I shopped here in middle school. I loved the layout and design of the store. It was the signature Abercrombie & Fitch/Hollister atmosphere- dim lighting, smelled of Cologne, had creative well thought out displays and cool music blasting. They were expensive, but the quality matched the price. You just don’t get this type of experience anymore at clothing stores. All the high end stores that remain no longer sell quality clothing. Fast fashion is now the only option. I noticed this change after the 2008 financial crisis. Nothing has been the same since.
I was a store manager for Abercrombie during that time period and I remember we are all excited about the new concept. But once I went into the store, I thought it was just over priced Abercrombie stuff haha
This is so random to do this store seems like no one knew about it; I loved it. I bought a sweatshirt from there for $125 (insane) I still wear it today, really high quality.
The quality of A&F ad Ruehl was the absolute best. Nothing even comes close today. All of my clothes from this time still look great. I'll forever compare what's out today to the standard that A&F set. I wish they still made their tread flip-flops...the hoodies were untouchable.. the leather accessories... It's impossible to find quality like that even with paying the $$$.
Thi store was ahead of its time cause now that’s what a lot of stores aspire to be. What’s sad is that there are more Women’s stores like this and less Mens stores like this I wish there was more Mens store like this
Ex Ruehl MGR (Tysons VA) I had the privilege of being close to the Annapolis MD location where I would help out. The MD store was only 1 level and easier to maintain. Tysons was a BEAST almost 10,500sqft. We took our jobs serious. Visit from VM and Corp almost every other week. ALWAYS opening up freight from impact, installing new floor plans and re presenting color stories. It was very fast paced! but loved every minute of it !!
Hey there! I worked at Ruehl back in 2008 until the end of 2009 when they shut down our store. I wish this would come back. The fact it was a branch off A&F was enough for me to have loved it. The models they had in their store were very intimidating to a lot of customers who walked in with major insecurities. I felt that.
Through a little bit of research, I found that A&F is still the owner of the "Ruehl" trademark, renewed as recently as 2019 under "fragrances and beauty products". Do you think A&F would ever release another "Ruehl" branded product?
Doubtful. This is a common practice for businesses when it comes to defunct secondary brands, product lines and intellectual property. I used to look into this a lot when other brands I followed did this but it really isn’t fruitful or optimistic from what I’ve seen.
I bought a jacket from Ruehl (Village jacket) many years ago when I was probably 22. I still remember that store. Really neat and interesting concept. I spent something like $250 on the jacket which was like a fortune to me at the time. However I still have it and wear it to this day. I work it to work today in fact. It's extremely durable and does not look "dated" at all. It's still like-new though the green color has faded a bit over the years. Very heavy duty and warm. I was blown away when they went out of business so rapidly. I can see why though. I can attest to their jackets at least being top tier for the price range.
I liked shopping at Ruehl and was sorry to see the stores closed. I'd have to say the lack of advertising hurt its success and some of the product designs were questionable (graphic tees which one associates with a teen store). The lack of signage in front of the store was a +/- depending on how you look at it. The "mystery" of the brownstone look is what drew me in, so it worked for me.
I miss this store in Tampa. Loved the design and the quality of their jeans and shirts. It was a shame when that store was destroyed. Such a cool and bold look. I agree there wasn’t enough differentiation. Felt it was designed to be an evolution however didn’t transcend enough. I still own Rhuel clothing and the quality is different in a good way. RIP.
I think the store would be successful today with some changes in store design, clothing style, and store locations. There's enough young, high-earning professionals who don't know what to spend their money on.
This was on my feed, in for a treat. Great job - learned a lot. Hollister and A&F need a lot of work as I really want to change the Brand back to our Iconic Sig Image with everything (like maybe now they are making Social Tourist etc…, just want to Save Image making Hollister & A&F with like online stuff now, just blend adults good looking adults into style as seems more for kids now). Surprised they just didn’t do that as Michael Jeffries Best Coolest CEO of All Time literally wore The Brand/Clothes so just make it for adults too as I want to do likewise as not into fashion etc… and just love/made for The Brand. Really good video, thank you - Room 2 Models. I want to if we can get back to The Old-School Real High-End stuff, make videos directing new people what to do to be in-store models and if they want irl Brand Models (how to act, what to expect, what to be & what to do or clean-cut everywhere, lifestyle into/for Brand not Brand lifestyle, how managers are thinking just getting stuff done, etc… - I am made/built for The Brand Hollister particularly). You said you are gay in a video, I know people are born gay a lot of friends of mine, I am a disciple and very Spirit-Driven - I loved ‘the gay undertone nightclub soundtrack’ blasting it (Mike Jeffries is an analytic and creative genius in 1 - Best Brand Ever Created; want to permanently have that old-school-style aging really well).
I visited a Ruehl store in New Jersey Garden State Plaza, maybe in late 2008. I got some shorts and a shirt there. It was a quirky shopping experience, I was the only customer in the store, perhaps foreboding the closure that was to happen shortly thereafter.
Great video and always cool to see some ruehl stuff. Maybe i dont understand what you mean, but Ruehl was incredibly high quality. The fabrics and details may be unparalleled.
Till this day I’m very saddened such great concept failed due to A&F’s poor marketing choices. I didn’t have the pleasure to actually see the store in person though I was able to purchase a few items online, their signature cologne which I still own is exceptional.
Had little to do with poor marketing choices, everything to do with the great recession. The brand wasn't super profitable, but the great recession is what truly killed it, (along with AE's similar upscale attempt Martin and Osa).
@@Slickmickyoyo97 The brand was alive for like 7 years and no one knew it even existed…I’m sorry but that’s called having 0% exposure to consumers outside of A&F fans.
This was my favorite store in 10th and 11th grade before it closed. I still have a little bit of the cologne left. But I agree, if the target audience was young adults in college/post-college they failed. When I shopped here it was to feel cooler than my friends who were shopping at Hollister and A&F (or even AE or Aeropostale) yet the clothes, with some exceptions, weren't radically different. I am sure current age me wouldn't be that interested in what Ruehl had to offer (except that cologne!)
There was a store in the Domain in Austin Texas and my overall impression of Ruehl was confused. The clothing items were displayed as if they had a certain cache but, in examining the clothes IMO, they were expensive T-shirts with a few nice coats and leather bags for women. The items were high on shelves that were unreachable so if a customer were interested they would had to chase down a Salesrep in a maze of a confusing store layout. The one thing I really liked was the Ruehl 925 Men's Cologne. That scent was unique and to this day have not found a contemporary equal.
I worked at Riehl for over 2 years. AFAIK we were the first on the west coast and started to work before the store opened. Our bosses were anal about the presentation of exact folds to how far to space clothing...they had tape measures. It was really fun for most of us and had parties on weekends. They did sell real fur accessories and I think nice jewelry for a little while at the start. It was right out in front center when you first walked in. But on new years eve 2007 store caught fire from some sweaters being to close to the lights. Afterwards they brought new wood from the not yet open Las Vegas store. I moved before it was finished but in-between i got sweet sweet deals on leather jackets, and other items. Some i have to this day. I'll add alot of Asian tourists would buy $1ks at a time to resell. Might have been the biggest spenders after my 2nd year.
@@WillKalili I worked at fashion valley mall in San Diego. I thought we were doing well and remember either at the end of each day or each week we would see how well we did vs A&F. I can't remember why a district manager was sent to us or how long she was there, maybe she was trying to help make more income for the stores. It's hard to think of how they could've been more successful without redoing the idea of walking into a Greenwich village apartment or rebranding the name that stuck more. I'd tell people at my university where I worked and after a while I'd just say the brick building at fashion. Idk if you mentioned the bulldog was the mascot. Maybe it would have helped if we got a better one. If our store got beighter so people would see the inside better, my guess is the people up top would see it as too similar as A&F even though it still was pretty much. At least in San Diego the preppy look was first starting to die down at the same time the recession hit.
I was a manager for A&F for years back in the early 2000s. Never had one of those pop up in the south around me. Would have loved to see it though. But deff agree it seemed like it was just the same concept. But with a higher price tag.
I only ever experienced the Ruehl store that opened in San Antonio for a short bit. I appreciated the exterior but everything else was way too similar to the other anf brands. Thanks for commenting! -W
@@WillKalili was the store at la cantata? I remember la cantera had hilly hicks, but don’t recall a ruehl. There was one in Austin tx at the domain for a short time. That’s the one I shopped at!
@@Ducedimelove there was one of the smaller versions of Ruehl located at La Cantera where the Sur La Table is now located. It opened in 2008 but closed early in 2010 along with all the others. You can find pictures of it by Googling "ruehl la cantera"
Shopped a few times. Loved the concept, I just wished apparel was more like Ralph Lauren (old school) style, I agree that towards the end I didn’t see any difference Ruehl vs. A&F.
I agree. It makes me wonder why Ruehl didn't seek to compete directly with Ralph Lauren. RL is a force to be reckoned with but it may have been worth a shot.
I briefly worked for the company back in 2007. It was a fun part time job while in college. Very easy going. But had they gotten the concept and target customer right” they may have had a chance of survival.
I worked here and opened two stores for them. The store was really cool and fun to work in. Customers were always confused by it tho they thought it was a furniture store lol
@NicholasAlexanders-j3m I'm always looking on ebay for old Ruehl store furniture but can never find any 😭 From what I heard, a lot of it was auctioned off when the stores closed
Hey Will, I really enjoyed hearing your analysis. Indeed, I agree the store was extremely attractive to teenagers because of its similarity to the younger versions A&F and Hollister, and Ruehl simply did not differentiate itself enough in its branding, except in its price. I remember the name actually inspired my first email account and current website (fashionarticlespace.com). The 9-to-5 concept always stuck with me... it was a great marketing trick for young professionals. The takeaway of this case to me is just how wild the early 2000s were: the rise of fast fashion, the influence of house music, social changes, and the role identity played in our decision making before the era of social media and smartphones. I think this is a topic of great interest as we go into the 20s.
Hey Kevin. Thanks for the comment! I think the bones of the Ruehl concept had the potential to make a comeback in an updated kind of way. I don't think it will actually happen, but it's cool to think about. Shinola (the watch brand) gives me similar Ruehl vibes. They had a store at The Grove in Los Angeles for awhile but it closed before the pandemic hit.
I shopped here in middle school. I loved the layout and design of the store. It was the signature Abercrombie & Fitch/Hollister atmosphere- dim lighting, smelled of Cologne, had creative well thought out displays and cool music blasting. They were expensive, but the quality matched the price. You just don’t get this type of experience anymore at clothing stores. All the high end stores that remain no longer sell quality clothing. Fast fashion is now the only option. I noticed this change after the 2008 financial crisis. Nothing has been the same since.
I was a store manager for Abercrombie during that time period and I remember we are all excited about the new concept. But once I went into the store, I thought it was just over priced Abercrombie stuff haha
This is so random to do this store seems like no one knew about it; I loved it. I bought a sweatshirt from there for $125 (insane) I still wear it today, really high quality.
The quality of A&F ad Ruehl was the absolute best. Nothing even comes close today. All of my clothes from this time still look great. I'll forever compare what's out today to the standard that A&F set. I wish they still made their tread flip-flops...the hoodies were untouchable.. the leather accessories... It's impossible to find quality like that even with paying the $$$.
LOVED THIS STORE!!!! Sad when it left. Wish I still had the perfume…. It was Amazing. 🔥✌🏼💛
Thi store was ahead of its time cause now that’s what a lot of stores aspire to be. What’s sad is that there are more Women’s stores like this and less Mens stores like this I wish there was more Mens store like this
Ex Ruehl MGR (Tysons VA) I had the privilege of being close to the Annapolis MD location where I would help out. The MD store was only 1 level and easier to maintain. Tysons was a BEAST almost 10,500sqft. We took our jobs serious. Visit from VM and Corp almost every other week. ALWAYS opening up freight from impact, installing new floor plans and re presenting color stories. It was very fast paced! but loved every minute of it !!
Hey there! I worked at Ruehl back in 2008 until the end of 2009 when they shut down our store. I wish this would come back. The fact it was a branch off A&F was enough for me to have loved it. The models they had in their store were very intimidating to a lot of customers who walked in with major insecurities. I felt that.
I'm glad this video is reaching people who used to work and shop at Ruehl. Thank you for your comment!
I really liked this store & one of my favorite shirts was from their store
Through a little bit of research, I found that A&F is still the owner of the "Ruehl" trademark, renewed as recently as 2019 under "fragrances and beauty products". Do you think A&F would ever release another "Ruehl" branded product?
Doubtful. This is a common practice for businesses when it comes to defunct secondary brands, product lines and intellectual property. I used to look into this a lot when other brands I followed did this but it really isn’t fruitful or optimistic from what I’ve seen.
I bought a jacket from Ruehl (Village jacket) many years ago when I was probably 22. I still remember that store. Really neat and interesting concept. I spent something like $250 on the jacket which was like a fortune to me at the time. However I still have it and wear it to this day. I work it to work today in fact. It's extremely durable and does not look "dated" at all. It's still like-new though the green color has faded a bit over the years. Very heavy duty and warm. I was blown away when they went out of business so rapidly. I can see why though. I can attest to their jackets at least being top tier for the price range.
They don't make clothes like they used to. That's for sure.
@@WillKalili Indeed, Abercrombie included. Much more generic and fast-fashion..that's why I love EBay and Poshmark!
I miss this store. Such a beautiful concept but they should have had their online store available sooner
I sometimes find these clothes on eBay ❤great store, shame they closed
I liked shopping at Ruehl and was sorry to see the stores closed. I'd have to say the lack of advertising hurt its success and some of the product designs were questionable (graphic tees which one associates with a teen store). The lack of signage in front of the store was a +/- depending on how you look at it. The "mystery" of the brownstone look is what drew me in, so it worked for me.
Ruehl was amazing!!! It was like Ezra Fitch finally had its own line.
I miss this store in Tampa. Loved the design and the quality of their jeans and shirts. It was a shame when that store was destroyed. Such a cool and bold look. I agree there wasn’t enough differentiation. Felt it was designed to be an evolution however didn’t transcend enough. I still own Rhuel clothing and the quality is different in a good way. RIP.
I think the store would be successful today with some changes in store design, clothing style, and store locations. There's enough young, high-earning professionals who don't know what to spend their money on.
Ruehl was one of my fav stores to shop at, so many great memories.
This was on my feed, in for a treat. Great job - learned a lot. Hollister and A&F need a lot of work as I really want to change the Brand back to our Iconic Sig Image with everything (like maybe now they are making Social Tourist etc…, just want to Save Image making Hollister & A&F with like online stuff now, just blend adults good looking adults into style as seems more for kids now). Surprised they just didn’t do that as Michael Jeffries Best Coolest CEO of All Time literally wore The Brand/Clothes so just make it for adults too as I want to do likewise as not into fashion etc… and just love/made for The Brand. Really good video, thank you - Room 2 Models. I want to if we can get back to The Old-School Real High-End stuff, make videos directing new people what to do to be in-store models and if they want irl Brand Models (how to act, what to expect, what to be & what to do or clean-cut everywhere, lifestyle into/for Brand not Brand lifestyle, how managers are thinking just getting stuff done, etc… - I am made/built for The Brand Hollister particularly).
You said you are gay in a video, I know people are born gay a lot of friends of mine, I am a disciple and very Spirit-Driven - I loved ‘the gay undertone nightclub soundtrack’ blasting it (Mike Jeffries is an analytic and creative genius in 1 - Best Brand Ever Created; want to permanently have that old-school-style aging really well).
Great content. Just subscribed. I miss going to Ruehl. I still wear some of there clothes. I’m trying to find more to buy.
I visited a Ruehl store in New Jersey Garden State Plaza, maybe in late 2008. I got some shorts and a shirt there. It was a quirky shopping experience, I was the only customer in the store, perhaps foreboding the closure that was to happen shortly thereafter.
Great video and always cool to see some ruehl stuff. Maybe i dont understand what you mean, but Ruehl was incredibly high quality. The fabrics and details may be unparalleled.
Till this day I’m very saddened such great concept failed due to A&F’s poor marketing choices. I didn’t have the pleasure to actually see the store in person though I was able to purchase a few items online, their signature cologne which I still own is exceptional.
Had little to do with poor marketing choices, everything to do with the great recession. The brand wasn't super profitable, but the great recession is what truly killed it, (along with AE's similar upscale attempt Martin and Osa).
@@Slickmickyoyo97 The brand was alive for like 7 years and no one knew it even existed…I’m sorry but that’s called having 0% exposure to consumers outside of A&F fans.
This was my favorite store in 10th and 11th grade before it closed. I still have a little bit of the cologne left. But I agree, if the target audience was young adults in college/post-college they failed. When I shopped here it was to feel cooler than my friends who were shopping at Hollister and A&F (or even AE or Aeropostale) yet the clothes, with some exceptions, weren't radically different. I am sure current age me wouldn't be that interested in what Ruehl had to offer (except that cologne!)
I still have a bit left too hehe
There was a store in the Domain in Austin Texas and my overall impression of Ruehl was confused. The clothing items were displayed as if they had a certain cache but, in examining the clothes IMO, they were expensive T-shirts with a few nice coats and leather bags for women. The items were high on shelves that were unreachable so if a customer were interested they would had to chase down a Salesrep in a maze of a confusing store layout. The one thing I really liked was the Ruehl 925 Men's Cologne. That scent was unique and to this day have not found a contemporary equal.
I worked at Riehl for over 2 years. AFAIK we were the first on the west coast and started to work before the store opened. Our bosses were anal about the presentation of exact folds to how far to space clothing...they had tape measures. It was really fun for most of us and had parties on weekends.
They did sell real fur accessories and I think nice jewelry for a little while at the start. It was right out in front center when you first walked in.
But on new years eve 2007 store caught fire from some sweaters being to close to the lights. Afterwards they brought new wood from the not yet open Las Vegas store. I moved before it was finished but in-between i got sweet sweet deals on leather jackets, and other items. Some i have to this day.
I'll add alot of Asian tourists would buy $1ks at a time to resell. Might have been the biggest spenders after my 2nd year.
What mall did you work in a day what advice would you give management to make the store more successful?
@@WillKalili I worked at fashion valley mall in San Diego. I thought we were doing well and remember either at the end of each day or each week we would see how well we did vs A&F. I can't remember why a district manager was sent to us or how long she was there, maybe she was trying to help make more income for the stores. It's hard to think of how they could've been more successful without redoing the idea of walking into a Greenwich village apartment or rebranding the name that stuck more. I'd tell people at my university where I worked and after a while I'd just say the brick building at fashion. Idk if you mentioned the bulldog was the mascot. Maybe it would have helped if we got a better one. If our store got beighter so people would see the inside better, my guess is the people up top would see it as too similar as A&F even though it still was pretty much. At least in San Diego the preppy look was first starting to die down at the same time the recession hit.
The 12 Oaks location in Novi was incredible.
I was a manager for A&F for years back in the early 2000s. Never had one of those pop up in the south around me. Would have loved to see it though. But deff agree it seemed like it was just the same concept. But with a higher price tag.
I only ever experienced the Ruehl store that opened in San Antonio for a short bit. I appreciated the exterior but everything else was way too similar to the other anf brands.
Thanks for commenting! -W
@@WillKalili was the store at la cantata? I remember la cantera had hilly hicks, but don’t recall a ruehl. There was one in Austin tx at the domain for a short time. That’s the one I shopped at!
@@Ducedimelove there was one of the smaller versions of Ruehl located at La Cantera where the Sur La Table is now located. It opened in 2008 but closed early in 2010 along with all the others. You can find pictures of it by Googling "ruehl la cantera"
Shopped a few times. Loved the concept, I just wished apparel was more like Ralph Lauren (old school) style, I agree that towards the end I didn’t see any difference Ruehl vs. A&F.
I agree. It makes me wonder why Ruehl didn't seek to compete directly with Ralph Lauren. RL is a force to be reckoned with but it may have been worth a shot.
I briefly worked for the company back in 2007. It was a fun part time job while in college. Very easy going. But had they gotten the concept and target customer right” they may have had a chance of survival.
I worked here and opened two stores for them. The store was really cool and fun to work in. Customers were always confused by it tho they thought it was a furniture store lol
@NicholasAlexanders-j3m I'm always looking on ebay for old Ruehl store furniture but can never find any 😭 From what I heard, a lot of it was auctioned off when the stores closed
Did you ever shop at Ruehl or walk past one of these stores?
This brand had a lot of potential that was wasted. I worked for Ruehl back in the day and thought the concept was cool but not executed properly.
I still have a lots sweatpants from Ruehl 😆. I cant believe how low rise it is now that Im in my late 30s.
Everyone's crack was showing during those days lmao
Hey Will, I really enjoyed hearing your analysis. Indeed, I agree the store was extremely attractive to teenagers because of its similarity to the younger versions A&F and Hollister, and Ruehl simply did not differentiate itself enough in its branding, except in its price. I remember the name actually inspired my first email account and current website (fashionarticlespace.com). The 9-to-5 concept always stuck with me... it was a great marketing trick for young professionals. The takeaway of this case to me is just how wild the early 2000s were: the rise of fast fashion, the influence of house music, social changes, and the role identity played in our decision making before the era of social media and smartphones. I think this is a topic of great interest as we go into the 20s.
Hey Kevin. Thanks for the comment! I think the bones of the Ruehl concept had the potential to make a comeback in an updated kind of way. I don't think it will actually happen, but it's cool to think about. Shinola (the watch brand) gives me similar Ruehl vibes. They had a store at The Grove in Los Angeles for awhile but it closed before the pandemic hit.