Abercrombie & Fitch is capitalizing on its booming women’s apparel category with a new partnership with online shoe and clothing platform Zappos. On Thursday, the specialty retailer announced that Zappos will be its exclusive U.S. e-commerce partner, making its popular pieces more accessible than ever and introducing its first-ever collection of women’s footwear only available on Zappos.
Abercrombie & Fitch’s initial launch on Zappos includes key styles of size inclusive women’s denim from its fall collection, spanning Mom jeans, ’90s straight and “Curve Love” styles—the latter of which includes extra room in the thigh and gap-proof waistbands.
The retailer promoted these styles in a recent social media campaign called “Denim Your Way,” which featured customers and fans as the models, including several social media personalities and influencers. Described as the culmination of one year’s worth of research, fit testing and user feedback, the collection is its most inclusive yet, with women’s sizes ranging from 23-37 in lengths from extra-short to long.
Rounding out the apparel collection are several styles of tops, including a long-sleeve bodysuit, a tank bodysuit and a V-neck top in a range of neutral and earthy tones and available in sizes XXS to XXL. It also features a relaxed T-shirt available in sizes XS to XL. Pricing ranges from $79-$99 for denim and $25-$45 for tops.
The partnership also marks Abercrombie & Fitch’s debut in footwear. The first collection offers seven styles of fall-ready boots, booties, open-toe heels and sneakers. Calf-high Chelsea boots and combat boots tap into the popular utilitarian theme, while the cowboy-esque Margaux boot in a warm cognac hue channels the rising Western look. Footwear is also size inclusive, ranging from 6-15. The footwear collection retails for $99-$199.
“We’re constantly focused on listening to our customers; we’ve been hearing increasing requests to offer footwear to complete their outfits alongside our jeans, dresses, pants and more,” Carey Collins Krug, senior vice president and head of marketing at Abercrombie & Fitch, told Rivet. “Our partnership with Zappos could not launch at a better time, especially as folks around the country begin to outfit themselves more purposefully as we transition into this ‘new normal’ of work and social life.”
In a call with investors earlier this year, Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Fran Horowitz pointed to its women’s category as having a moment that she’s “rarely seen in my 30-plus years as a merchant,” and said it helped the company achieve its best Q1 revenue since 2008 and the third-largest Q1 in brand history.
In that same call, the retailer alluded to its growing emphasis on digital, with Collins Krug telling Rivet that it “aims to be a digitally led retailer.” Since the beginning of fiscal 2020, the retailer closed nine of its 15 flagship locations in favor of focusing more on smaller, omni-enabled locations. It reported that its digital sales soared 45 percent year-over-year to $403 million, and drove the channel to 52 percent of total sales.
To further amplify its digital presence, the company has also been building its social media outreach. Its sister brand Hollister recently launched Social Tourist, a brand created in partnership with Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, TikTok’s No. 1 and No. 9 most-followed accounts, respectively.