A&F will add more updated shops

Even as talk of the possible sale of Abercrombie & Fitch continues, the New Albanybased retailer has said it’s moving forward with its new store concept, planning to open five stores in the United States and one in Hong Kong this year.

Abercrombie opened the first A&F prototype store in February at Polaris Fashion Place, part of the brand’s efforts to reinvent itself. Although it is smaller than other stores, the prototype has been a hit with customers and has delivered better sales per square foot than past locations, the company says.

The continuing rollout of the new store concept is an indication that Abercrombie isn’t being distracted by talk of a sale, said Lee Peterson, an executive vice president at Dublin consulting firm WD Partners.

“No one is sitting around waiting for something to happen,” Peterson said. “Ultimately the evolution of the Abercrombie brand isn’t going to happen overnight,

regardless of what investors think, because it was positioned so strongly for so many years. So to evolve that brand takes many steps. ... You have to give them credit. To me, it’s super encouraging.”

Abercrombie confirmed in May that it had had preliminary discussions with several companies regarding a sale. Those reportedly include rival American Eagle Outfitters, privateequity firm Cerberus and Columbus-based fashion retailer Express.

The new Abercrombie & Fitch store in Hong Kong, at approximately 6,800 square feet, is being developed in partnership with Hong Kong-based developer Wharf Holdings. The new store will be in Wharf Holdings’ flagship property, Harbour City. It’s the largest mall in Hong Kong and attracts more than 80 million visits a year.

“In this new space, we expect to deliver greater productivity on a significantly smaller footprint than our previous Hong Kong store,” said Abercrombie CEO Fran Horowitz in a statement. “Harbour City is a worldrenowned mall, and it will be a premier location for our updated Abercrombie & Fitch experience,” she said.

The updated store layout was designed to be more inviting to customers and encourage trying out the merchandise. The layout includes fitting rooms with separate controls for light and music, plus a charging dock for phones. Some fitting rooms include two individual capsules within a larger, private suite so that customers can model new looks with a friend or family member.

“The store is so different in so many respects,” Peterson said. “It shows the product a little better. Many of the things customers complained about in the old stores are gone. It’s a nice evolution.”

In the United States, Abercrombie plans to open five concept stores this summer: Somerset North in Troy, Michigan, and Lenox Square in Atlanta, both in July, and Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia, Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Century City in Los Angeles, all in August.