Abercrombie & Fitch

Description

Trading on its century-old name, Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) sells upscale men's, women's, and kids' casual clothes and accessories -- quite a change from when the company outfitted Ernest Hemingway and Teddy Roosevelt for safaris. A&F has 1,000-plus stores in North America (mostly in malls) and also sells via its catalog and online. It targets college students, and has come under fire for some of its ad campaigns, as well as for some of its short-run products. The company also runs a fast-growing chain of some 450 teen stores called Hollister Co., and a chain targeted at boys and girls ages seven to 14 called abercrombie. RUEHL, a Greenwich Village-inspired concept for the post-college set, debuted in 2004.

The NorthFace

Description

The North Face Apparel Corp. has seen its share of peaks and valleys. A subsidiary of VF Corporation, it designs and distributes high-tech outdoor apparel and gear, such as jackets, tents, sleeping bags, and backpacks. Its products, made by suppliers in Asia, the US, Mexico, and South America, are sold by outdoor and sporting goods retailers in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Known for gear used in extreme situations, the company also offers Tekware sportswear for a broader market, as well as its namesake footwear. The North Face operates a handful of its own US retail stores. After a couple years of turmoil, the company was purchased by jeans and outdoor apparel manufacturer VF.