RUEHL 925
Encyclopedia
Ruehl No.925 or simply Ruehl (icon), is a now defunct upscale American
lifestyle brand
by Abercrombie & Fitch
Co. The concept was inspired by the artistic and cultural heritage of New York City
's Greenwich Village
and was meant to attract post-graduate individuals aged 22 to 35, retaining consumer basis past collegiate consumers for the A&F company. Ruehl sold high-grade casual apparel, leather goods and lifestyle accessories through its stores and web site.
Citing the economic environment, in June 2009, Abercrombie & Fitch announced it would close all Ruehl locations by January 2010. A&F ceased processing Ruehl web orders on January 22, 2010 and, as of January 31, 2010, completed the closure of its Ruehl branded stores and related direct-to-consumer operations. In mid 2011, the Ruehl website was taken offline completely, with the domain name ruehl.com redirecting to abercrombie.com instead.
to give depth to the brand image, tying together the elements of the Ruehl brand. The original Abercrombie & Fitch publicity material presented on the brand's opening day stated Ruehl as the legacy of the fictional "Ruehl" German family which immigrated to Greenwich Village's West Village in the mid-19th century. The patriarch opens a leathergoods shop in No.921 on Greenwich Street (in actuality, there are no numbers past 800 on the street). His son later moves into No.923 and brings in denim inspired by James Dean
. As time passes, the third generation son moves into No.925 and brings together the family business with an emphasis on "the finer things in life." The fictitious story concludes with A&F purchasing the business from the family in 2002.
By 2009, the story was reimagined in a presentation for Piper Jaffray
. The fictional roots of the business are established by the Ruehl "great-grandfather" in a mid-19th century Germany prior to the immigration (which does not occur until 1900 with the "grandfather"). Then, the business goes on to "[solidify] its craft of fine apparel goods" in the Village. In the fantasy, the business is still run by the "father" and "25 year-old son" as "the world class purveyor of casual, fine leather goods and designer denim."
The name "Ruehl" is a variation of the German last name
"Ruhl."
CEO and Chairman of Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries, stated that Ruehl took years of planning, mainly for the store's atmosphere and image. From the start, the Company (A&F) was determined to keep their new brand concept veiled from public eyes. Retail analysts viewed this as peculiar. Not even retail landlords approached for space were told about the concept. John C. Shroder (COO of Westfield San Francisco Centre
's U.S. operations) confessed that it was A&F's reputation which gave him the confidence to "sign up Ruehl sight-unseen."
Despite the secretive nature, rumors circulated about a "distinct departure" from the A&F style. It was evident that A&F sought to maintain consumers past ages 18 through 22. The concept was to venture out as more mature and sophisticated, all the while keeping it youthful. The brand was privately unveiled to investors-only on "Investor Day" September 7, 2004. The presentation was at Westfield Garden State Plaza
in New Jersey
. At the introduction and press tour of the Westfield Garden State Plaza location, Jeffries noted that Ruehl is "the fantasy of what it's like to graduate from college and go to New York and make it. It's the New York fantasy." He repeatedly referred to Ruehl as "the movie" because of its elaborate, flowing background.
(New Jersey
), Woodfield Mall
(Illinois
), and the International Plaza
(Florida
). Designed to look and feel like Greenwich Village, Ruehl presented a new, "more sophisticated" lifestyle than other Abercrombie & Fitch brands. The store prototype of this time was a two-floor prototype measuring at 9500 sq ft (882.6 m²). Due to its structural form and size, locations capable of housing the prototype became hard to acquire.
Mike Jeffries did not launch an online store upon the opening of Ruehl. He wanted to attract customers to the stores to experience the Ruehl atmosphere. What was launched was a promotional website which gave store listings, previewed the private online policy, and allowed for email subscription to receive news on Ruehl.
Original prices upon opening were roughly 30% higher than at Abercrombie & Fitch (e.g. destroyed blue jeans $148.00 USD). Many consumers deemed this as too high for young professionals who normally begin their careers at fair incomes.
In June 2005, writer Alex Kuczynski published an article in The New York Times
about her experience in the store at Westfield Garden State Plaza. She described the facade as "something provocative and different," and compared the store greeter to a "nightclub bouncer on the watch for good-looking customers." Kuczynski wrote that the store name conjures up actress Mercedes Ruehl
and her hapless roles; "try as it might, the name just doesn't sound cool." She also criticized the lighting techniques, saying that "people at that age [20's and 30's] aspiring to the heights of sangfroid that Ruehl appears to promote would never deign to exert effort to find the right size, let alone spend 10 minutes squinting at a skirt to discern its color", a shame because "the clothing is worth the time and the money." She said prices were "reasonable", giving as an example $158 for the best-selling "destroyed" blue jeans.
In early 2007, RUEHL925.com became RUEHL.com and was upgraded as an Adobe Flash Player
page. Also, to accommodate expansion, a new store prototype was developed measuring at 7200 sq ft (668.9 m²). This new prototype encompasses one sales level only, reducing construction costs and increasing opportunities to secure prime locations. A limited online store was finally launched on October 25, 2007. It sold fragrances and handbags in a limited quantity of styles. By the end of the year, in an effort to retain consumer basis, price points for Ruehl clothing were significantly lowered as so to create a minimal 10-15% difference between Abercrombie & Fitch and Ruehl No.925 clothing. A&F rose its jeans prices to make a $10 USD difference between its jeans and Ruehl's. January 30, 2008 marked the launch of the full online store.
Mike Jeffries, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., said:
After closing the accessories store in September 2009, women's handbags were allocated to the Abercrombie & Fitch New York City
, London
, and Milan
flagship stores. Ruehl store closings began in October, while remaining stores were kept half-stocked with merchandise for the Christmas 2009 fashion season. Meanwhile, A&F's Ginza
flagship carried a collection of leather handbags upon opening on December 15. By late-December, all merchandise were marked on clearance for 50% off, all sales final, in store and online. The final sale later rose to 60%, and finally to 70% by mid-January 2010. A&F ceased processing web orders on January 22 (nearly two years after its launch). In early 2011, the website was taken offline completely with Ruehl.com now redirecting to the Abercrombie and Fitch website.
and is more sophisticated than Abercrombie & Fitch. Noticeably, some imagery uses angles of Greenwich Village as a backdrop. Jeffries made it clear that sex in marketing was a continual importance in Ruehl advertising. For that reason, Bruce Weber
shot all campaigns. He is most noted for his provocative and sexual, beefcake
work with Calvin Klein underwear and A&F. Photography from Ruehl's early days evolved from sepia and dark green color schemes before settling on blue. High-profile models have appeared in Ruehl marketing campaigns, including Miranda Kerr
and Kim Stolz
.
The brand has used the appropriate slogan, "Visit us in the Village." Its main marketing logo "Ruehl / No.925 / Greenwich Street / New York" has been revised and replaced with "Ruehl / No.925 / Greenwich St / New York, NY". It mimics as an actual address.
Marketing techniques used on Ruehl have not benefited revenue expectations for the brand. The average store generated sales of over $3.2 million USD in 2006. In comparison to Hollister's
outstanding popularity and sales by 2004 (four years after its opening), revenue from Ruehl by 2008 had not been satisfying.
The official logo for Ruehl No.925 was the French bulldog
Trubble. He is the little "inquisitive" bulldog with a "steadfast demeanor" and "confident attitude" who walked into the Ruehl family shop in the mid-1850s - so states the fictional background to Ruehl. He was, as the fake literature continues, the family's first customer (to their surprise and delight). Subsequently, Trubble became the logo for the brand.
His name, "Trubble", is a play on the word "trouble." It signifies the trouble that Mike Jeffries and his development team underwent to create an appealing logo for Ruehl. Before deciding on Trubble, the company experimented with different designs on polos. The logos included: "R925"; an artistically cursive "R"; and "Ruehl / No.925". The bulldog from the Ruehl background was finally selected and named "Trubble" - a sort of counterpart to the Abercrombie
moose
, the flying Hollister Co.
seagull, and the Gilly Hicks
Koala. Trubble was embroidered on polos and silk-screened
on other merchandise.
The sophisticated Ezra Fitch Collection by Abercrombie & Fitch, released in 2004 and discontinued in 2006, shared similarity to Ruehl clothing.
and J.Crew
". Some Ruehl fashions could very well be "office-appropriate". Mike Jeffries however called Ruehl "100% casual." The price points at Ruehl were the highest in the family of Abercrombie & Fitch brands. This fact remained even after the drop in original price points. Nicknamed "A&F + $10" by original customers, there lingered a feel that the brand had been degraded from its high-end image by the drop in prices.
Clothing articles included tops (tees, shirts), bottoms (jeans, shorts), swim wear, accessories (flip flops, handbags), and underwear (men's only). Lace-and-velvet trimmed Lingerie
and sleepwear were also previously offered to women (discontinued because of the Gilly Hicks
brand). Materials used for Ruehl apparel were of a much higher-grade (using heavier denim, cashmere for sweaters, and embossed leather) than in other A&F brands. Overall, Jeffries wanted Ruehl to be positioned as a "jeans expert", with RNY jeans dominating the assortment of apparel. Inside all jeans was the embroidery: Ruehl New York 10014
(the New York City zip code
).
Ruehl became the first in the chain of Abercrombie & Fitch brands to produce a genuine leather goods line for both men and women. Because of low purchasing rates, men's leather goods were discontinued (e.g. wallets and messenger bags). Women's bags, however, remained quite popular. Purse prices were at level with Coach prices for competition.
. The publications are similar to A&F Quarterly
, a racy magalog
also produced by Weber.
The floor layout: A typical Ruehl No.925 was structured as three, two-floored or single floored brownstone
s. Artificial windows contained flower boxes, and a black awning on the 3rd facade read "RUEHL." Surrounding the facades were wrought iron fences. Resembling a home off of Greenwich Street, concrete walkways lined in front of the store, leading to the two entrances. Inside, the store was walled off into about more than ten rooms. Entering the main entrance, one entered the leather shop which contained high shelves of leather hand bags before treading down a large corridor, the gallery, which divided the men and women departments. The flooring was of dark wood. To emphasize a Greenwich home, the women's side of the store contained the rooms of a normal home. This included a family room surrounded by couches and chairs with Ruehl merchandise displayed. There was also a dimly-lit bedroom which could be led to the back of the women's side of the store containing one more room known as the mud room. The mud room was filled with women's apparel with a crystal chandelier hanging low from the ceiling. The men's side of the store contained a large room holding Ruehl denim across the wall. This room was located on the first floor and could be overseen from a bedroom containing a balcony. The men's side of the store had the secondary rooms of a Greenwich home. Men's merchandise were located in three bedrooms and overflowed into the Garage. At the end of the hallway separating the women's and men's side, was a divan surrounded with books and modern art - the room was known as the conservatory. Art and marketing photography were displayed as if in an art gallery. Merchandise was found on actual bookshelves and tables and highlighted with spot lighting and lamps. Located in the back corner of the store was the cashwrap, also known as the Garage, and was designed to have brick walls, dim/flickering lighting, and windows to represent the outside using intelligent lighting techniques. CDs were available for purchase and some stores had a burning fireplace
.
The atmosphere: The atmosphere was to make the shopper feel in a unique place, a "private home." The music mixed for the brand attempted to employ soft modern house
/lounge
/downtempo
tunes with jazzy beats to personify the jazz-influenced musical heritage of the Village. The modern art displayed instore was nostalgic to modern artists living in the early-20th century Village. The dim lighting projected an upscale image, and so did the lingering opulent scent of Signature. In A&F's words, "The classic décor and opulent ambience create a luxurious lifestyle inside this romantically lit West Village brownstone."
store) revealed that new customers became overwhelmed over the number of rooms, "At first, they're shocked." The lack of typical mall windows also mislead shoppers' view of the brand. A 50-year-old-man (interviewed by the New York Times) who walked into a Ruehl brownstone found himself in what he called "the wrong place" among "skimply dressed teenagers and stacks of tee-shirts that read Friday is a casual sex day ." He later confessed that the problem was "you really had to guess what it was until you got in." Quite on the contrary, a 17-year-old and her friend stated that they enjoyed the experience of the brand and that "instead of being in the middle of New Jersey
, we are on a street in New York
, and that is where we want to be anyway -- living in New York City
."
Many retail executives disagree with the idea of no mall windows. Some agree that stores similar to Ruehl (like Martin + Osa
) with original and provocative storefronts attract curiosity to themselves against other mall merchants, and, thus, aid themselves economically. However, others contradict by stating that brands with storefronts as such are merely "shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to new customers who are so critical to a brand's success." However, with concern to Ruehl, Andrew McQuilkin (vice president of design at FRCH Design Worldwide) settles that "they [the storefronts] are sending a message early in the conversation [between consumer and store] that says you belong or you don't belong...The 17-year-old who wants to live in New York belongs. The 50-year-old suburban dad does not." Also, Kurt Barnard (president of Barnards Retail Consulting Group) stated that "the risk-taking behind Ruehl is not only a smart idea, it totally falls in line with the massive transformation of retail. Newness is needed. Abercrombie may have a hit upon a way to hold onto existing customers as they exit their teens."
(on Bleecker between Charles and Perry).
filed a lawsuit against Abercrombie & Fitch in July 2007 for trademark infringement
, alleging that Ruehl jeans and other products used Levi's trademarked pocket design of connected arches. A similar suit was filed against Polo Ralph Lauren
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lifestyle brand
Lifestyle brand
A lifestyle brand is a brand that attempts to embody the values and aspirations of a group or culture for purposes of marketing.Each individual has an identity based on their choices, experiences, and background...
by Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
Co. The concept was inspired by the artistic and cultural heritage of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
and was meant to attract post-graduate individuals aged 22 to 35, retaining consumer basis past collegiate consumers for the A&F company. Ruehl sold high-grade casual apparel, leather goods and lifestyle accessories through its stores and web site.
Citing the economic environment, in June 2009, Abercrombie & Fitch announced it would close all Ruehl locations by January 2010. A&F ceased processing Ruehl web orders on January 22, 2010 and, as of January 31, 2010, completed the closure of its Ruehl branded stores and related direct-to-consumer operations. In mid 2011, the Ruehl website was taken offline completely, with the domain name ruehl.com redirecting to abercrombie.com instead.
Pseudo-establishment
A&F created a pseudohistoryPseudohistory
Pseudohistory is a pejorative term applied to a type of historical revisionism, often involving sensational claims whose acceptance would require rewriting a significant amount of commonly accepted history, and based on methods that depart from standard historiographical conventions.Cryptohistory...
to give depth to the brand image, tying together the elements of the Ruehl brand. The original Abercrombie & Fitch publicity material presented on the brand's opening day stated Ruehl as the legacy of the fictional "Ruehl" German family which immigrated to Greenwich Village's West Village in the mid-19th century. The patriarch opens a leathergoods shop in No.921 on Greenwich Street (in actuality, there are no numbers past 800 on the street). His son later moves into No.923 and brings in denim inspired by James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
. As time passes, the third generation son moves into No.925 and brings together the family business with an emphasis on "the finer things in life." The fictitious story concludes with A&F purchasing the business from the family in 2002.
By 2009, the story was reimagined in a presentation for Piper Jaffray
Piper Jaffray
Piper Jaffray & Co. , often shortened to just Piper Jaffray or PiperJaffray, is a U.S. middle-market investment banking firm based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and sells financial advice, investment products, and transaction execution within targeted sectors of the financial services marketplace...
. The fictional roots of the business are established by the Ruehl "great-grandfather" in a mid-19th century Germany prior to the immigration (which does not occur until 1900 with the "grandfather"). Then, the business goes on to "[solidify] its craft of fine apparel goods" in the Village. In the fantasy, the business is still run by the "father" and "25 year-old son" as "the world class purveyor of casual, fine leather goods and designer denim."
The name "Ruehl" is a variation of the German last name
German name
German names consist of one or several Vornamen and a Nachname . The Vorname is usually gender-specific.-Forenames:...
"Ruhl."
Development
Westfield San Francisco Centre
Westfield San Francisco Centre is an upscale, urban shopping center located in San Francisco, California, managed by the Westfield Group and co-owned by Westfield and Forest City Enterprises. It is anchored by Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's, and includes a Century Theatres multiplex, a Bristol...
's U.S. operations) confessed that it was A&F's reputation which gave him the confidence to "sign up Ruehl sight-unseen."
Despite the secretive nature, rumors circulated about a "distinct departure" from the A&F style. It was evident that A&F sought to maintain consumers past ages 18 through 22. The concept was to venture out as more mature and sophisticated, all the while keeping it youthful. The brand was privately unveiled to investors-only on "Investor Day" September 7, 2004. The presentation was at Westfield Garden State Plaza
Westfield Garden State Plaza
Westfield Garden State Plaza is an upscale shopping mall in Paramus, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and managed by the Westfield Group and located at the intersection of Route 4 and Route 17 near the Garden State Parkway...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. At the introduction and press tour of the Westfield Garden State Plaza location, Jeffries noted that Ruehl is "the fantasy of what it's like to graduate from college and go to New York and make it. It's the New York fantasy." He repeatedly referred to Ruehl as "the movie" because of its elaborate, flowing background.
Launch
Ruehl No.925 finally opened on September 24, 2004 with three locations. These were at Westfield Garden State PlazaWestfield Garden State Plaza
Westfield Garden State Plaza is an upscale shopping mall in Paramus, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and managed by the Westfield Group and located at the intersection of Route 4 and Route 17 near the Garden State Parkway...
(New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
), Woodfield Mall
Woodfield Mall
Woodfield Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in the northwest Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois, United States, at the intersection of Golf Road and Illinois Route 53....
(Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
), and the International Plaza
International Plaza and Bay Street
International Plaza and Bay Street is a large upscale shopping mall located in the Westshore business district of Tampa, Florida. The mall, which opened in 2001, was built to give travelers an option to shop and dine in high-class surroundings, while at the same time be able to stay near Tampa...
(Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
). Designed to look and feel like Greenwich Village, Ruehl presented a new, "more sophisticated" lifestyle than other Abercrombie & Fitch brands. The store prototype of this time was a two-floor prototype measuring at 9500 sq ft (882.6 m²). Due to its structural form and size, locations capable of housing the prototype became hard to acquire.
Mike Jeffries did not launch an online store upon the opening of Ruehl. He wanted to attract customers to the stores to experience the Ruehl atmosphere. What was launched was a promotional website which gave store listings, previewed the private online policy, and allowed for email subscription to receive news on Ruehl.
Original prices upon opening were roughly 30% higher than at Abercrombie & Fitch (e.g. destroyed blue jeans $148.00 USD). Many consumers deemed this as too high for young professionals who normally begin their careers at fair incomes.
Post-opening
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
about her experience in the store at Westfield Garden State Plaza. She described the facade as "something provocative and different," and compared the store greeter to a "nightclub bouncer on the watch for good-looking customers." Kuczynski wrote that the store name conjures up actress Mercedes Ruehl
Mercedes Ruehl
Mercedes J. Ruehl is an American theater, television and film actor.-Personal life:Ruehl was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, the daughter of Mercedes J., a school teacher, and Vincent Ruehl, an FBI agent. She was raised Catholic. Her father was of German and Irish descent and her...
and her hapless roles; "try as it might, the name just doesn't sound cool." She also criticized the lighting techniques, saying that "people at that age [20's and 30's] aspiring to the heights of sangfroid that Ruehl appears to promote would never deign to exert effort to find the right size, let alone spend 10 minutes squinting at a skirt to discern its color", a shame because "the clothing is worth the time and the money." She said prices were "reasonable", giving as an example $158 for the best-selling "destroyed" blue jeans.
Adobe Flash Player
The Adobe Flash Player is software for viewing multimedia, Rich Internet Applications and streaming video and audio, on a computer web browser or on supported mobile devices. Flash Player runs SWF files that can be created by the Adobe Flash authoring tool, by Adobe Flex or by a number of other...
page. Also, to accommodate expansion, a new store prototype was developed measuring at 7200 sq ft (668.9 m²). This new prototype encompasses one sales level only, reducing construction costs and increasing opportunities to secure prime locations. A limited online store was finally launched on October 25, 2007. It sold fragrances and handbags in a limited quantity of styles. By the end of the year, in an effort to retain consumer basis, price points for Ruehl clothing were significantly lowered as so to create a minimal 10-15% difference between Abercrombie & Fitch and Ruehl No.925 clothing. A&F rose its jeans prices to make a $10 USD difference between its jeans and Ruehl's. January 30, 2008 marked the launch of the full online store.
Closing Ruehl
On June 17, 2009, Abercrombie & Fitch announced it would close all 29 Ruehl stores by the end of the fiscal year (January 2010).Mike Jeffries, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., said:
After closing the accessories store in September 2009, women's handbags were allocated to the Abercrombie & Fitch New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
flagship stores. Ruehl store closings began in October, while remaining stores were kept half-stocked with merchandise for the Christmas 2009 fashion season. Meanwhile, A&F's Ginza
Ginza
is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi.It is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. Ginza is recognized as one of the most...
flagship carried a collection of leather handbags upon opening on December 15. By late-December, all merchandise were marked on clearance for 50% off, all sales final, in store and online. The final sale later rose to 60%, and finally to 70% by mid-January 2010. A&F ceased processing web orders on January 22 (nearly two years after its launch). In early 2011, the website was taken offline completely with Ruehl.com now redirecting to the Abercrombie and Fitch website.
Marketing and its resulting performance
Ruehl marketing photography has a blue color schemeColor scheme
In color theory, a color scheme is the choice of colors used in design for a range of media. For example, the use of a white background with black text is an example of a basic and commonly default color scheme in web design....
and is more sophisticated than Abercrombie & Fitch. Noticeably, some imagery uses angles of Greenwich Village as a backdrop. Jeffries made it clear that sex in marketing was a continual importance in Ruehl advertising. For that reason, Bruce Weber
Bruce Weber (photographer)
Bruce Weber is an American fashion photographer and occasional filmmaker. He is most widely known for his ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Pirelli, Abercrombie & Fitch, Revlon, and Gianni Versace, as well as his work for Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Elle, Life, Interview, and Rolling Stone...
shot all campaigns. He is most noted for his provocative and sexual, beefcake
Beefcake
Beefcake is a term denoting the use of nude or semi-nude male bodies. It can refer to a genre or a person. It often is used to denote male sexual attractiveness stemming from physical build but the definition has expanded to include anyone interested in physical fitness, bodybuilding and weight...
work with Calvin Klein underwear and A&F. Photography from Ruehl's early days evolved from sepia and dark green color schemes before settling on blue. High-profile models have appeared in Ruehl marketing campaigns, including Miranda Kerr
Miranda Kerr
Miranda May Kerr is an Australian model. She is best known as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels since mid-2007. She is the first Australian to participate in the Victoria's Secret campaign and also represents Australian fashion chain David Jones...
and Kim Stolz
Kim Stolz
Kimberly Lynn "Kim" Stolz is a U.S. fashion model and television personality. Stolz is a correspondent for MTV News and serves as video jockey and host for The Freshmen, a series on mtvU. Stolz first came to fame as a contestant on Cycle 5 of America's Next Top Model, where she finished fifth place...
.
The brand has used the appropriate slogan, "Visit us in the Village." Its main marketing logo "Ruehl / No.925 / Greenwich Street / New York" has been revised and replaced with "Ruehl / No.925 / Greenwich St / New York, NY". It mimics as an actual address.
Marketing techniques used on Ruehl have not benefited revenue expectations for the brand. The average store generated sales of over $3.2 million USD in 2006. In comparison to Hollister's
Hollister Co.
Hollister Co., sometimes advertised as Hollister or HCo., 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...
outstanding popularity and sales by 2004 (four years after its opening), revenue from Ruehl by 2008 had not been satisfying.
The logo: Trubble
French Bulldog
The French bulldog is a small breed of domestic dog, related to the English bulldog and American bulldog.-History:The origin of the modern French Bulldog breed descends directly from the dogs of the Molossians, an ancient Greek tribe. The dogs were spread throughout the ancient world by Phoenician...
Trubble. He is the little "inquisitive" bulldog with a "steadfast demeanor" and "confident attitude" who walked into the Ruehl family shop in the mid-1850s - so states the fictional background to Ruehl. He was, as the fake literature continues, the family's first customer (to their surprise and delight). Subsequently, Trubble became the logo for the brand.
His name, "Trubble", is a play on the word "trouble." It signifies the trouble that Mike Jeffries and his development team underwent to create an appealing logo for Ruehl. Before deciding on Trubble, the company experimented with different designs on polos. The logos included: "R925"; an artistically cursive "R"; and "Ruehl / No.925". The bulldog from the Ruehl background was finally selected and named "Trubble" - a sort of counterpart to the Abercrombie
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, the flying Hollister Co.
Hollister Co.
Hollister Co., sometimes advertised as Hollister or HCo., 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...
seagull, and the Gilly Hicks
Gilly Hicks
Gilly Hicks is a lifestyle brand, from American company Abercrombie & Fitch, specializing in women's "knickers from casual to sexy, relaxed PJ's and beauty things." Marketed for the female consumers of its parent brand, Gilly Hicks is officially labeled as "the Cheeky cousin of Abercrombie &...
Koala. Trubble was embroidered on polos and silk-screened
Screen-printing
Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate...
on other merchandise.
Merchandise
Merchandise cycled in stores weekly and there were four main seasonal clothing rollouts: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Christmas seasons. In efforts to entice consumers, books, music, newspapers, and fresh flowers were also on sale. Merchandise was made only available in Ruehl stores and at the web site.The sophisticated Ezra Fitch Collection by Abercrombie & Fitch, released in 2004 and discontinued in 2006, shared similarity to Ruehl clothing.
Apparel
Ruehl No.925 clothing was more sophisticated than of what is expected at college-inspired Abercrombie & Fitch. It was described as "edgier versions of Polo Ralph LaurenPolo Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren Corporation is a luxury clothing and goods company of the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren specializes in high-end casual/semi-formal wear for men and women, as well as accessories, fragrances, home and housewares...
and J.Crew
J.Crew
J.Crew Group, Inc. is a multi-brand, multi-channel, specialty retailer. The company offers an assortment of women's, men's and children's apparel and accessories, including swimwear, outerwear, loungewear, wedding, bags, hair accessories, belts, jewelry, and shoes. As of January 30, 2010, it...
". Some Ruehl fashions could very well be "office-appropriate". Mike Jeffries however called Ruehl "100% casual." The price points at Ruehl were the highest in the family of Abercrombie & Fitch brands. This fact remained even after the drop in original price points. Nicknamed "A&F + $10" by original customers, there lingered a feel that the brand had been degraded from its high-end image by the drop in prices.
Clothing articles included tops (tees, shirts), bottoms (jeans, shorts), swim wear, accessories (flip flops, handbags), and underwear (men's only). Lace-and-velvet trimmed Lingerie
Lingerie
Lingerie are fashionable and possibly alluring undergarments.Lingerie usually incorporates one or more flexible, stretchy materials like Lycra, nylon , polyester, satin, lace, silk and sheer fabric which are not typically used in more functional, basic cotton undergarments.The term in the French...
and sleepwear were also previously offered to women (discontinued because of the Gilly Hicks
Gilly Hicks
Gilly Hicks is a lifestyle brand, from American company Abercrombie & Fitch, specializing in women's "knickers from casual to sexy, relaxed PJ's and beauty things." Marketed for the female consumers of its parent brand, Gilly Hicks is officially labeled as "the Cheeky cousin of Abercrombie &...
brand). Materials used for Ruehl apparel were of a much higher-grade (using heavier denim, cashmere for sweaters, and embossed leather) than in other A&F brands. Overall, Jeffries wanted Ruehl to be positioned as a "jeans expert", with RNY jeans dominating the assortment of apparel. Inside all jeans was the embroidery: Ruehl New York 10014
ZIP code prefixes
This is a list of ZIP code prefixes. This table lists 3-digit ZIP code prefixes, a set of which represents a United States Postal Service sectional center facility...
(the New York City zip code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
).
Fragrance and leather goods
For its fragrance collection, Ruehl carried Signature (both cologne and perfume) and R-4 perfume and R-7 cologne. Signature cologne was the representing scent of the brand and was sprayed at intervals throughout the day in-store. R-4 perfume and R-7 cologne were dropped from retail October 2009.Ruehl became the first in the chain of Abercrombie & Fitch brands to produce a genuine leather goods line for both men and women. Because of low purchasing rates, men's leather goods were discontinued (e.g. wallets and messenger bags). Women's bags, however, remained quite popular. Purse prices were at level with Coach prices for competition.
Ruehl Books
Ruehl No.925, in collaboration with its photographer Bruce Weber, produced what are called "Ruehl books." These are limited edition photography books. They encompass of photography inspired by the artistic and cultural heritage of Greenwich VillageGreenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
. The publications are similar to A&F Quarterly
A&F Quarterly
A&F Quarterly is an American lifestyle periodical by Abercrombie & Fitch. Targeted towards the college-aged youth , the Quarterly primarily serves as a promotional vehicle for the A&F brand...
, a racy magalog
Magalog
A magalog is a promotional copy of a magazine, usually in a 12-page catalog format. The name is a portmanteau of "magazine" and "catalog". Magalogs help introduce magazines to new readers. It can also help existing readers see new or upcoming changes, additions, or improvements to the magazine...
also produced by Weber.
Stores
Brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...
s. Artificial windows contained flower boxes, and a black awning on the 3rd facade read "RUEHL." Surrounding the facades were wrought iron fences. Resembling a home off of Greenwich Street, concrete walkways lined in front of the store, leading to the two entrances. Inside, the store was walled off into about more than ten rooms. Entering the main entrance, one entered the leather shop which contained high shelves of leather hand bags before treading down a large corridor, the gallery, which divided the men and women departments. The flooring was of dark wood. To emphasize a Greenwich home, the women's side of the store contained the rooms of a normal home. This included a family room surrounded by couches and chairs with Ruehl merchandise displayed. There was also a dimly-lit bedroom which could be led to the back of the women's side of the store containing one more room known as the mud room. The mud room was filled with women's apparel with a crystal chandelier hanging low from the ceiling. The men's side of the store contained a large room holding Ruehl denim across the wall. This room was located on the first floor and could be overseen from a bedroom containing a balcony. The men's side of the store had the secondary rooms of a Greenwich home. Men's merchandise were located in three bedrooms and overflowed into the Garage. At the end of the hallway separating the women's and men's side, was a divan surrounded with books and modern art - the room was known as the conservatory. Art and marketing photography were displayed as if in an art gallery. Merchandise was found on actual bookshelves and tables and highlighted with spot lighting and lamps. Located in the back corner of the store was the cashwrap, also known as the Garage, and was designed to have brick walls, dim/flickering lighting, and windows to represent the outside using intelligent lighting techniques. CDs were available for purchase and some stores had a burning fireplace
Fireplace
A fireplace is an architectural structure to contain a fire for heating and, especially historically, for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows gas and particulate exhaust to escape...
.
The atmosphere: The atmosphere was to make the shopper feel in a unique place, a "private home." The music mixed for the brand attempted to employ soft modern house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
/lounge
Lounge music
Lounge music is a retrospective description of music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a type of mood music meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place — a jungle, an island paradise, outer space, et cetera — other than where they are listening to it...
/downtempo
Downtempo
Downtempo is a laid-back electronic music style similar to ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike the beatless forms of Ambient music. The beat is sometimes made from loops that have a hypnotic feeling...
tunes with jazzy beats to personify the jazz-influenced musical heritage of the Village. The modern art displayed instore was nostalgic to modern artists living in the early-20th century Village. The dim lighting projected an upscale image, and so did the lingering opulent scent of Signature. In A&F's words, "The classic décor and opulent ambience create a luxurious lifestyle inside this romantically lit West Village brownstone."
Criticism
Kevin Ramstack (division manager of the Westfield Garden State PlazaWestfield Garden State Plaza
Westfield Garden State Plaza is an upscale shopping mall in Paramus, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and managed by the Westfield Group and located at the intersection of Route 4 and Route 17 near the Garden State Parkway...
store) revealed that new customers became overwhelmed over the number of rooms, "At first, they're shocked." The lack of typical mall windows also mislead shoppers' view of the brand. A 50-year-old-man (interviewed by the New York Times) who walked into a Ruehl brownstone found himself in what he called "the wrong place" among "skimply dressed teenagers and stacks of tee-shirts that read Friday is a casual sex day ." He later confessed that the problem was "you really had to guess what it was until you got in." Quite on the contrary, a 17-year-old and her friend stated that they enjoyed the experience of the brand and that "instead of being in the middle of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, we are on a street in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and that is where we want to be anyway -- living in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
."
Many retail executives disagree with the idea of no mall windows. Some agree that stores similar to Ruehl (like Martin + Osa
Martin + Osa
Martin + Osa was a brand concept developed by American Eagle Outfitters. The store's name and inspiration came from Martin and Osa Johnson, a husband and wife team who explored Africa and the South Pacific Islands, chronicling their travels in photographs and diaries.Martin + Osa targeted 21- to...
) with original and provocative storefronts attract curiosity to themselves against other mall merchants, and, thus, aid themselves economically. However, others contradict by stating that brands with storefronts as such are merely "shooting themselves in the foot when it comes to new customers who are so critical to a brand's success." However, with concern to Ruehl, Andrew McQuilkin (vice president of design at FRCH Design Worldwide) settles that "they [the storefronts] are sending a message early in the conversation [between consumer and store] that says you belong or you don't belong...The 17-year-old who wants to live in New York belongs. The 50-year-old suburban dad does not." Also, Kurt Barnard (president of Barnards Retail Consulting Group) stated that "the risk-taking behind Ruehl is not only a smart idea, it totally falls in line with the massive transformation of retail. Newness is needed. Abercrombie may have a hit upon a way to hold onto existing customers as they exit their teens."
Locations
Ruehl operated twenty-nine mall stores, one accessories store, and one outlet store. Locations included California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia. Mall locations took up store prototypes set up by corporate. The 600 sq ft (55.7 m²) accessories store was different, however, in that it only sold accessories, including handcrafted leather merchandise. It was located in West Village, New York City, New York at 370 Bleecker StreetBleecker Street
Bleecker Street is a street in New York City's Manhattan borough. It is perhaps most famous today as a Greenwich Village nightclub district. The street is a spine that connects a neighborhood today popular for music venues and comedy, but which was once a major center for American bohemia.Bleecker...
(on Bleecker between Charles and Perry).
Levi Strauss lawsuit
Levi Strauss & Co.Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came from Buttenheim, Franconia, to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business...
filed a lawsuit against Abercrombie & Fitch in July 2007 for trademark infringement
Trademark infringement
Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attaching to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees...
, alleging that Ruehl jeans and other products used Levi's trademarked pocket design of connected arches. A similar suit was filed against Polo Ralph Lauren
Polo Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren Corporation is a luxury clothing and goods company of the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren specializes in high-end casual/semi-formal wear for men and women, as well as accessories, fragrances, home and housewares...
.