Hollister

Co. (abbreviated to HCO or Hollister) is an American lifestyle brand by Abercrombie & Fitch Co. The concept was originally designed to attract consumers aged 14-18 through its SoCal-inspired image and casual wear. Goods are available in-store and through the company's online store.Despite the age target, the appeal of the HCO brand is universal like its parent brand[citation needed] and was ranked as the second most preferred teen clothing brand behind a long list of actual west coast companies in 2008 by US Bancorp Piper Jaffray.

All of Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s spin-off brands have an elaborate pseudo-history (including RUEHL No.925 and Gilly Hicks) to give meaning and feeling to the brand image of the Hollister concept.

Hollister

Co.'s story begins with the fictional character John M. Hollister. An adventurous youth, he spent his youth practicing sports in the waters of Maine. He graduated from Yale University in 1915 at the age of 21.Not wanting the high-life his father established for him in Manhattan, the young man boarded a succession of steamboats, finally arriving in the Dutch East Indies by 1917. There, he bought a rubber plantation from the fictitious Gregory Van Gilder, and soon came to know and love Gilder's daughter, Meta.Afterwards, Hollister sold the land, and with half of the money purchased a 50-foot schooner on which he and Meta spent two years sailing the South Pacific Ocean treasuring the diverse cultures. John and Meta harboured in Los Angeles in 1919, and married in the late fall. John M. Hollister, Jr. was born in 1920, and after "discovering California and himself" with his love for the South Pacific in mind John Sr. established Hollister Co. in 1922 in Laguna Beach. The company became purveyors of South Pacific treasures (hand-crafted furniture, jewelry, linens, and artifacts from all the islands). The company changed after John Jr. took over the business in 1957, bringing into the inventory surf apparel and equipment. Only in fantasy is the company said to be still managed by the Hollisters. Abercrombie & Fitch calls the story "a story of passion, youth and love of the sea [carrying] the harmony of romance, beauty, adventure."

The story is not made publicly available but it helps tie in many elements of the brand with what was, in reality, conceived by Abercrombie & Fitch in the 21st century. The Hollister Co. brand is marketed as being established in 1922, and the date is found the labels and designs of the merchandise. The store is designed to simulate the feeling of being in a surf shop. Furthermore, the story of the character John Jr. being a renowned surfer is on the back of Jake cologne packaging.

Opening and effect

The first store was opened in July 2000 at the Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio.

HCO's rapid success led Abercrombie & Fitch Co. to notice that the HCO brand was cannibalizing the Abercrombie & Fitch brand. In order to properly distinguish A&F from HCO, higher-grade materials and construction were introduced strictly in the production of A&F clothing and goods, thus raising the prices of the latter.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. expanded into Canada in mid-January 2006. A&F opened Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister Co. stores at the Toronto Eaton Centre and Sherway Gardens shopping malls in Toronto, Ontario. These openings were delayed from the end of 2005 to early 2006 by construction and planning issues. As of 2009, HCO locations in Canada were: Sherway Gardens, Toronto Eaton Centre, and Fairview Mall in Toronto, the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, and Upper Canada Mall, in Newmarket, Ontario, and Pacific Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia as of January 29, 2009.

Starting summer 2007, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. spent an approximate amount of $10 million USD to install video walls into Hollister Co. stores nationwide. The walls play live-feed from Surf City Huntington Beach, California to provide customers with a flavor of the SoCal surf atmosphere HCO promotes. By October 2, 2007, 100 select Hollister California stores began to promote Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s fifth brand Gilly Hicks prior to the latter's debut in January 2008. Advertising was achieved through a variety of body care items including body sprays, deodorant, soaps, lotions, and lip balms called Sessions.

On October 25, 2008, Hollister Co. opened its first store outside of the U.S. and Canada in Brent Cross, London. In December 2008 Hollister Co. opened its second store in the UK in Westfield London and a third at the upmarket Bluewater shopping centre, Kent, UK. Further more, after the success of the UK HCO stores in London, the first Hollister store outside of London was opened on May 14, 2009 in WestQuay Shopping centre in Southampton, which had the most successful store opening a Hollister has ever seen to date.

Marketing for the HCO flagship was launched in May 2009. The extensive marketing campaign advertised the store as "The Epic Hollister Store." A&F launched HCORideTheWave.com which offered electronic postcards, downloadable wallpaper and screensaver as well as directions to the flagship and a promotional film with computer-generated graphics of the multi-level floor layout and design. A countdown timer called the "Epic Countdown" tells the remaining time down to seconds till the opening.The first flagship for the HCO brand was finally opened July 15, 2009.

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