The US clothing group Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is also pushing ahead with the restart of its Gilly Hicks brand outside of its home market. The label’s own store, which is primarily geared towards underwear, activewear and loungewear for a young target group, is to open in Germany this spring. The company chose the Westfield Centro shopping center in Oberhausen as the location.
Gilly Hicks will “reopen independent stores in EMEA after the successful launch of their new prototype in Columbus, Ohio,” the group explained in a statement on Friday and at the same time announced a second location decision in Europe: A Gilly- Hicks store to open on Carnaby Street in central London, UK.
“We are excited to begin the next chapter of Gilly Hicks’ growth strategy with the opening of standalone stores in EMEA,” said Kim Dolder, who leads Gilly Hicks as SVP and General Manager. “We have been encouraged by the success of our standalone store in Columbus as it offers customers a tangible brand experience in which to discover our products and find their daily dose of happiness. We are excited to bring this concept to our customers in the EMEA region, who have responded very well to our reimagined product range and brand identity launched last summer.”
With the new stores in Europe, Abercrombie & Fitch begins the next phase of Gilly Hicks’ revitalization. In 2013, the Group decided to close all of the brand’s existing stores and integrate its range into the Hollister brand’s distribution channels. In 2017, the young underwear label was relaunched.
Gilly Hicks now has a new, contemporary brand image and is represented with its own space in numerous Hollister branches. With the opening of the pilot store in Columbus last year, the go-ahead was also given for expansion with independent stores.