American Eagle Outfitters

American Eagle Outfitters, an American clothing and accessories retailer, is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Founded in 1977 by brothers Jerry and Mark Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., which also owned and operated Silverman’s Menswear, American Eagle Outfitters is the parent company of Aerie.

The niche market is fifteen-to twenty-five-year-olds. There are 911 American Eagle Outfitters stores and 158 Aerie stores. In 1977, the first American Eagle Outfitters store opened in Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, Michigan.

The Silverman brothers opened American Eagle Outfitters stores to diversify their products and expand their company. Diversification also allowed them to operate more than one store in the same mall. American Eagle Outfitters was positioned to offer brand-name leisure apparel and footwear as well as accessories for men and women in an outdoor sports theme, including hiking, mountain climbing, and camping. American Eagle Outfitters store is a brick-and-mortar space in shopping malls as well as a catalog retailer.

In 1989, American Eagle Outfitters store owners decided to refocus their business on American Eagle Outfitters. Consequently, they sold their other retail chains. There were then 137 American Eagle Outfitters stores, including 37 in the United States. Today American Eagle Outfitters stores have 911 American Eagle Outfitters sites. There are also 158 Aerie stores, and 21 77 American Eagle Outfitters store kids’ stores. American Eagle Outfitters store has 21 franchised stores in 10 countries.