On March 6, the door opened at 168-170 Kalverstraat. Abercrombie & Fitch is back, which is striking news for anyone who remembers the previous store. That one was on Leidsestraat, opened in December 2012, and covered more than 2,000 square meters. That branch eventually disappeared, but the brand has clearly not forgotten its way into town.
The new location is a lot more compact. At 950 square meters, it is exactly half of what A&F previously had in town. The building is leased from RJB Group. Still, the position is strong: Kalverstraat is the city's best-visited shopping street, and Abercrombie & Fitch is now right in the middle of it. The brand counts this as one of the busiest stores outside the U.S., which says something about how seriously people take this location.
Inside, you'll find the regular A&F offerings: casual American clothing for women and men. On the women's style: jeans, tops, dresses, sweaters and jackets. The men's department offers jeans, shirts, sweaters, jackets and accessories. These are seasonal collections in the distinctive style that the brand has carried for decades. No surprise, but solidity. The store was set up as part of the broader European expansion that CEO Fran Horowitz has been implementing for some time.
Abercrombie & Fitch counts this as one of the busiest stores outside the U.S., which says something about how seriously they take this location.
A&F's return to Kalverstraat fits a pattern. Major international brands that once left are finding their way back to the city center. Kalverstraat has enough foot traffic to make that attractive. Whether you are a fan of the brand or not, the opening week will have been little quiet. The previous store also attracted quite a bit of attention when it opened in 2012. Now it's a lot more down-to-earth, smaller, and in the middle of everything else. That actually fits.