It is not just styles from the 1990s that are making a comeback. One of the decade's biggest brands is too. Abercrombie & Fitch appears on track for a second year of double digit sales growth - its first such streak in more than a decade. The company, which also owns Hollister, has told investors it expects sales this year to rise 10% from 2023. That is nearly double its prior forecast, and comes after a 16% surge last year. Known in the 90s for appealing to teens, and infamous for its shirtless models, the company is now going after grown-ups with wedding-wear, work appropriate offerings and wide leg, baggy jeans. It has also taken a more inclusive approach, introducing a wider range of sizes, among other steps a not insignificant shift for a company whose former chief executive, Mike Jeffries, once declared "a lot of people don’t belong” in the firm’s clothing. Abercrombie in 2004 paid £39m to settle claims that its hiring practices had discriminated against minorities and women. Abercrombie, which Mr Jeffries left as boss in 2014, has since succeeded in reinventing itself - the turnaround sent shares in the firm, which has more than 750 stores globally, surging from around $25 (£19) a piece at the start of 2023 to more than $189 (£147) on Thursday.
