The first new A&F prototype store outside the US has opened in Hong Kong.
The Abercrombie & Fitch Hong Kong store officially debuted on Friday in Gateway Arcade on level 3 of Harbour City shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, after previews for invited guests during the week.
Photographs show it retains little of the dark, mausoleum-like styling of the former Abercrombie & Fitch Hong Kong flagship which closed in Pedder Street early this year. It is light and bright and the latest A&F clothing range is easier to browse and buy.
Abercrombie & Fitch said it would be closely monitoring customer response to the store in what it described as a “reinvented space”.
A revitalised customer experience includes fitting rooms with lighting and music which customers can adjust for themselves, and even phone charging docks. And, the 6800sqft store features a sitting room that overlooks Victoria Harbour.
The Hong Kong store follows openings of the new format in Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, Virginia, Arizona and California.
Ahead of the opening, the US fashion house said its new format would provide customers with “a new vision of the A&F brand”.
“It is designed to be an inviting space that facilitates brand engagement and encourages product trial.
“The modernised space was imagined with the best customer experience in mind, encouraging the discovery of A&F’s new collections and brand positioning. Looking to provide a unique and personal shopping experience, the layout includes accommodating features such as innovative fitting rooms, and omni-channel capabilities.”
