A&F's New Strategy Might Help It Catch A Break

Upscale teen apparel seller Abercrombie & Fitch has been in the news a lot this year, but not in a good way. As the retailer struggled to hold onto its core customers, it was forced to close some newer concepts.

Meanwhile, certain analysts came to the conclusion the chain was over-hyped based on one year of stellar sales at the height of the market and others beat up on A&F's management for refusing to cut prices even as consumers became sharply focused on value.

Now, however, industry sources are lauding A&F's plan to offer cheaper merchandise by negotiating lower prices with manufacturers. This gives analysts hope the chain will finally break its widely touted image as the place hawking over-priced t-shirts and scantily clad models.