expanded from 198 to 207, and then shrank to 198 again. 202 1, hollister closed two stores, while Abercrombie &; Fitch closed four.
This is almost in stark contrast to the speed at which other international brands such as Uniqlo seize the market. The data shows that by the end of August 2020, the number of Uniqlo stores in China reached 767, surpassing the number of direct stores in Japan for the first time, and it is estimated that 3,000 stores will be opened.
More seriously, when it entered the Chinese mainland market in 20 14, it was in the period of rapid development of domestic e-commerce industry. According to the statistics of Tianyancha, the growth rate of the number of e-commerce enterprises in China reached its peak in 20 15, which was 72.47%, and remained at around 40% in 20 16. 20 13, ocean terminal App was launched. 20 14, xiaohongshu entered the cross-border business. The accelerated enclosure of cross-border e-commerce has further deepened online Haitao's consumption mentality to the market, and also made more and more imported goods within reach.
At this time, when a&; While F is still immersed in the excitement of the first store in Chinese mainland, on the other hand, the elimination of international brands has quietly begun.
The main brand lost momentum and the market response was weak.
"Over the past few years, the Group has mainly relied on its subsidiary brand Hollister to survive, so A &；; The brand F has been questioned in terms of market vitality. " Zhang Peiying, a fashion expert, pointed out to beijing business today reporter today.
The financial report shows that the net income of hollister in 2020 will be 654.38 USD+83.4 million USD, down 654.38+05% year-on-year, while the main brand A &；; F is 1295438+0 billion USD, down 12% year-on-year. During 20 18-2020, hollister became the main source of income. However, in 20 19, the two major brands A & amp； A & amp； Both growth rates have stagnated. F Overall revenue only increased by 65,438+0%, while international market revenue decreased by 4% year-on-year.
Perhaps, it is limited by the market bottleneck that the group cannot get rid of. a &； In the end, F can't win the favor of users in China and gradually become a marginal role in international brands.
"From a&; Brand F can see the environment of the whole international FMCG brand, that is, people's pursuit of fast fashion, the acceleration of life pace and the formation of new purchasing power. These are all good opportunities. At the same time, this environment has also spawned diverse needs. Therefore, for many brands, it is a great challenge to grasp the demands of consumers, conform to the trend, maintain frontier competition, and face great uncertainty. " Zhang Peiying thinks.
Zhang Peiying said that in the era of diversification and individualization, a brand can grow rapidly or decline rapidly. Especially in the field of fast fashion, it faces more opportunities and challenges than other fields, because its consumer groups are destined to be individual, or the demand is not so standardized. Therefore, the development status of a&is also a great warning, and brands need to always follow the market orientation.
"In other words, this is the charm of fast fashion. If it can be adjusted in time and effective marketing and operation, including the adjustment of strategic strategy, it may turn around soon. " He said.
According to a &；; According to the latest financial report of F Group, in the third quarter of 2002130,000 US dollars, the group's online sales increased by 8% year-on-year and 55% year-on-year compared with 20 19.