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Abercrombie & Fitch uses sex to sell their retail line of clothing, expecting clothes to fly off the shelves as customers flock to stores and order from their catalog. But despite their ever-increasing use of sexual images, sales have now decreased for the past four years in a row. Store traffic is slipping and competitors are taking the market share.
The snobbish Abercrombie & Fitch CEO, Mike Jefferies, once said, “Our target customer is the 18-22 college guy who has a good body and is inspirational. If I exclude people, absolutely, delighted to do so.”
This Christmas season, A & F introduced a catalog featuring nude young models and interviews with porn stars. The catalog was withdrawn due to poor sales.
In the stores, customers have been greeted with bare-chested male greeters. The targeted sale of thong underwear to young teens raised the ire of many parents. Mothers Against Drunk Driving took the retailer to task several years ago for highlighting the benefits of drinking to young customers.
The lesson for business is that product and value matter in the marketplace, carrying more weight then any advertising campaign. Recently, A & F has resorted to more racy and sexy ads, which garnered headlines for sensational advertising…but sales continue to slip.
In the future, Abercrombie & Fitch would do well to develop a broader market appeal and an advertising campaign more focused to the general public. The statement by CEO Mike Jefferies on how delighted he is to exclude people has come full circle. The firm now needs to solicit the very customers who have been offended, because if customers don’t come in, sales will continue to decline.
Those of us who disapprove of the type of advertising utilized by A & F should take heart; it is the product that sells in the marketplace.
Steve Marr is the former CEO of the fourth largest import-export firm in the U.S., a company which facilitated international trade for many of the largest companies in America. Currently, Steve consults with with businesses and ministries utilizing ancient Biblical principles for success in today's marketplace. Clickhereto contact Steve, or visit his website atwww.businessproverbs.com
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