American Eagle Outfitters

American Eagle has become one of the most popular clothing stores of today. But American Eagle (or AE) got its start as an outdoor clothing retailer but now sells jeans, shirts, shoes, bags, jewelry and more. AE was started by a man named Edward Beinstein in Pittsburg Pennsylvania. The store opened in 1904 selling outdoor clothing, AE became a retailer in 1977. AE has sold other brands including OshKosh, Martin and Osa, and Bluenotes in Canada. AE has also brought another line into the shopping scene called Arie. Arie sells bras, underwear and “dorm clothes”.
AE typically aims its apparel at men and women between the ages of 15 and 25 going for a more “young and hip” look. AE currently has over 900 stores in the United States and Canada and is planning to open more this year. AE is a public company its stock is under AEO and their growth in one year was 21%. In 2007 there were 27,600 employees in the company and the CEO was/is James V. O’Donnell, while the chairman was/is Jay L. Schottenstein. American Eagle’s top competitors are Abercrombie, Hollister, and The Gap.