Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Business Week's No. 9 - Abercrombie&Fitch

No. 9: Abercrombie & Fitch

Industry: Apparel Retail Sales: $3.7 billion
Net Income: $475.7 million

Teen fashions may be fickle, but Abercrombie & Fitch's (ANF) financial results are not. The New Albany (Ohio) retailer has posted 16 years of earnings increases, including a 9% gain in the fourth quarter of 2007. Now the challenge for CEO Michael Jeffries is, can he manage his growing stable of retail brands? Besides Abercrombie, there's lower-priced Hollister; Ruehl No. 925, aimed at post-college shoppers; and the newest entrant, Gilly Hicks lingerie stores. But rivals Limited and Gap have struggled with similar multi-brand strategies. Investors are waiting for results. Over the past year, shares have been flat.

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