Remodeled A&F store integrates online shopping
Abercrombie & Fitch is one of Lauren Westerheide’s favorite stores.
The 19-year-old said she shops at the store frequently and likes its retro feel. However, the Granville resident said she prefers to shop online.
Paul Crock takes an "omnichannel'' approach to shopping. He prefers to shop online but will go to a store to try on clothing.
“Even if they have stuff in stores, I’ll still order online,” said Crock, a 20-year-old who also is from Granville. “Sometimes they’re missing stuff in stores.”
Abercrombie is embracing that omnichannel approach by redesigning its stores with smaller footprints and an emphasis on the online shopper. The chain opened a remodeled store at Easton Town Center on July 3.
Other examples of retailers that use omnichannel marketing, which allows people to shop in the store and then order online from there, are Starbucks and Sephora.
Westerheide, who was shopping at Easton, said she likes Abercrombie's redesigned store because it’s easier to see everything. “I like being able to go in and see stuff right away,” she said.
The remodeled store features an open-concept design.
In 2017, the onmichannel protoype was tested at an A&F store in Polaris Fashion Place to gauge customers' reactions.
The Easton store allows shoppers to pick up their online orders and order clothing online. It has more storage space to meet the growing demand from people picking up online orders.
Employees throughout the store have handheld devices that allow them to order clothing for customers online from the store and essentially skip the checkout line.
Other prototypes being tested by Abercrombie include the abercrombie kids and Hollister stores at Easton. Since 2017, the retailer has opened 22 prototypes in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Hong Kong and Germany.
“We believe stores matter, and the Easton remodel is just one example of how we are continuing to invest in and enhance our physical retail locations,” said Kristin Scott, president of global brands at Abercrombie, a news release. “These smaller, more intimate spaces better resonate with our customers, and the omnichannel functionalities provide a seamless shopping experience.”