Teen apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch ( ANF) announced on Thursday that it will cut 170 jobs at its Columbus, Ohio, headquarters as its reviews all expenses. The cut represents about 9% of the Abercrombie & Fitch's home-base staff and is the second round of layoffs for the company this year. In January it eliminated 50 positions. Abercrombie & Fitch, which makes pricier t-shirts and polos than its competitors American Eagle Outfitters ( AEO) and Aeropostale ( ARO), has been hit especially hard by the recession. While most apparel retailers have been slashing prices, Abercrombie & Fitch has kept its pricing strategy steady, and as a result has seen slumping sales. In 2008, profit fell 44% to $272.3 million, while sales fell 6% to $3.54 billion. Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch closed up 2% in after-market trading to $27.56. Aeropostale closed up 2% to $33.97, while American Eagle Outfitters also saw a 2% jump to end the day at $14.82.
