Abercrombie & Fitch Case Study

Abercrombie & Fitch is one of the leading clothing companies in the world. They manufacture

and sell apparel that target the 18-24 year old demographic who represent the “All-American

Look.” Many people argue about the definition of what is “All-American,” since the United

States continues to evolve and include many different cultures and races. Abercrombie & Fitch

has been successful for over 100 years, but recently has come under constant scrutiny about its

hiring practices.

Company Overview

Abercrombie & Co. was founded by David Abercrombie on June 4, 1892. In 1900, Ezra Fitch

joined the company and it then became known as Abercrombie & Fitch. Since the very …show more content…

Uniform Lawsuit

In 2002, several Abercrombie & Fitch employees complained and filed a lawsuit stating that they

were forced to buy and wear the company’s clothing when at work. In a settlement, Abercrombie

& Fitch agreed to pay $2.2 million to 11,000 workers employed from January 1, 1999 to

February 15, 2002. Each employee was awarded $200 to $490. This settlement was the first of

its kind, and today, workers at any Abercrombie & Fitch run store is only required to wear

clothing that reflects the look of the company.

Asian Boycott

In 2002, Asian Americans refused to buy clothing at Abercrombie & Fitch because of a

controversial line of t-shirts. Earlier that year, the clothing company printed t-shirts that had,

what some claimed, racist slogans. One shirt in particular had a cartoon of two Asian men and

the words “Wong Brothers Laundry Service. Two Wongs Can Make It White.”That is just one

example of many controversial Asian t-shirts. Abercrombie & Fitch sales suffered because Asian

Americans boycotted the store. The t-shirts were eventually pulled off the shelves.

West Virginia Controversy

In 2004, Abercrombie & Fitch began selling a t-shirt with the slogan, “Its All Relative in West

Virginia.” Shortly after the release, Governor Bob Wise sent a letter to the company asking them

to remove the