Abercrombie & Fitch Co. on Tuesday opened its first Asian flagship store in central Tokyo, drawing a huge crowd as well as police to control the brouhaha, as the U.S. teen fashion retailer turns its eyes abroad for growth amid sliding sales at home.
Its 12-story building is located in the Ginza district, once the heartland of top luxury brands but now dominated by fast-fashion brands like Sweden's H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB, Zara of Spain's Inditex Group, and of course the Uniqlo chain operated by Fast Retailing Co.
Abercrombie, a U.S. luxury casual brand, promises to deliver the same "all-American" experience — including the buff, shirtless "store models" — found at its four other flagship stores, in New York, Los Angeles, London and Milan, Italy.