????盡管American Apparel與創(chuàng)始人兼前任首席執(zhí)行官多夫?查尼之間的糾葛仍在繼續(xù)，但該公司已經制定了一張路線圖，力圖成為一個銷售額達到10億美元的品牌：大量減少性暗示元素，推出質量更高的產品。

????這家時裝零售商在去年解雇了查尼，并指控他和多位員工關系曖昧，管理不善等，該公司營收在2014年下跌4%，至6.09億美元。（除去開新店和關店的影響，營收其實下跌了6%。）

????作為這家零售商最大的股東，對沖基金Standard General為公司引入了新的高層領導團隊，其成員包括今年1月履新的首席執(zhí)行官寶拉?施耐德。新領導層大肆抨擊查尼，指責他推出的產品種類過多，使用了臭名昭著的低俗廣告，財務業(yè)績極為糟糕。American Apparel設定了中期目標：銷售額達到7億至7.5億美元，最終達到10億美元。

????在上周一次面向投資者的介紹會中，該公司管理層聲稱American Apparel是“一個具有社會意識的標志性品牌”。為了達到上述銷售目標，公司計劃在廣告中去除性暗示元素，轉而推出更加精致的宣傳活動，并減少產品類別，進軍尚未開發(fā)的市場以降低對已飽和市場的依賴，比如紐約和洛杉磯等大城市。American Apparel還打算將用戶群體擴展至60歲人群。

????在報告中，American Apparel表示公司計劃“重鑄這一品牌，宣揚其積極、包容、具有社會意識的一面”。這意味著該公司將摒棄American Apparel多年來“惹怒許多人”的標志性特征——“裸露和公然的性挑逗”。新品牌面向“16至60歲之間自信美麗的人士”，且適合“各個種族”。

????American Apparel還在規(guī)劃其他微小卻意義深遠的變革。其中之一就是招募更多的設計人才，以提高產品的合身程度和外觀。公司打算將產品種類減少30%，以獲得更大的收益，避免在失敗的產品上浪費資金。

????American Apparel明確表示，該公司有能力在運營方面做出大量改善：管理層希望在公司建立即時需求和預測團隊（這是一切大型零售商的核心部門），并減少產品進入市場的時間（想要與動作迅速的時尚連鎖店H&M等競爭，這一點至關重要）。

????店面也將有很大的變化。American Apparel在全球有242家店面，但相當大一部分都在紐約或洛杉磯，許多其他城市卻只有一家店面，公司認為這是不夠的。管理層準備在開發(fā)市場時進行周全的考慮：城市人口須在40萬以上，新店銷售額須在120萬美元以上。管理層還希望店內變得更加整潔。

????在多年的狗血劇和糟糕的表現(xiàn)（自2009年起再未盈利過）之后，公司的新任務是“成為一個財力雄厚、具有社會意識的標志性品牌，向消費者提供優(yōu)質美國產品，并推動股東利益最大化?！边@可真是一個雄心勃勃的崇高計劃。（財富中文網）

????譯者：嚴匡正

????審校：任文科

????Even as it continues to wage battle with its founder and former CEO DovCharney, American Apparel has laid out a road map to grow to become a $1 billion brand: a lot less sexual innuendo, and far better merchandise.

????The fashion retailer fired Charney last year and has accused him of, among other things, misconduct with employees and mismanaging the company, which saw revenue fall 4% to $609 million in 2014. (When stripping out the effect of new stores or closed stores, the drop was 6%.)

????Hedge fund Standard General, which is the retailer’s largest shareholder, has brought in a new senior leadership team, including CEO Paula Schneider, who took the helm in January. The new executives have slammed Charney for offering too many different products, his infamously racy ads, and terrible financial performance. American Apparel’s medium term goal is to get sales to $700-$750 million, and eventually, up to $1 billion.

????To get there, American Apparel, which management called “a socially conscious, iconic brand” in a presentation sent this week to investors, is planning to de-sex its ads in favor of more sophisticated campaigns, pare the size of its assortments, and expand in untapped markets so it relies less on cities like New York or L.A. where it’s at saturation. It’s also going for a broader clientele, all the way up to age 60.

????In its filing, American Apparel said it plans to “recast the brand in a positive, inclusive, socially conscious light.” That means ditching the “nudity and blatant sexual innuendo” that was its hallmark for years but that was “offensive to many.” The new incarnation of the brand is targeted at the “confident and naturally beautiful from 16 — 60,” and aims to be “racially universal.”

????But American Apparel is planning other profound though subtle changes. For one thing, it plans to hire more and new design talent to improve the fit and look of the merchandise. It plans to reduce the variety of items it sells by 30% to get more bang for its buck, and not lose money on products that flop.

????The company made it clear how much improvement it thinks it can wring out of American Apparel’s operations: management wants to build the company’s first demand planning and forecasting team (a mainstay at any major retailer), and reduce the time it takes to get to market. (Very crucial when competing with fast fashion chains like H&M.)

????As for its stores, big changes are coming too. American Apparel has 242 stores globally. But too many of them are in either New York or Los Angeles, or in cities where there is only one American Apparel, something the company called inefficient. Management is looking to be more deliberate when targeting a market: there has to be 400,000 people or more, and sales of any new store have to be $1.2 million. It also wants a less cluttered look in its stores.

????After years of drama, and poor results (no profit since 2009), its new mission is “to be a financially sound, socially conscious, iconic brand that provides high quality American made products to consumers while maximizing stakeholder value.” A lofty, but ambitious plan.