Do you ever wonder where your favorite stores came from? How did Urban outfitters, Aerie, American Eagle, come to be, and what helped them gain popularity? A lot of these major brands originated or were founded in the U.S. and stores like Nike and Adidas you can find in different countries. So where and how was American Eagle founded and how did Aerie become part of it later on?

American Eagle was founded in 1977 in Novi Michigan. It is one of the oldest-founded companies that are still thriving today. It was founded by two brothers: Jerry and Mark Silverman. They had previously owned Silverman’s Menswear, but they later sold their ownership to Jacob Price in 1991. The company went public in 1994 and it gained a large teenage-based following in the 2000s after its appearance on Dawson’s Creek.

American Eagle stores are always found in malls; even when the company was still growing, you could find American Eagles in numerous malls. Since the 2000s the company has grown and now there are over 700 stores in the U.S. and Canada.

In February 2006, American Eagle launched aerie lingerie, the company’s first sub-brand. It was in 2014 though that the first real Aerie campaign was made. Jay Schottenstein played a major role in creating Aerie. Present-day Aerie sells loungewear and pajamas and they only sell female clothes, unlike American Eagle which sells male and female clothing.

Aerie has definitely grown a lot since 2006. Many people only go to Aerie and don’t shop at American Eagle. Even though both brands target teens, Aerie has become more popular among the age group, and a lot of Aeries clothing has gone viral on TikTok. This has givin them publicity that they didn’t even pay for, which is an amazing business strategy. The story of American Eagle and Aerie is extremely interesting, and hopefully knowing this history improves the experience of the shoppers.