Let’s Drink Coke So We Can Get Healthy and Buy Abercrombie & Fitch!
Abercrombie & Fitch came out and said in an interview that they cater to the club atmosphere of younger, cool people and do not want plus size women shopping in their stories. Everything around their marketing caters to this niche market. They only hire young, attractive people to work at their stores and the largest size they carry for women is size 10. They carry XXL for men, but that’s only to cater to athletes. A book called The New Rules of Retail by Robin Lewis discusses this philosophy or you can read the 2006 interview the retailer’s CEO, Mike Jeffries, did with Salon where he stated:
“In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids,” he says. “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely. Those companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla. You don’t alienate anybody, but you don’t excite anybody, either.” (Link: Salon – The man behind Abercrombie & Fitch.)
The 2006 interview was interesting in that it totally slammed Jeffries as a man in his 60’s desperately trying to be one of the cool kids and in doing so created this alternative clothing universe to fit his concept for what he wanted for himself. He seems to have some pretty bizarre notions about women in general. Remember, this was the same store that in 2002 created thong underwear for middle school girls with phrases such as “Eye Candy” and “Wink Wink” written on the front.
I could mention that while his business strategy is working now (A&F has over $4.2 billion in sales,) 67% of the American market is plus sized and its competitors H&M carries up to size 16 and American Eagle carries up to size 18, so exclusivity comes at a price of diminishing market shares. But honestly, it’s just easier to look at a photo of Jeffries and say to yourself, ‘Do I really want this guy to be the one who defines what “cool” is? Really?’
Photo: Salon.com
In other news Coke said it is going start a worldwide campaign to battle obesity. They are going to make the calorie count on the label more transparent and promote more exercise. My father-in-law, who told me about both these stories (he reads all the financial websites and forward me the interesting health related stories for my blog) just went off about this and I felt the need to share:
“Anti-obesity campaign?!! Sure they have vitamin water and other athletic drinks under the flag now, but their flagship product is heavily sugared Coke. Kinda like the Witch’s union coming out against all broom factories.”
So I guess in current events today we learned to drink Coke so we can get healthy and buy Abercrombie & Fitch. Or not.
What are your thoughts?
Lisa 
- @sheslosingitnet
- http://www.facebook.com/ShesLosingItnet
Sheslosingit.net (c)2013 Lisa Traugott. All rights reserved. No portion of this blog, including any text, photographs, and artwork, may be reproduced or copied without written permission.
When I lost the weight and could wear their clothes, I went in to check it out and can tell you that those are the sluttiest clothes I’ve EVER seen! Forget simply looking cool, because I get that, this was and is completely over the top. Not to mention, they are so clearly cheaply made (disposable comes to mind). These stores and this man make me ill!
I didn’t even know they sold women’s clothes. From the advertising it looks like they are really selling men’s chests.
I didn’t see a skirt that you could remotely hope to bend over in and not show the world your bloomers. It was like “sluts” are us!
Have you seen Barbies lately? OMG! It’s like dolls for Hookers ‘R’ Us!
I know! Right there with you! So glad that my girls are beyond that!
What someone really needs to do is get millions of 30, 40, 50 year old+ moms and grandmas to stage a nationwide shop in and parade around in their clothing. Ain’t so cool when you can see grandma’s thong and vericose veins poking out from her low rise skinny capris 😉
LMAO! Yes! Let’s start a revolution! Old chicks unite!
I think the guy is a totally (insert bad word of your choice). Ugh. I’m glad I can’t afford to shop there. (Supposing I could actually fit into something.)
Stick to H&M!
the A&F thing made me want to throw lava filled bricks at that man’s face. What a royal butt hole. It made me so angry; and it’s not like he’s an oil painting himself. Hey ho. As for the Coke thing, I don’t think I can find a better way to sum it up than your Father in law did. 🙂
It made me angry too. And while it seems like a step in the right direction – I really don’t trust Coke either.
My observation in my gym is that it would be very intimidating for the overweight as it’s full of fit looking people who could appear unfriendly. There are few overweight in fitness first sylvania sydney australia, its not very inclusive, even its advertising has skinny attractive people.
We build too many walls and not enough bridges ~ Isaac Newton
I used to shop at A &F once in awhile to buy gifts for my teen nieces and nephews. Not again.
I think the really cool kids will want to be inclusive and not snotty. Too bad their CEO hasn’t learned that.
totally superficial observation, but the A&F CEO looks like a bleach-blond Herman Munster.
OMG – he does! I don’t think he should be wearing A&F. He’s not the right image.
I think its a shame that we as consumers are taken for such an ignorant crowd. I’m sure this guy has the lowest self esteem in the world, You reject others if you reject yourself! shame on both
Agreed!!
Reblogged this on TheBlondieChronicles and commented:
I fear the people that fall victims of commercials of these brands! STICK IT TO SOCIETY! awesome pice
Thanks for reblogging!
I am NEVER going to fit a size 10. Never. I’m nearly six feet tall, broad-shouldered, and a bodybuilder going for physique. I’m big. I like it that way. I’m aiming at solid muscle, not skinny-weediness, and have no intention of falling for that ‘skinny / tiny is healthy” crap.
Abercrombie can go jump. It’s bull.
I like the slogan going around, “Strong is the New Skinny”. It’s true.
Yep – good slogan! Now if only the women saying that will add weight to their squats!
Amen sista!
Great post, BTW 🙂
Thanks!
While the opinion of the A&F guy just proves him to be a douche, I saw one of the new coke ads before Ironman 3 the other day, I was actually impressed with the message, yeah their drink is loaded with sugar, but they are pushing their other products a bit more forcefully. And really, once you are fit, or you are a person that is already in shape, or you have a high metabolism, no harm in a coke really, as long as it’s not your main drink.
I think it’s good that Coke is promoting their healthier products, but after reading “Salt Sugar Fat” I’m so skeptical of their motives.
Ahhh gone are your days of Diet Coke for breakfast 😉 I kept telling you that it was no good! LOL H&M has better stuff anyway 🙂
I seriously don’t know how my body was able to function at all – I only ate junk!
Superb job.
I agree with these comments about the motives of A&F…we have to be really careful about these corporate types! 🙂
Agreed!!