U.S. clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) has begun selling third-party shoes as part of its growth strategy.
Specifically, the Ohio-based company has added outside footwear brands such as Puma and Sperry to its offerings as it looks to new categories to grow its sales.
Abercrombie & Fitch is selling shoe brands made by Sperry, Puma, Frye, Hunter and GH Bass, which include items such as deck shoes and rain boots.
To start, Abercrombie & Fitch is only selling the shoe brands at its 10,000-square-foot flagship store in New York City.
If sales are strong in New York, the company plans to begin selling the shoe brands at other store locations and online, although some Puma and Sperry footwear are now available on the company’s website.
Management at Abercrombie have said that third-party brands are important for attracting and retaining customers and encouraging them to spend more money.
The move into third-party brands is a departure for the 134-year-old retailer, which has long sold only its own products at its store locations.
ANF stock has declined 28% this year to trade at $89.06 U.S. per share.
