A Super Flagship for Abercrombie & Fitch in Japan

For decades, Japan, especially its megalopolis capital Tokyo has been viewed as a goldmine to many high-end and fashion retailers.

Imagine how full-pocketed these Japanese are when we start comparing the number of Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Celine stores popping in the Land of the Rising Sun to back home where they originated - La France.

For your information, Japan housed more than 30 stores for the brands mentioned above and there is at least one standalone or store-in-store for every luxury brand in every state and prefectures of Japan. Ginza district is the home to all Japanese flagship stores, apart from Raiponggi and Aoyama Center.

We are not talking about typical flagships that we may see in KL, Hong Kong or Singapore but we are talking about 10 to 20 floors of retail floors dedicated to a single brand. In the next two years, the Ginza district, touted as one of the most expensive retail district in the world (even Jalan Bukit Bintang is not THAT expensive), will welcome a new retail member - American fashion label Abercrombie & Fitch.

Like its super-duper luxury European counterparts Fendi, Bottega Veneta, Gucci and Giorgio Armani, Abercrombie & Fitch is jumping into the same bandwagon by building a multi-story retail temple that will promises more yens in the future, and at the same time, marking the brand's triumphant entry into the Far East market.

According to Womens Wear Daily, the Abercrombie Ginza flagship will boast a grand retail floorspace of 22,000-square feet spanned over 11-floors high, channeling the spirit and aura of the 5,000-square feet extra Fifth Avenue flagship for its decor such as the facade of closed window shutters and dark walls that creates an air of intrigue with large murals depicting strong sportsmen (I love that feature :D) and bits of the brand's heritage as the purveyor of outdoor sporting goods.

Last month, the Ohio-based retailer plans for its business expansion towards new markets by opening flagships in European countries such as Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, U.K., particularly in Milan, London and Paris - the holy trinity of the world's fashion industry.

The new tall and imposing Abercrombie & Fitch's Ginza flagship store is scheduled to be open in late 2009.

*Photo and news courtesy of Womens Wear Daily. Additional photo courtesy of Abercrombie & Fitch.

Abercrombie & Fitch Fifth Avenue Flagship - 720, Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10019.