TOO RACY FOR RETAIL: A&F PULLS ITS NAUGHTY CATALOG

New York Post ^ | 12/02/03 | SUZANNE KAPNER

[kattracks]

December 2, 2003 -- pull Perhaps it was the picture of half a dozen nearly naked teenagers entwined under the Christmas tree like so many unwrapped presents. Or maybe it was the words printed on the cover promising "group sex and more . . . " The latest edition of Abercrombie & Fitch's notoriously racy catalog so inflamed conservative groups that the teen clothing retailer was forced to recall it or face boycotts at its 651 stores.

[ex-Texan]

Boycott ! Boycott!

[martin_fierro]

An Abercrombie & Fitch spokesman didn't return two phone calls seeking comment.

"Just spell the name right."

[bicycle thug]

Oh great, missed buying another instant rare item. I'll never get rich this way. ;-)

[Derrald]

the magazine is only available to those over 18 at the counters of A&F stores. It costs seven dollars to purchase, and said purchaser must have valid ID.

http://snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/abercrombie.asp

Educate yourself before you get your panties in a wad. No one is stupid enough to promote group sex to 15 year olds.

[HiTech RedNeck]

The company now requires first-time buyers of the catalog, which sells for $4, to present proof that they are 18 or older.

Why it didn't do this from the start, baffaloes the dickens outa me. And what did they do for a "second time buyer" who might have been 16 years old then, 17 years old now? He or she just got a pass?

Sweep the raunch out.

[HiTech RedNeck]

That is about as successful as restricting liquor to those 21 "or with permission of parent or guardian." This is as though the liquor bottles even had pictures of kids instead of granddads on them.

[kattracks]

No one is stupid enough to promote group sex to 15 year olds.

It would seem that the A&F catalog is directed at teens, so who else would they be promoting this stuff to?

Oh, and btw, my panties are totally unwadded.

[HiTech RedNeck]

In the case of the wares of ever crummy and b*tch, I think wadding is appropriate. All the better to fit them into the garbage can they belong in.

[mhking]

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is a leading specialty retailer encompassing three concepts - Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie, and Hollister Co. The company focuses on providing high-quality merchandise that compliments the casual classic American lifestyle. The merchandise is sold in retail stores throughout the United States and through catalogs. The Company also operates e-commerce websites at www.abercrombie.com, www.abercrombiekids.com, www.hollisterco.com and publishes the A&F Quarterly.

Abercrombie & Fitch, which targets ages 18 through college, went public in October 1996 and spun-off from The Limited in May 1998. abercrombie kids (ages 7 - 14) was introduced in 1997. The latest concept, Hollister Co. was introduced in July 2000, and targets 14 - 18 year olds.

Contact InformationAddress

Abercrombie & Fitch
6301 Fitch Path
New Albany, OH 43054

Phone

(614) 283-6500

IR Contacts

Investor Relations Department
(614) 283-6751

Email

investor_relations@abercrombie.com

Home page

www.abercrombie.com

[mhking]

My fifteen year-old daughter (who rails on against blondes and other mindlessness) swears she saw some shirt that ragged on A&F: "Grab-a-booty & Pinch".

She has no desire to shop at A&F to begin with.

[dakine]

I've seen this posted before here on FR, it is Marketing 101, sex sells, has been since advertising beginning in the '00s, '10s, look at ads from early 1900s, same thing...

[Modernman]

I remember when their store for kids was selling thongs for 10 year-olds. Seemed wrong, but I couldn't really put my finger on why it seemed wrong.

[Derrald]

If you're so concerned, really, be a good parent and dont let your kid near the magazine.

To whine and complain about how kids may get a dirty magazine with a fake ID (Playboy has been around for ages, by the way - I don't see any protests against it or Hustler and the like) is no better than the politicians in Washington who bitch and moan about the depravity of a show like Jackass while neglecting education and children.

There are bigger issues out there. The catalog is not directed at teens, unless you count 18 and 19 year olds as teens. Worry about something bigger. And watch your own kid instead of forcing a corporation to be the nanny for you.