Three of the UK A&F in-store models
Abercrombie & Fitch have only been in the UK a week and already the US casualwear giant is causing a stir. After news spread that the retail industry has slammed the stores recruitment policy of targeting beautiful store assistants. The London flagship is set on the corner of Burlington Gardens and Savile Row, whose staff includes students, models and amateur sportsmen and women which were all found by scouts and then trained. One recruitment agency director, who hires floor staff for several high street stores, said employers cannot discriminate on age and was surprised by Abercrombie & Fitch’s approach to recruitment, she said,
“To discriminate on looks isn’t right. If somebody weighs 14 stone they can still sell.”
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said retailers should look for a range of qualities when recruiting, such as communication, numeracy and customer service skills. BRC spokesman Richard Dodd said: “It’s not the best approach to recruitment. It seems there are a lot of people working for Abercrombie & Fitch that are very happy but, if you were somebody that felt you were a potential retail employee, you might feel aggrieved [if you didn’t get a job].”
Abercrombie & Fitch has declined to comment on the recruitment policy. However, vice president of store operations Mike Rosera said,
“We have always had a lot of British consumers at our US stores so we knew there was a lot of demand for us. We chose this location because of its heritage and authenticity, and it is a very special building. We will appeal to customers of premium brands such as Ralph Lauren and Diesel, but we are priced lower.”
The layout of the London shore is based on its New York sister complete with a dimly-lit interior, loud dance music and luxury wood counters and mezzanine floor. The store sells men's, women's and children's clothing and accessories. (source)
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