American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer headquartered at SouthSide Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by brothers Jerry and Mark Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company that also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear. The Silvermans sold half their ownership interests in 1980 to the Schottenstein family and the remainder in 1991.[3] American Eagle Outfitters is the parent company of Aerie, Unsubscribed and Todd Snyder.[4]
In 1977, the first American Eagle Outfitters store opened in Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, Michigan.[5] As of January 2023, the company operated 1,175 American Eagle stores, 175 Aerie stores, and 12 Todd Snyder stores across the US, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong.[2]
American Eagle's beginning was with the Silverman family, which owned and operated Silvermans Menswear. By the mid-1970s, two of the Silverman brothers—the third generation of Silvermans in the family business—were running the business. Jerry Silverman was the president and CEO, while his brother, Mark, served as executive vice-president and COO. The Silverman brothers were convinced they needed to diversify their product offerings in order to continue growing their company. They also recognized that the addition of new family-owned chains would then enable them to operate more than one store in the same mall. Their first attempt was to open American Eagle Outfitters in 1977, positioning it as a proprietor of brand-name leisure apparel, footwear, as well as accessories for men and women, emphasizing merchandise suited for outdoor sports, such as hiking, mountain climbing, and camping.[6] Stores were set up in shopping malls and a catalog was established. The chain grew for much of the 1980s. In 1989, the owners decided to refocus their business on American Eagle Outfitters, selling their other retail chains. At the time, there were 137 American Eagle Outfitters stores in 36 different states.
Despite the plans for quick growth after the reorganization, American Eagle Outfitters opened only 16 new stores by 1991 and the company was losing money. At this point, the Schottensteins, who had been 50% owners of the chain since 1980, bought out the Silverman family's interest. This change in leadership resulted in American Eagle finding its present niche: casual clothing for men and women, selling private label clothes.[citation needed]
When the company began trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange in the second quarter of 1994, it had 167 stores and a healthy cash flow. [citation needed] With the cash infusion from the IPO, the company opened more than 90 new stores over the next year. Several new executives joined the company in 1995 and '96, leading to another change in the target demographic. [citation needed] Over the next five years, revenues quintupled to $1 billion by 2000.[3] AEO opened the first Canadian store in 2000.[7]
As of January 30, 2016, the company operated 949 AEO brand stores, and 97 stand-alone and 67 side-by-side Aerie stores in shopping malls, lifestyle centers, and street locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, China, the United Kingdom, and internationally.[2] The company had 21 franchised stores operated by franchise partners in 10 countries.[4] On January 22, 2014, then-CEO Robert Hanson stepped down[8] and Jay Schottenstein became interim CEO.[9]
Finances and operations
On March 15, 2005, the company adjusted its accounting of rent expenses and construction allowances after the Securities and Exchange Commission noted that a number of companies had been improperly logging these items.[10] Due to "disappointing product execution in the women's category", American Eagle posted only a 3% gain in its 2013 second-quarter profits and the stock price dropped.[11]
Products
On 27 July 2020, American Eagle Outfitters revealed it would sell a new range of fitness wear called "Offline" by Aerie, targeted at consumers who want apparel that can be used for both their workouts and relaxation.[12]
Corporate and headquarters
American Eagle's headquarters
In mid-2007, American Eagle moved its headquarters from Warrendale, Pennsylvania, to a more urban location at the SouthSide Works complex in Pittsburgh. The cost of the buildings and adjacent property was approximately $21 million (excluding interior finishing and additional construction costs). The addresses of the buildings are 19 Hot Metal Street and 77 Hot Metal Street, with the numbers symbolizing the first store opening in 1977. The Southside Works Campus includes a private garage, a lab store for each brand, a photo studio, and an in-house cafeteria. Other offices are in New York (design and production).[13]
Franchise agreement
In June 2009, the company signed the franchise agreement with M. H. Alshaya, one of the leading retailers in the Middle East.[14] The agreement saw the introduction of the first stores outside North America, with the first two opening in Dubai and Kuwait on March 16 and 25, 2010, respectively, and another that opened on October 15, 2011, in Kaslik, Lebanon. Another opened in June 2012 in Hamra Street, Beirut, followed by one in Beirut City Centre, Hazmieh.[citation needed]
Inside of an American Eagle store in Times Square, New York City
Items are placed on wooden shelving, tables, or clothes racks. The clothes in AEO Factory stores are hung on basic black hangers, and AEO stores have wooden hangers. There is usually a flat-screen television hanging in the back of the store or behind the cash wrap. The floors are typically wood or concrete. The theme and displays change based on seasonal lines and promotions.
In February 2006, American Eagle launched the aerielingerie sub-brand, targeting American 15- to 22-year-old females.[16] In addition to lingerie such as bras and other undergarments, the aerie line sells dorm wear, active apparel, loungewear, accessories and sleepwear. What started as a sub-brand quickly became a standalone concept in its own right, featuring a complete fitness line, called aerie f.i.t. The aerie brand is sold in American Eagle Outfitters stores, on the American Eagle website, and in stand-alone aerie retail stores. The first stand-alone aerie store opened in August 2006 in Greenville, South Carolina,[17] and was followed by two more test stores later that year. As of December 2010, there were 147 stand-alone aerie stores in the U.S. and Canada.[18] Aerie has started a campaign that focuses on promoting models' real bodies. This entails their slogan #AerieREAL and adding to their advertisements that models have not been retouched. In this way they take a stand against the use of photo manipulation in media. Iskra Lawrence, while she models for the lingerie line, is also the global role model for the brand.[19]
Martin + Osa
The company's second stand-alone lifestyle concept launched in 2006 and targeted men and women age 28 to 40.[20] It featured cashmere sweaters and casual clothing for an older target audience. It also sold products by Fred Perry, Ray-Ban, Adidas, Onitsuka Tiger, and HOBO International. In March 2010, management announced that all 28 Martin + Osa stores would be closed, after a failure in retail markets, causing AEO, Inc. to lose up to $44 million.[21][22]
77kids
In October 2008, American Eagle released and launched 77kids, a line of clothing aimed at children aged two to ten.[23] Initially an online only concept, AEO opened its first 77kids store on July 15, 2010, in The Mall at Robinson in Pittsburgh,[24] and eight others followed that year. Expansion continued throughout FY2011. 77kids stores, targeted at younger children, featured interactive games and activities throughout the stores that children could play with while shopping.[25]
American Eagle Outfitters announced on May 15, 2012, that it would sell or close all 22 77kids stores by the end of July 2012.[26][27] Robert Hanson, who became CEO in January 2012, said 77kids had a loss after taxes of roughly $24 million on sales of $40 million in the 2011 fiscal year. On August 3, 2012, American Eagle Outfitters completed the sale of its 77kids to Ezrani 2 Corp, a company formed by Ezra Dabah, the former chairman and CEO of The Children's Place.[28] Ezrani renamed the store "Ruum" in 2013.[29]
Tailgate and Todd Snyder
In November 2015, American Eagle Outfitters acquired Todd Snyder's eponymous label, as well as his Tailgate Clothing Company, a brand centered on vintage-style collegiate apparel.[30] American Eagle initially focused on Southeastern Conference and Big Ten colleges, hoping to gain more popularity among its target demographic of teenagers and college students.[31]
Bluenotes'
After its acquisition of Thiftys from Dylex, the 107 stores were rebranded as Bluenotes' in 2000, then sold off in 2004.
Unsubscribed
American Eagle Outfitters created a new upmarket brand focused on sustainable quality goods in 2020. Boutiques can be found in prestigious resort neighborhoods.
Quiet Logistics
American Eagle Outfitters announced a $350 million acquisition of Quiet Logistics on November 2, 2021.[32] The acquisition was completed on December 29, 2021.[33]
International expansion
American Eagle opened its first Canadian store in 2001 after it purchased assets of Dylex. In 2010, AEO opened stores in Kuwait, Riyadh, and Dubai. A store in Kaslik, Lebanon, opened on October 15, 2011. A store in Cairo, Egypt, opened in late 2011. In September 2011, two stores opened in Moscow, Russia. Its first store in Jordan opened in November 2011 in the brand-new Taj Mall. Its first store in Tokyo, Japan, opened on April 18, 2012. The first store in Tel Aviv, Israel, opened in February 2012,[34] after the Israeli-based clothing retailer FOX signed a contract with AEO, and expanded to Jerusalem.[35] There are also stores in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.[36] American Eagle Outfitters opened its first store in the Philippines in March 2013.[37]
American Eagle is also opening stores in Mexico. The first opened in Mexico City at Fashion Mall Perisur on February 20, 2013, and at Centro Santa Fe in June. Another opened in Guadalajara later in 2013 at Fashion Mall Galerías Guadalajara.[38] In 2014 the company financed the rescue and renovation of the Jardín Edith Sánchez Ramírezpocket park in Mexico City.
American Eagle expanded to the U.K. in November 2014, opening stores in Westfield London, Westfield Stratford City, and Bluewater.[39] The Westfield London store opened on November 14, 2014, the Westfield Stratford City store on November 17, 2014, and the Bluewater store on November 19, 2014. All UK operations have ceased, with the UK website closed and all UK stores closed by the end of July 2017.[40][41]
American Eagle Outfitters opened its first store in Muscat, Oman, on October 3, 2015.[42] The company made its debut in the Indian market in June 2018 with first store launched in DLF Mall of India, Noida.[43] Today it operates 17 stores across the country.
AEO entered the Chilean market in September 2015, with the opening of its first store in the Parque Arauco shopping center. After it arrived in the Chilean market, the company's expansion was concentrated in Santiago.
In 2019, American Eagle Outfitters became one of only two major clothing companies with commitments in line with the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.[44]
In 2020, American Eagle Outfitters opened its first store in Prague, Czech Republic, in the factory outlet center Fashion Arena Prague Outlet.[45] In 2023, AEO opened its first store in Uruguay, Punta Carretas Shopping.[46]
Controversies
Strike
In 2004, the textile and apparel workers union UNITE HERE launched the "American Vulture" back-to-school boycott of American Eagle[47] in protest of alleged workers' rights violations at the company's Canadian distribution contractor National Logistics Services (NLS). On the 2007 second-quarter conference call,[48] CEO James O'Donnell clarified the American Eagle's relationship with NLS and its effect on business. He explained,
We owned NLS with the acquisition of Braemar back in 2000, and we subsequently sold off NLS in 2006, and we are currently a customer of NLS... We have no involvement at all with Unite Here and NLS. Our only involvement with NLS is basically as a customer, and there have been some allegations made, I think, to some of, to the public about it affecting our business. I can tell you right now it has not affected our business.
Abercrombie & Fitch lawsuits
Since 1999, Abercrombie & Fitch has sued American Eagle Outfitters at least three times for allegedly copying its designs and its advertisements. On all occasions, American Eagle prevailed in court on the grounds that A&F cannot stop it from presenting similar designs since such designs cannot be copyrighted in the United States. Nevertheless, American Eagle clothing designs have since trended away in appearance from Abercrombie & Fitch designs.[49] Judges have generally ruled that giving Abercrombie exclusive rights to market its clothing in a certain way "would be anti-competitive."[50]
Sydney Sweeney ad campaign
"Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" ad campaign displayed at a store in Orlando, Florida
On July 23, 2025, American Eagle launched a campaign featuring the actress Sydney Sweeney in which she was marketed as having "great jeans", a pun on "great genes".[51][52][53][54][55] Some outlets compared the advertisement to a 1980 Calvin Klein campaign that featured Brooke Shields.[52][55] American Eagle Outfitters stock price rose 10% after announcing the campaign, which was designed to improve sales with Generation Z customers amid uncertainty over increased costs due to tariffs, and was reportedly the company's most expensive campaign to date.[56]
Initially, the majority of social media sentiment towards the campaign was positive and apolitical.[57] However, by the end of July, some social media users started accusing the campaign of promoting eugenics and white supremacy.[58][51]The New York Times later reported that negative reactions initially came from a small number of accounts with relatively few followers. Right-wing media and commentators then exaggerated that limited backlash,[57] calling it an example of "wokeness" and cancel culture,[59][60] which in turn increased left-leaning criticism.[57] Some online posts compared the campaign to Nazi propaganda.[61][62][59] The media widely reported on the controversy[63][53][64] and interviewed commentators and academics, several of whom endorsed the criticism.[52][65][66]MSNBC supported the backlash;[67]The New York Times, The Independent and Deadline said the controversy was being largely manufactured by conservatives.[57][68][69]The Atlantic and the Los Angeles Times found the reactions from both sides exaggerated.[70][71] The Trump administration commented on the affair, with JD Vance mocking the Democrats for "[attacking] people as Nazis for thinking Sydney Sweeney is beautiful" and Donald Trump praising "the HOTTEST ad out there." A few hours after Trump's comment, AE's stock price rose about 23%.[72]
On August 1, American Eagle responded by stating that the ad campaign "is and always was about the jeans."[73] In September, the company assessed the campaign as "a winner": CMO Craig Brommers said that it had "generated unprecedented new customer acquisition" and CEO Jay Schottenstein credited that campaign, together with another that featured Travis Kelce, for an "uptick in customer awareness, engagement and comparable sales".[74]
International stores
Locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong are operated directly by American Eagle, whereas other locations are operated under license agreements with third parties.[1]
1 2 3 Andrew, Scottie; Asmelash, Leah; Kaur, Harmeet (August 2, 2025). "We asked experts to explain the Sydney Sweeney jeans drama". CNN. Retrieved August 3, 2025. Many felt that the ad was playing into this dark, not-very-concealed conversation about genetics in America. "This is intentional. This is pointed, and you're calling out to the consumers that you hope to attract here," said Cheryl Overton, a long-time brand strategist and communications executive. "If American Eagle is really out there trying to target Americans to the right or to the far right, so be it. If that's who the product is designed for now, that is their right as a company to do that. But you have to know that folks are educated, folks are nuanced, and folks are willing to call brands out."
1 2 3 4 Bensinger, Ken; Thompson, Stuard A. (August 7, 2025). "How the Right Shaped the Debate Over the Sydney Sweeney Ads". The New York Times. Retrieved August 7, 2025. [JD Vance's] comments joined a chorus of Republican and right-wing voices who argued that a new American Eagle ad campaign with Ms. Sweeney, one of Hollywood's top young stars, had stoked left-wing outrage over its slogan: "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans." They claimed that progressives were up in arms over the intentional double-entendre with the word "genes," suggesting it was winking at eugenics or white supremacy. In reality, most progressives weren't worked up much at all. (...) Criticism of the ad campaign had come almost entirely from a smattering of accounts with relatively few followers, according to an analysis of social media data by The New York Times. Conversation about the ad did not escalate online or in traditional media until days later, after right-leaning influencers, broadcasters and politicians began criticizing what they described as a wave of progressive outrage.
↑ Mouriquand, David (July 29, 2025). "Explained: Why is Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle fashion ad being called 'tone-deaf' and 'Nazi'?". Euronews. Retrieved August 10, 2025. Indeed, critics have accused the ad of peddling "Nazi" propaganda, pointing out that the play on words with "great genes" has racist connotations and veers towards white supremacist ideals. Many have also highlighted that considering Sweeney is blue-eyed and blonde-haired, it echoes eugenic messaging.(...) Sayantani DasGupta, a professor of Narrative Medicine, has even analysed the ads in a viral TikTok post, showing how the American Eagle campaign is "imbued with eugenic messaging", which has seen the "forced sterilization and decrease of reproduction among undesirable communities" in the American South. The professor concluded the American Eagle advert is "contributing to and reinforcing this kind of anti-immigrant, anti-people of colour, pro-eugenic, political moment."
↑ Kaufman, Anna (July 29, 2025). "Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle jeans ad sparks controversy: Here's why". USA Today. Retrieved August 12, 2025. With the lens lingering intimately on her figure, and the apparent sensual tone throughout the campaign, consumers were quick to point out what they saw as the regressive nature of the material. A blonde bombshell catering to the male gaze, they argued, was a quintessential symbol of a bygone era. (...) Even more concerning, critics argued, was the use of Sweeney as the archetype of "good genes." A conventionally attractive, white, thin, blonde woman with blue eyes being held up not just as the beauty ideal but as the pinnacle of good breeding bordered on eugenic thinking, they asserted, and contributed to the glorification of whiteness.
↑ Mac Donnell, Chloe (August 1, 2025). "Born in the USA: Is American Eagle really using whiteness to sell jeans?". The Guardian. ISSN0261-3077. Retrieved August 7, 2025. According to Sophie Gilbert, a staff writer at the Atlantic and author of the book Girl on Girl which explores how pop culture is shaped by misogyny: "The slogan 'Sydney Sweeney has good jeans' obviously winks at the obsession with eugenics that's so prevalent among the modern right." Dr Sarah Cefai, a senior lecturer in gender and cultural studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, agrees. "Honestly, what were they thinking, that a white supremacist fantasy has permission to be aired so conspicuously?"
↑ Richards, Kimberley (August 4, 2025). "American Eagle's Crystal-Clear Defense Of Controversial Sydney Sweeney Ads Signals A Lot". HuffPost. Retrieved August 12, 2025. American Eagle has responded to the widespread backlash over its ads featuring actor Sydney Sweeney, but noticeably missing from the brand's statement was an apology or any real acknowledgement of how so many people interpreted the ads. (...) T Smith, a postdoctoral fellow in racial politics at Johns Hopkins University's Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, said that American Eagle's response to the backlash "goes beyond merely doubling down." "It actively undermines the idea that there was anything harmful or worthy of critique in the first place," Smith told HuffPost. "By framing the campaign as a wholesome story merely about jeans (and not genes) and refusing to acknowledge the detriment of their messaging, they participate in normalizing and reinforcing the very hierarchies — which are rooted in white supremacist logics — that the ad evoked. "This kind of erasure functions to prop up eugenicist and racial hierarchy ideals as if they are normal, apolitical, and above examination," they continued. "That isn't a passive avoidance. It is an attempt to preserve those power structures as a cultural baseline immune from challenge."
↑ Holland, Hannah (July 29, 2025). "Sydney Sweeney's ad shows an unbridled cultural shift toward whiteness". MSNBC. Retrieved September 6, 2025. The backlash has been swift and fierce, and some of it, at least, if you ask me, is fair. The internet has been quick to condemn the advertisement as noninclusive at best and as overtly promoting "white supremacy" and "Nazi propaganda" at worst. (...) Together, the campaign feels regressive and not retro, offensive and not cheeky. The advertisement, the choice of Sweeney as the sole face in it and the internet's reaction reflect an unbridled cultural shift toward whiteness, conservatism and capitalist exploitation. Sweeney is both a symptom and a participant. (...) It isn't just that far-right ideology is proliferating on the fringe; our entire cultural ethos has moved further right, allowing for this sort of content.
↑ Baragona, Justin (August 8, 2025). "Fox News whips up another Sydney Sweeney 'controversy' by claiming left is 'melting down' over old ice cream ad". The Independent. Retrieved August 10, 2025. After helping to manufacture a nearly two-week-long outrage cycle over the Sydney Sweeney "good jeans" American Eagle commercial, Fox News appears to be trying to prolong the so-called "controversy" by suggesting that liberals are also "melting down" over a month-old ice cream ad featuring the Hollywood star.
↑ "Sydney Sweeney American Eagle Ad Addressed By Clothing Company Amidst Partisan Uproar". Deadline. Retrieved August 10, 2025. Conservative media and Vice President JD Vance may be filling hours of time and social media posts galore mocking a supposed progressive knee jerk reaction to the wordplay in Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad campaign, but the clothing company itself has stood back from the fracas – until now. Accused by a few stray voices on the Internet of promoting fascist eugenics ideologue and more, and amplified ten-fold with curated outrage by the likes of Fox News, ex-Fox News host Megyn Kelly and White House communications boss Steven Cheung, the Jay Schottenstei-run AE may have found themselves testing the limits or patience of the notion that there is no such thing as bad publicity.
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US$5.261 billion (2023) [1] 
US$222.717 million (2023) [1] 
