Hollister
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. · United States
Hollister is an American casual clothing brand for teenagers, launched by Abercrombie & Fitch Co. in 2000 with a Southern California surf inspired image. It is run from the group's headquarters in New Albany, Ohio, and is sold through stores and online in many countries.
| Launched | 2000 |
|---|---|
| Owner | Abercrombie & Fitch Co. |
| Headquarters | New Albany, Ohio, United States |
| First store | Easton Town Center, Columbus, Ohio |
| Target | Teenagers |
| Website | hollisterco.com |
What is Hollister?
Hollister Co. is a teen focused clothing brand owned by Abercrombie & Fitch Co. It sells casual clothing, denim, swimwear and accessories with a laid back Southern California image, and it is the group's main brand for younger customers. The brand is managed from the A&F campus in New Albany, Ohio.
History
Abercrombie & Fitch launched Hollister in 2000, opening the first store on 27 July 2000 at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio. The company gave the brand a fictional backstory in which a John Hollister founded the business in California in 1922, which the press has since described as invented branding. Hollister expanded to Canada in 2006 and to the United Kingdom in 2008, its first market outside North America, followed by Italy, Germany, China, Japan, Spain, Ireland and South Korea. A SoHo flagship in New York opened in 2009 and closed in 2019.
Products and positioning
A&F has said the brand is not aimed at the core surfing market but at a surf inspired lifestyle. The range includes:
- Jeans and casual tops
- Hoodies, fleece and outerwear
- Swimwear and summer wear
- Gilly Hicks intimates, loungewear and activewear
- Licensed capsules, such as a Taco Bell collection launched in December 2025
Gilly Hicks, originally a standalone A&F brand, is now sold mainly within Hollister stores and online.
Business model and distribution
Hollister is sold through its own stores and e-commerce. Wikipedia lists around 540 Hollister locations worldwide. The brand shares A&F Co.'s design, sourcing, distribution centres and digital platforms, and its parent reported group revenue of 5.27 billion US dollars for 2025 across all brands.
Why it matters
Hollister is one of the best known mall brands for teenagers in the United States and Europe. It shows how a parent company can create a lower priced, younger sister brand with a carefully constructed identity and use it to reach a new generation of customers.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Hollister?
Hollister is owned by Abercrombie & Fitch Co., the US apparel company based in New Albany, Ohio. It was launched by A&F in 2000 as a brand for teenagers.
Is Hollister really from California?
No. Despite its Southern California image and a fictional story about a founding in 1922, Hollister was created by Abercrombie & Fitch in Ohio in 2000.