Urban outfitters inc

Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) is a publicly traded American company that owns and operates six retail brands: Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain, Leifsdottir, a luxury brand for Anthropologie, and BHLDN.[3]

Urban Outfitters originated as "The Free People's Store" in 1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, focusing on "funky" fashion and household products. Shortly thereafter the owner and now Chairman, Richard Hayne, changed the name to Urban Outfitters. The product line has evolved from vintage, bohemian, retro, hipster, ironically humorous, kitschy apparel and furniture to include luxury brands and several designer collaborations.

Headquartered at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Urban Outfitters operates more than 140 locations in the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.

On November 27, 2009, the firm drew the attention of the Swedish press for denying collective bargaining rights to employees at their Stockholm store by making all 48 workers redundant and re-hiring them through employment agency Academic Work.[4][5] In response to the move, ombudsman Jimmy Ekman called for tougher laws to prevent other firms denying collective bargaining rights in this way
Urban Outfitters has been described as selling hip, kitschy, and ironic merchandise, for example, T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Jive Turkey" or "Atari".[7] They are known for catering to "hipster" culture and fashion, which incorporates an influence from past decades. According to their website, Urban Outfitters' "established ability to understand our customers and connect with them on an emotional level is the reason for our success." The site says that "the reason for this success is that our brands... are both compelling and distinct. Each brand chooses a particular customer segment, and once chosen, sets out to create sustainable points of distinction with that segment" and that "the emphasis is on