Development
When the Silvermans first opened an American Eagle Outfitters store in 1977, they were looking to diversify their menswear business. 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 that time, there were 137 American Eagle Outfitters stores including 37 in the United 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 founding 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. AE opened the first Canadian store in 2001.
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. With the cash infusion from the IPO, the company opened more than 90 new stores within the next year. Several new executives joined the company in 1995 and '96, leading to another change in the target demographic. The company now wanted to reach more women and focus on people between the ages of 18 and 32. The strategy worked, and over the next five years, revenues quintupled to $1 billion by 2000. American Eagle claimed 1101 stores across three brands (American Eagle Outfitters, Aerie, and Martin + Osa) in November 2008 and $3 billion in revenues for the most recent fiscal year.
American Eagle Outfitters's Net Sales by Geographical Regions for the Year Ended 2009
| Geographic Region | Total Sales (in thousands) |
| United States | 2,707,261 |
| Canada | 281,605 |
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“The American has dwindled into an Odd Fellow—one who may be known by the development of his organ of gregariousness.”
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