"In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids. Candidly, we go after the cool kids." ~ Mike Jeffries, Chairman and CEO, Abercrombie & Fitch, 2006
In so many words, Jefferies said this:
In every society there are people who are fashion-driven and buy clothes with frequency as a means for status among like-minded people and there are those who only buy for utility and because so lack status with the fashion-driven ones and thus buy infrequently. Candidly, we go after those who are fashion-driven.
It's irrelevant that A&F execs choose not to sell clothes with sizes that fit the obese. It's likely the infrequency of purchases by the obese doesn't fit with the business strategy. That is business.
What if A&F were a high-end car dealership chain? What if Jefferies said, In every society there are people who can buy a Ferrari and there are those who can only buy a Ford. Candidly, we go after those who buy a Ferrari.
Many have likened the A&F strategy to be tantamount to bullying. Jeffries bullied no one.
However, the true bullies are those forcing their agenda on A&F execs and upon everyone else who is fashion-driven and shops at A&F.
A&F is a retailer that sells to fashion-driven, 18 to 22. That means A&F sells to frequent buyers of clothes because such persons want to be seen with the latest. The CEO of A&F, Mike Jefferies, calls them "cool" and "kids". To Jefferies, that is what cool means.
The business strategy of A&F is high inventory turnover to clothes-obsessed adults seeking to belong to a tribe. A&F execs use inventory management methods such as limited sizing to achieve the strategy. A&F execs choose not to compete in the super-sized clothing category.
It seems the we're going to force you into fat acceptance agenda has whipped up furor over this.