Abercrombie & Fitch to open on Carnaby Street next week

Abercrombie & Fitch is hoping to make a big splash on Carnaby Street on 15 December as it opens a new store at number 39 carrying the American brand’s women’s and men’s collections.

The company said the new store will be “a light and bright space evoking a chic hotel lobby [with] omnichannel shopping capabilities, to seamlessly connect customers’ digital and in-person shopping experiences”. 

“To further connect with local customers”, the store also includes a unique art installation, inclusive of photography from around London. It’s the kind of initiative that we’re used to seeing on Carnaby Street. The location that came to prominence in the 1960s spent a period looking somewhat tatty in subsequent decades but has been fully revitalised in this century so that it’s now a lively destination for sports, youth-focused, casualwear and beauty brands with plenty of arts and pop culture offerings in the mix — such as the RankinLive pop-up that opened last month.

“We believe stores matter, and our new A&F location on Carnaby Street is another example of our commitment to the UK market,” said Scott Clarke-Bryan, Managing Director, EMEA at Abercrombie & Fitch Co. 

Clarke-Bryan highlighted that Carnaby Street is “in the heart of one of the city’s busiest shopping areas” and Andrew Price, Executive Director at landlord Shaftesbury Capital said A&F’s arrival “demonstrates Carnaby’s Street’s ongoing appeal as a vibrant, high footfall shopping destination in the heart of London’s West End”.

Abercrombie’s parent company said last month that business is strong at present and it expects this to continue, forecasting a 2024 net sales rise of 12% to 14%.