Abercrombie & Fitch reportedly mulls returning to HK

Fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) is reportedly planning to make a full comeback to Hong Kong, eight years after closing its flagship store in the city.

The company will reportedly lease two large stores in Hong Kong, including a 7,000-square-foot space in Hysan Place at Causeway Bay and an over 10,000-square-foot location in New Town Plaza, Sha Tin, according to Bloomberg.

A&F will pay around HK$1.5m per month in rent for the Hysan Place unit, which is higher than the around HK$700k that the current occupant, Fast Retailing’s casual wear brand GU, pays, according to the report. However, this amount will still be nearly 30% lower than what American retailer Gap was paying Hysan Development before relocating in 2020.

Currently, A&F operates two stores in the city, located in Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui and Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong respectively.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to A&F, Sun Hung Kai Properties, and Hysan for a statement respectively.

Back in 2012, the opening ceremony of the A&F flagship store in Central featured over 100 half-naked male models from around the world, causing a sensation in the city with exciting women, traffic jams, and lively discussions on social media. 

Also known as the "hottest Abercrombie & Fitch guys", the models were carefully selected from A&F stores in the US, Italy, the UK, France, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Japan, Belgium, and Singapore, according to the company. During the week leading up to the opening, the models greeted and took pictures with fans throughout Hong Kong.

The first 50 fans in line who were at least 18 years old received the limited-edition hardcover, A&F Quarterly, as a gift; the remainder will be available with a minimum purchase of HK$5,000 at the Hong Kong flagship store on a first-come first-serve basis.

However, A&F closed its flagship store after five years amid falling profits. The store with a four-floor, 25,600 square-foot boutique on Pedder Street in Central, had generated a monthly rent of HK$7 million at that time. 

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