Taco Bell and Abercrombie & Fitch to launch in the UK

:: NEW! This article is referenced with some updates on the Abercrombie London store on a later posting

Meandering through the streets of Norwich this morning I happened across a discarded drinks cup from a fast food outlet. Nothing ordinary in that you might think but it caught my eye because it was imprinted with Taco Bell. I’ve been to the US on several occasions and, in the past, have tried Taco Bell, I have to say the food (whilst not even close to true Mexican cooking) represents some of the best of the American ‘junk’ food sector. It’s with that in mind that I’d longed for the day when one would open in the UK. But then I remembered the disappointment I felt on trying Subway, a poor imitation of the US version – sloppy service and inflated prices.

Taco Bell is part of the Pizza Hut and KFC group (Yum!) and so I’d originally thought that this cup must have come from the nearby KFC but it turns out it was probably more likely to originate from one of only two outlets in the UK – unsurprisingly behind the security fences at Lakenheath and Mildenhall. Presumably the recent London travel ban has meant that personnel are confined to the base and its environs prompting the need for indulgent Taco Bell excursions whereupon the detritus is discarded amongst our streets as a teaser, like chocolate wrappers discarded by GIs in 1940s London…

That said, there is noise on this blog that franchises are being explored. In the meantime I seem to remember Mountain Dew being launched in the UK a few years ago – presumably that was pulled too? I understand that there are American supply shops available to UK residents but surely the biggest omission in the UK market has been Abercrombie & Fitch. This has long been the preserve of those who have had trips to the US – the logo t-shirts being worn like badges on the High Streets of England alongside the ‘Little Brown Bag’ (or indeed anything branded Macys or Bloomingdales). Of course, you could always shop online for A&F stuff but you’ll pay heavily in customs & excise duties unless you track down one of the poorly stocked ‘distributors’ in the UK. I heard a rumour that A&F are exploring the possibility of launching in the UK (Simmons & Simmons have been advising them). With any luck they’ll displace the ageing (sooo 90s) ‘FCUK’ as the designer for the middle class. Their presence at a London graduate recruitment fair suggests moves are afoot…

Finally,

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