According to Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries, there are millions of young people in this country who are NOT attractive or “cool” because they wear a larger size of clothing than the store carries.
Here is an excerpt from an article posted on www.businessinsider.com
In a 2006 interview with Salon, Jeffries himself said that his business was built around sex appeal.
“It’s almost everything. That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that,” Jeffries said.
Jeffries also told Salon that he wasn’t bothered by excluding some customers.
“In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids,†he told the site. “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.”
Here is my reply to Abercrombie & Fitch, CEO Mike Jeffries…
Mr. Jeffries,
After reading your comments in an article on the Business Insider site, I will never be a customer at any of your stores not even to purchase a gift for one of (what you consider) my “cool” children. I am sure you did Abercrombie & Fitch more damage than good by your discriminatory comments. Fortunately, many of the people you are targeting as customers have evolved enough as human beings to figure out that YOU are clueless as to the REAL definition of a “cool” and beautiful person.
Debi Drecksler
Debi Drecksler’s Authentic Me Campaign
You tell ’em!
Well, I pretty much could always tell the store was not for me, walking by their giant photos of models. It’s like a giant banner screaming STAY OUT, UNCOOL PERSON. ;-P I don’t think I’ve ever even wandered in there accidentally, in my entire life!!
Are you aware that Old Navy has an entire Plus Size selection– which they refuse to stock in their stores? That’s right: Old Navy only sells Plus Size clothes online, and they only accept Plus Size returns by mail. Plus Size people aren’t even welcome to walk in the store to return/exchange something they bought.
Thanks, Heidi D!
Madelyn…I appreciate you sharing that information about Old Navy! I was not aware of that and I have shopped in their stores.
His statements definitely seem behind-the-times. Hasn’t he watched Glee or the new 21 Jump Street with Jonah Hill? There’s a new cool in town…
Adventure PAUL..Thanks for your input!