Right or wrong?

[MKR&*42]

Abercrombie and Fitch released a statement some time ago about who they market to:


Co-author Robin Lewis told Business Insider that Jeffries doesn’t want “larger people” shopping in Abercrombie and Fitch; instead, “he wants thin and beautiful people.”

“He doesn’t want his core customers to see people who aren’t as hot as them wearing his clothing,” Lewis said. “People who wear his clothing should feel like they’re one of the ‘cool kids.’”

Abercrombie doesn’t have XL or XXL women’s clothing; it does have XL and XXL men’s sizes, but only for football players and wrestlers, said Lewis.

“It’s almost everything,” he said. “That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that.”

“In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids,” he continued. “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.”

I've seen this debated over on another forum and whether they're right to say only beautiful and thin people should go to their stores and I'm kinda interested as to what everyone else on here thinks.

[Cerys]

Yeah, sure whatever, you're doing what you think is best for your company.

But it's discriminating against the larger people, surely?

[Adam]

... and 'big man' stores discriminate against people who aren't disgustingly obese. If you don't like their practices, don't shop there - nobody is forcing you to do so.

End of thread.

[Zelda]

agree with adam suprisingly again.

It's their choice who they stock for anyway and they will obv make the most money from fashion obsessed fit people so it does make sence, and no-one is forcing them to shop there in any respect at all.

this is totes cause of our discussion though earlier eh Hayden; LMAO

[FlyingJesus]

They are absolutely within their rights to have whatever target market they want - the idea that they or anyone in the industry should be forced into providing for people they don't want to is horrific. It's a private business and they can do as they please within the law.

[MKR&*42]

Oh good, I'm glad most of you have taken that view. The other forum were very against this and I was a bit confused as to why :P

[FlyingJesus]

Probably because they were fat

[AgnesIO]

I find it ironic, baring in mind the CEO is hardly the king of good looking people lol

However, on the basis I have no problem getting their clothing on, it doesn't bother me (not that I'd waste my money on it anyway, but there we go).

[Adam]

agree with adam suprisingly again.

It's their choice who they stock for anyway and they will obv make the most money from fashion obsessed fit people so it does make sence, and no-one is forcing them to shop there in any respect at all.

this is totes cause of our discussion though earlier eh @Hayden (http://www.habboxforum.com/member.php?u=86637); LMAO

Don't sound so surprised, I'm an intelligent bloke when I want to be.

[GommeInc]

They did the business faux pas - never state who your target audience isn't, because you will only set up a counter-marketing campaign. Unless you market to the masses (which they do not), the masses will only counter-market against you.

What they did wasn't necessarily bad, because it's common knowledge who buys their products (douchebags, trendy ********s etc), but to offend the people who do not buy your products or shouldn't buy your products is a very stupid thing to do, especially when the CEO (or main designer, whoever he is) looks like a plastic Ken doll that's been placed near a flame, subsequently melting their face.

[BlooBanana]

I think it's so wrong!! I'm a average size women with curves, I consider myself toned but unfortunately don't fit in a size 6 pair of jeans. I have a jumper and a crop top from their shops, I do fit in them but I avoid going in that place whenever I can for exactly that reason. Fat, thin, whatever. No-one should be made to feel unwelcome in a shop. I go into those places and feel a tad self concious because the people who work in my local Hollister are the people who I would avoid like the plague in college and I do in uni.

Either they're really friendly in your face annoying or don't talk at all. There is no happy medium. Fair enough not stocking size XL and XXL, but they would broaden their market and cater for todays society better if they did. They are well within the law, but if I was a 'big lady' and shopping with my friends, after reading this i would feel sooo insecure about going into their shop. When I was giving my cousin a hand applying for jobs she had to do a video type CV, this must be why.

[Ekelektra]

They have every right to market to whoever they want.

What's wrong is the rude way he said that's what they do in that statement. A simple 'we don't plan on catering for larger sizes any time soon' would have sufficed. After reading that I wouldn't want to buy anything from them.

[LiquidLuck.]

They have the right to decide whatever they want, it's their store, the way they think they get more profit should be the way they are do it, if that way is to say only thin people should shop there, then be it.

But if they are a north american company, won't they have more trouble finding costumers this way? I'm not saying there aren't thin people in the US, but the percentage of fat people is huge.

[Adam]

I think it's so wrong!! I'm a average size women with curves, I consider myself toned but unfortunately don't fit in a size 6 pair of jeans. I have a jumper and a crop top from their shops, I do fit in them but I avoid going in that place whenever I can for exactly that reason. Fat, thin, whatever. No-one should be made to feel unwelcome in a shop. I go into those places and feel a tad self concious because the people who work in my local Hollister are the people who I would avoid like the plague in college and I do in uni.

Either they're really friendly in your face annoying or don't talk at all. There is no happy medium. Fair enough not stocking size XL and XXL, but they would broaden their market and cater for todays society better if they did. They are well within the law, but if I was a 'big lady' and shopping with my friends, after reading this i would feel sooo insecure about going into their shop. When I was giving my cousin a hand applying for jobs she had to do a video type CV, this must be why.
I'd feel unwelcome in Games Workshop because their target audience is not me and therefore I do not enter that shop. Same rule applies here, some people get so uppity about these things.

[BlooBanana]

I'd feel unwelcome in Games Workshop because their target audience is not me and therefore I do not enter that shop. Same rule applies here, some people get so uppity about these things.

The games workshop does not appeal to me what so ever, but I'd rather feel unwelcome because It doesn't appeal to me rather than feel unwelcome because I'm too fat for their 'Image'. I'm definitely not being arrogant at all, If anything the company big shots are being arrogant to the fact there is more to life than being stick thin, popular and in their eyes beautiful. They could of made that statement so much more polite, they're not doing anything wrong. But in my opinion the way they have worded that is what is wrong.

[Kardan]

I think they're okay to do what they're doing, but of course offending people isn't right :P But, then again, it's not as if all the larger people will stop shopping there because they are offended...

But generally, it's okay, I don't think it's discrimination. It would be like me complaining that a female-only shop is only selling clothes for women. (Can't name any off the top of my head :P)

[Adam]

The games workshop does not appeal to me what so ever, but I'd rather feel unwelcome because It doesn't appeal to me rather than feel unwelcome because I'm too fat for their 'Image'. I'm definitely not being arrogant at all, If anything the company big shots are being arrogant to the fact there is more to life than being stick thin, popular and in their eyes beautiful. They could of made that statement so much more polite, they're not doing anything wrong. But in my opinion the way they have worded that is what is wrong.
It doesn't appeal to you because you're not their target audience, he can afford to be arrogant and direct his business to whoever he wants because the company takes over $4bn a year. This quote is from 2006 by the way so this whole thing is behind the times. What's next? People complaining that up market stores discriminate against poor people because their prices are too high?

If, for whatever reason, a specific business does not appeal to you - do not use that business. Simple.

[BlooBanana]

It doesn't appeal to you because you're not their target audience, he can afford to be arrogant and direct his business to whoever he wants because the company takes over $4bn a year. This quote is from 2006 by the way so this whole thing is behind the times. What's next? People complaining that up market stores discriminate against poor people because their prices are too high?

If, for whatever reason, a specific business does not appeal to you - do not use that business. Simple.

Exactly, but just because a fatter person isn't their target audience doesn't mean they should feel unwelcome in their shops. Theres a difference between high end fashion than discrimination for being fat. I can't afford a pair of Jimmy Choo's for example, but I'd still go in the shop and I definitely don't feel discriminated against because In their eyes I'm probably poor. I don't know, I feel it's a bit messed up saying those things. My opinion and It probably won't change :>

[Adam]

I don't think there's any difference between any type of discrimination whether it be against wealth, appearance sexuality etc because there will always be a divide and despite people preaching the 'perfect world', people aren't equal and nobody is 'the same'. I'm not saying I agree with him coming out into the main stream media and condemning people like this, it's just you cannot take the high road against their company practices. The best protest is to avoid those shops.

[BlooBanana]

I completely agree with what you have said there. But I don't believe high end fashion discriminate against wealth, although I do believe there isn't any difference between any discrimination. Just thought this guy is ridiculously arrogant and it's a shame people are like that.

[FlyingJesus]

I don't believe high end fashion discriminate against wealth

Try going into Tiffany&Co or Hermès in Bond Street wearing a tracksuit and stubble :P

[BlooBanana]

Try going into Tiffany&Co or Hermès in Bond Street wearing a tracksuit and stubble :P

PMSL, I'm a girl so the stubble would be tough, but You're right! Then they would completely discriminate ahhaha, rightly so If you looked like something of Jeremy Kyle ;)

[JACKTARD]

I get that they can make clothes for who they want but the way he described it wasn't right. Something like 'they don't belong and will never belong..'. That's just down right offensive to anyone who doesn't fit into their clothes.

[FlyingJesus]

I'm not a fan of A&F clothes forthe most part but even so I'd rather see someone honestly state their business intentions than pretend to be caring and inclusive while being run by the very people they claim to defy *coughDOVEcough*

[Gibs960]

They're just stating their target market, if fat people are so offended, don't shop there.