Until recently, Abercrombie & Fitch (a retail apparel chain with roots back to 1892), was on a strong roll — particularly among teens and young adults. This was due to its modern styles and risque ads. But over the last few years, the firm has been in real trouble. So, how did a retailing superstar fall so far so fast? And what is it doing to turn things around?

As Mallory Schlossberg writes for Business Insider:

“It’s not really a secret at this point: Consumers don’t like Abercrombie & Fitch. A recent report from the American Consumer Satisfaction Index said the brand was the lowest-rated specialty retailer. Inc. called it ‘the most hated retailer in America.’ Fortune did, too.”

“But that might all be changing. Abercrombie & Fitch has been in the midst of a transformation, and the retailer’s Web site shows an improvement. Abercrombie & Fitch showed a strong fall selection that nearly rendered the brand unrecognizable, but it takes consistency to help consumers change their minds — especially with a retailer like Abercrombie & Fitch, which may have its notorious reputation burned into consumers’ memories.”

Click here to read more from Schlossberg.

And click on the image for a slideshow of Abercrombie’s new strategy of “focusing on more classic, grown-up looks.”