The Rise and Fall of Hollister: What Led to the Decline of the Iconic 2000s Brand?

The Rise and Fall of Hollister 8578

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Hollister was one of the most popular clothing brands among teenagers and young adults. Known for its laidback SoCal vibe and sexy aesthetic, Hollister dominated malls across America. But today, the once trendy brand is a shell of its former self. What went wrong for Hollister 8578?

The Height of the Hollister Era

Hollister was founded in 2000 as a subsidiary of Abercrombie & Fitch. It was marketed as a cooler, California-inspired version of its parent company. Hollister stores were designed to mimic surf shacks with shuttered windows, worn hardwood floors, and lifeguard chairs. The clothes echoed this aesthetic with ripped jeans, graphic tees, and hoodies in sun-faded colors. For teenage girls, wearing a shirt with the iconic Hollister seagull logo was a status symbol and signal of coolness.

By the mid-2000s, Hollister was popping up in malls everywhere. Long lines of teens waited outside to get into the dimly lit stores with shirtless male models greeting them. Hollister's sales grew rapidly, reaching $700 million by 2006. Market research firm NPD Group declared it the third most popular apparel brand among 12-24 year olds, behind only Nike and Abercrombie.

Criticisms of the Hollister Brand

But not everyone was a fan of Hollister. Many criticized the highly sexualized marketing which seemed to target teenagers. Store playlists included songs with explicit lyrics about sex and alcohol. And the shirtless models in their boardshorts were seen as promoting unrealistic and unhealthy body image ideals to impressionable youth.

Parents and education advocates also blasted the brand for promoting the reckless and irresponsible teen lifestyle stereotyped in movies and TV shows about high school. Having semi-nude models greeting minors in the store was concerning. And the dark stores with shuttered windows seemed designed to hide the overtly sexual atmosphere from outside view.

There were also criticisms about lack of diversity in Hollister's branding and advertising. The models and lifestyle imagery centered almost exclusively around thin, white, able-bodied, stereotypically attractive teens. There was little representation of people of color, full-figured body types, or people with disabilities.

The Decline of Hollister

By the late 2000s, the tide had started to turn on Hollister. The sexy surfer image that had catapulted it to popularity felt played out. Teens were moving on to new brands and trends. And the controversies around Hollister's marketing and lack of diversity had tarnished its cool factor.

The 2008 recession dealt a blow to discretionary spending on trendy clothing. Hollister's sales declined along with the rest of the Abercrombie & Fitch brand portfolio. Between 2008-2014, Abercrombie stock price fell by half as all its brands struggled.

In a desperate bid to stay relevant, Hollister made merchandising missteps like trying to sell luggage and home goods. It strayed from its original beachy DNA in pursuit of new customers. But the new products were panned for low quality and unoriginal style. Hollister stores began feeling empty and outdated compared to trendy fast fashion competitors like H&M and Zara.

Hollister Today: A Fading Brand

Walk into a Hollister store today and you'll see a brand still trading on nostalgia but fading in relevancy. The shuttered windows and shirtless models remain along with the SoCal imagery and scents pumped into the stores. But there are often more employees than customers roaming the quiet stores.

Hollister remains anchored in malls, but mall traffic has stagnated as online shopping grows. The brand still brings in hundreds of millions in sales each year, but it's a fraction of its mid-2000s heyday. And it faces increasing competition from e-commerce brands using social media marketing to target youth.

In many ways, Hollister is still coasting on brand nostalgia from millennials who grew up wearing it in the early 2000s. But today's teens have new status brands like VSCO girls and e-boys. For Gen Z, Hollister often represents an outdated, overly commercialized aesthetic and era.

Hollister's fall from the heights of popularity reflects the fickleness of teen fashion trends. Brands that capture the adolescent zeitgeist often struggle to adapt when that moment passes. Hollister built an empire on SoCal cool, but its decline shows the dangers of relying on a manufactured image that can go out of style.

FAQs

When was Hollister founded?

Hollister was founded in 2000 as a subsidiary of Abercrombie & Fitch. It was established to be a California-inspired version of Abercrombie with a beachy, laidback vibe.

What criticisms did Hollister face?

Hollister was criticized for its highly sexualized marketing towards teens, promoting unrealistic body ideals, and lack of diversity in its branding. Parents and advocates argued it promoted reckless teen stereotypes.

Why did Hollister struggle after 2008?

The 2008 recession hurt sales of trendy discretionary clothing brands like Hollister. Competition from fast fashion brands also ate into its market share. Hollister made some merchandising missteps in trying to stay relevant.

Is Hollister still popular today?

Hollister still exists but is fading in relevancy. It relies heavily on millennial nostalgia but has struggled to resonate with Gen Z. Sales have declined significantly from its mid-2000s peak.

Who were Hollister's main competitors?

In the 2000s, Hollister competed with similar teen mall brands like Aeropostale and American Eagle. Today it competes with fast fashion brands like H&M and Zara and trendy online brands popular with youth.