I went to opening day of the new Abercrombie & Fitch store prototype. I’m not sure it is an Abercrombie & Fitch store. And that may be the point. Perhaps with the new spring / summer product the new environment will make more sense, but right now, I’m wondering how current and future customers will react. The new store design is decidedly NOT the A&F we think we know. Unfortunately it is not clear just what it IS. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a beautiful store with some interest

I was quoted recently in The Columbus Dispatch about Abercrombie & Fitch's new store prototype. The redesign is definitely an improvement over the old stores, which had become "very cavern-like and almost stifling," said Chuck Palmer, principal strategist at retail consultancy ConsumerX. "I like the openness of the store front. It's much more inviting. The dual mannequins is very good. Being able to control the music and the lighting (in a fitting room) is kind of interesting

The debut of a new store prototype as a way of signaling a significant change in direction seems oddly outdated. Abercrombie & Fitch surely needs to reinvent itself, but today, it's not just about the physical store and it surely isn't about leaning on past brand success. In the information released leading up to the store opening, I'm not seeing anything that addresses benefits to their target customers, or for that matter a fresh look at who those customers are. The store d