Anthropologie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anthropologie is a retailer of high-end casual clothing and other merchandise run by Urban Outfitters, Inc.. A rather young apparel corporation, Anthropologie has used unique marketing and branding techniques to become a forerunner in women's fashion.[1]
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[edit] Brand
Founded in 1992, the brand is designed to follow customers of its parent company, Urban Outfitters, into the next stage of their life.[1] Founder Richard Hayne moved Anthropologie away from the focus of Urban Outfitters, which targeted hip and mode trends. Rather, this new concept was designed to appeal to 30- to 40-something affluent professional women with total family annual income above $200,000.[2] Picturing an ideal audience, the corporation targeted sophisticated women wanting unique, one-of-a-kind designs. This marketing technique is often compared to that of Kate Spade, selling a lifestyle rather than products.[3]
Thus, Anthropologie became a pioneer in retail, becoming the first corporation to intentionally avoid advertising.[2] Though the company does not advertise, its shoppers stay longer than most chain stores, averaging nearly 1 hour and 15 minutes.[2] The company allots the extra money towards furnishing individual stores. Every store is divided into retailing quadrants, each acting as its own store, displaying a theme and flavor of its own.[3]
David Brooks has cited Anthropologie as the "apotheosis" of the bourgeois bohemian look in his book Bobos in Paradise.[4]
[edit] Merchandise
Anthropologie sells a wide range of merchandise. Though focusings on women's apparel and accessories, the company also sells furniture and home furnishings through its stores, catalog, and website. The company prides in its one-of-a-kind items. "Within the store are Indian hand-beaded picture frames, a hand-painted floral sconce based on a 1940s Italian original, glazed Japanese ceramics, and a rattan and teak British colonial sleigh bed."[2]
[edit] Today
To maintain its image, the company avoids enclosed malls, preferring to locate on streets or open-air centers. Today, there are over 90 stores in 24 states and the District of Columbia.[5] The brand has quickly gained popularity throughout the United States, averaging 40% annual revenue gain for the past 5 years.[6] The brand now stands for nearly 50% of Urban Outfitters' annual revenue, at nearly $400 million in sales.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b http://retailtrafficmag.com/mag/retail_anthropologies_cultured_approach/index.html
- ^ a b c d http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/65/sophisticated.html
- ^ a b http://www.entrepreneur.com/Magazines/Copy_of_MA_SegArticle/0,4453,310561----3-,00.html
- ^ David Brooks, Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000. Page 59.
- ^ http://www.anthropologie.com/companyinfo/store_locations.jsp, accessed on November 30, 2006
- ^ http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2004/1101/154.html
