American Eagle Outfitters is a popular fashion and retail store for men and women targeted between the ages of 15 to 25. American Eagle was founded in 1977 in Novi, Michigan with one store and now they have more than 1,000 stores and 40,000 associates. At first, they focused on casual and athletic wear, but later on were successful enough to sell their own brand products in other countries and across the United States. American Eagle picked up fast, within a decade, they had 137 stores, with 37 of those in the U.S  In the 90’s the company started to fall and decrease in profit, so Jay L. Schottenstein bought the company and eventually guided the it out of its slump. 

After Schottenstein had bought the company, it was thriving. They expanded their executive team, meanwhile adding 90 more stores, while remaining financially stable. Soon after, the company shifted towards more women accessories and clothing. At this point American Eagle entered its Golden Age as it churned out huge profits; by the end of 2000 making the company a $1 billion entity. By 2006, the company began two more brands  which were Aerie and Martin + Osa and they opened 77kids in 2008. Martin + Osa closed down rather quickly in 2010, and that led to a $44 million loss due to failed attempts. 

Today, American Eagle Outfitters focuses on two lifestyle brands, which are American Eagle and Aerie. With 38 years of dedication and innovation, the company’s values are based on integrity, passion, teamwork, remodeling and of course the people. They strive to change in sections that are important to their customers, when needed. It is said that American Eagle is a great company to grow your career and the employees enjoy and believe in what they do. From personal experience and from others around me, I recommend American Eagle and Aerie 100%. They have good quality clothing that lasts me years whether if it’s “trendy” or not. They have a wide variety of accessories and clothing including sportswear, casual wear and lounge wear. These stores can be found online or in local malls and outlets.