Abercrombie & Fitch closed its Ruehl No.925 brand in 2010.
Ruehl No.925 was created as Abercrombie & Fitch’s upscale concept for post-college shoppers, generally targeting consumers in their 20s and 30s. It launched in September 2004 and was styled after New York City’s Greenwich Village. Stores were designed to resemble Manhattan townhouses, with rooms arranged like parts of a home rather than a conventional open retail floor.
The brand sold apparel, leather goods, and luxury accessories, and used a French bulldog named Trubble as its signature emblem. Its positioning was more expensive and mature than Abercrombie’s main line, but the concept struggled financially during the late-2000s recession and changing consumer tastes.
Abercrombie announced in June 2009 that it would cease Ruehl operations. The ruehl.com website shut down on January 22, 2010, and the remaining stores closed by the end of that month. Thus, 2009 was the announcement year, while 2010 was the actual closure year—the distinction behind many incorrect answers.