American Eagle Outfitters (AEO, Inc.), is celebrating the 20th anniversary

of their Ottawa Distribution Center. The 1.2 million square foot Ottawa DC currently serves 162 countries and over 850 retail stores.

“AEO is thrilled to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of our Ottawa Distribution Center—truly a milestone moment for our company and this wonderful community,” Michael Rempell, Chief Operations Officer, said. “Our passionate and dedicated team in Ottawa has helped AEO deliver record performance, fueling American Eagle and Aerie’s thriving business. Our Ottawa Distribution Center is an important supply chain hub for AEO and we’re excited about the company’s continued growth and the career advancement opportunities it provides the workforce in the region.”

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of opening the Ottawa DC, AEO is making a $10K donation to community action agency, East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corporation (ECKAN), making their total commitment to the community over the years $500K. AEO officials said.

The funding will provide continued support to ECKAN’s summer camp grant program that helps children attend summer camp through the Ottawa Recreation Commission, and gives them a safe place to participate in memorable activities for the summer.

The distribution center opened in Ottawa in June 2001 and grown from 300 employees to more than 1,000 employees. The center added on to the campus in recent years to accommodate the company’s growth.

June 03, 2021PITTSBURGH–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Board of Directors of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) today approved a 31% increase in the quarterly cash dividend to $0.18 per share.

The quarterly dividend is equivalent to an annual dividend of $0.72 per share, up from $0.55 per share previously. The second quarter dividend is payable on July 23, 2021 to stockholders of record at the close of business on July 9, 2021.

“I am pleased to announce a material increase to our dividend today. Following a record first quarter result, the increase reflects our confidence in the growth potential of our leading brands and profit flow through fueled by our Real Power. Real Growth. value creation plan. We are well-positioned to sustain solid cash flow and remain committed to generating strong shareholder returns,” said Jay Schottenstein, AEO’s Executive Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.

About American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) is a leading global specialty retailer offering high-quality, on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable prices under its American Eagle® and Aerie® brands. Our purpose is to show the world that there’s REAL power in the optimism of youth. The company operates stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong, and ships to 81 countries worldwide through its websites. American Eagle and Aerie merchandise also is available at more than 200 international locations operated by licensees in 33 countries. For more information, please visit www.aeo-inc.com.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

This release and related statements by management contain forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995), which represent our expectations or beliefs concerning future events. All forward-looking statements made by the company involve material risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on many important factors, some of which may be beyond the company’s control. Words such as “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “potential,” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise and even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed or implied therein will not be realized. The following factors, in addition to the risks disclosed in Item 1A., Risk Factors, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2021 and in any other filings that we may make with the Securities and Exchange Commission in some cases have affected, and in the future could affect, the company’s financial performance and could cause actual results for fiscal 2021 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any of the forward-looking statements included in this release or otherwise made by management: the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and related operational disruptions; the risk that the company’s operating, financial and capital plans may not be achieved; our inability to anticipate customer demand and changing fashion trends and to manage our inventory commensurately; seasonality of our business; our inability to achieve planned store financial performance; our inability to react to raw material cost, labor and energy cost increases; our inability to gain market share in the face of declining shopping center traffic; our inability to respond to changes in e-commerce and leverage omni-channel demands; our inability to expand internationally; difficulty with our international merchandise sourcing strategies; challenges with information technology systems, including safeguarding against security breaches; and global economic, public health, social, political and financial conditions, and the resulting impact on consumer confidence and consumer spending, as well as other changes in consumer discretionary spending habits, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and liquidity.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210603006045/en/

Olivia Messina
412-432-3300
LineMedia@ae.com

Source: American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.

May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. At AEO, we are taking this time to reflect on the significance of the AAPI community as we seek to amplify their voices, stories and contributions.

 Sr. Director of Aerie Production, Lathda has been part of the AEO family for almost 15 years. As part of AEO’s AAPI Heritage Month celebration, our I&D Alliance invited Lathda to share her experience growing up as an Asian American in the US. The below is an excerpt from Lathda’s interview.

I am first generation Asian American. My family migrated here from Laos as war refugees in the 70s and eventually made their way to New York City. I was born in Brooklyn and raised in the Bronx and have lived in NYC my entire life. There were a lot of minorities in the south Bronx where I attended school, but even so, I always felt I stuck out as an Asian. I was from a country that most had never heard of. Oftentimes, people tend to think that if you’re Asian, you’re Chinese. I feel like I have been educating others my entire life and even in the Asian community, this is still a learning process.

Speaking about my heritage is something I’ve always struggled with, especially growing up. I always did my best to stay in the background – my family would even encourage me to do my work and not draw too much attention to myself. When I was in grade school a teacher once asked what my nickname was. I told her I didn’t have a nickname and another student asked, “well, then what’s your American name?” This exchange happened often growing up. I’d ask my parents about it and they’d say, “do you want a nickname?” I never understood why – why would I want to change my name?

As I got older, I vividly remember being in the school lunchroom eating rice and noodles and I recall the stares of others wondering what I was eating. Most of our extended family was back in Laos, but we were able to find a small community in the Bronx that had similar backgrounds and experiences and they became like family. In high school and college, I really started to see more people that looked like me.

With all the civil rights movements that have been happening over the past year, many people have checked in with me to ask how I’m doing. When the Atlanta shooting happened, I was numb to it and the significance of it didn’t really dawn on me at first. But as the incidents continued and Asian people were being attacked in the streets, it hit me. I realized this could be my family.

I have a 9-year-old son and it was and still is important to me to have these tough conversations with him that I never had with my parents. I want him to be proud of where he came from, learn the language and I really want to teach him about our culture.

AEO has encouraged associates of all levels to speak up and share their thoughts and has given them a safe space to share how they’re feeling. We made huge leaps over the past year in terms of inclusion and diversity and I hope that we continue have real and tough conversations in the future.

American Eagle Outfitters Inc. is riding high, as signs of pent-up demand from the pandemic begin to play out across the fashion industry.

The retailer — which includes the American Eagle, Aerie, Offline by Aerie, Todd Snyder and Unsubscribed brands — revealed quarterly earnings Wednesday after the market closed, improving on top-line revenues at the AE and Aerie brands, while surpassing more than $1 billion in total company revenues during the first quarter.

Perhaps most impressive was innerwear brand Aerie, where sales nearly doubled, year-over-year. Last quarter, the brand exceeded more than $1 billion in annual revenues. Now the company is setting its sights on the $2 billion mark in the next three years.

“This brand is amazing. We’re going to hit that $2 billion mark prior to 2023, that’s for sure,” Jennifer Foyle, chief creative officer of American Eagle Outfitters and global brand president of Aerie, told WWD. (Jay Schottenstein, executive chairman and chief executive officer of American Eagle Outfitters, said it might be as soon as the next 12 months.)

“We keep on accelerating and we keep on delivering more to our customers, because they’re asking for more,” Foyle said.

That includes things like bras, underwear, leggings and swimwear, all of which were strong during the quarter. “Really all of our business is fired,” she said. “Every category in Aerie has double-digit comps, if not triple digits. Swim had its best year ever and we’re not even in spring break yet. What an incredible category to be a business in. And launching [Offline] during the pandemic, I think, really gave us a competitive advantage.”

She’s talking about the activewear boom that shows no signs of slowing.

But it’s not just Aerie. Foyle said the American Eagle and Unsubscribed brands also “shined” during the quarter, beating expectations. At American Eagle, denim, fleece, graphics and dresses were trending.

“We’re going to be playing into those categories even more so as we continue through the season, leveraging it into back-to-school,” she said. “That’s our job: to surprise and delight our customers. And from the momentum that we’ve seen, the first-quarter momentum, the opportunity in American Eagle to outfit and dress him and her from head to toe is endless.

“And of course we can’t talk about this without talking about our incredible product,” Foyle continued. “I think the product just gets better with age. And in doing so, when we focus on quality and product, we’re able to pull back our promotions.”

That helps explain why total company revenues increased 17 percent to $1.03 billion during the three-month period ending May 1, compared with more than $886 million in 2019’s pre-pandemic first quarter, or nearly $552 million last year.

By brand, American Eagle’s revenues were nearly $728 million, up from $724 million in 2019, or $390 million in 2020. Aerie’s revenues were more than $297 million during the quarter, up from $157 million in 2019, and nearly $155 million in 2020.

Total company digital sales also surged during the quarter, up 57 percent, compared with 2019. Broken down, that’s a 158 percent increase at Aerie and 20 percent bump at American Eagle.

The company logged $95.4 million in profits during the quarter as a result, up from $40.7 million in 2019’s first quarter, and a loss of $257 million last year in the middle of the pandemic.

And Schottenstein added, when speaking to WWD, “We’re still in the pandemic. We’re not over it. But we’re very optimistic. Things are getting better. More people are getting the vaccine. Hopefully when it comes to back-to-school, the students will all be vaccinated.”

As for the most recent results, Schottenstein pointed out that excluding Canada — where stores were closed during the quarter because of government lockdowns — U.S.-based American Eagle stores comped positive during the quarter, compared with 2019’s pre-pandemic backdrop.

“Which is a good story, because a lot of people are talking about when their stores are going to start comping positive compared to 2019 and we did it in the first quarter,” he said.

While U.S. store traffic increased, total North American store traffic was flat in the first quarter, compared to 2019, thanks to COVID-19 related traffic pressures and store closures in Canada.

The retailer ended the quarter with 1,074 stores, including 13 new Aerie units, one new Offline and one new Unsubscribed store, which opened during the quarter. Schottenstein said there’s also talk of opening several Todd Snyder stores around the country in 2022.

“[Stores] will always be relevant,” he said. “How? They’ll evolve. Everything evolves. Stores aren’t going to die. How do you establish new brands in the future without people seeing it first, to really understand it? The objective is to make sure that American Eagle is in the best locations in the country and the most productive locations.”

Foyle added that when the company enters a new market, they see a halo effect, or increased digital penetration in the same area.

“Then we really get that omni shopper,” she explained. “That’s a really nice recipe and one that gives us a lot of confidence to test and scale.”

As for the company’s store mask policy as vaccines continue to roll out around the nation, the CEO said it will likely be based on an honor system for those who have been vaccinated.

“The way it’s looking right now — this is not finalized, but it probably will be the policy — is that if you’re vaccinated, and the science says if you’re vaccinated you can’t spread it and you can’t get it, those associates will have the option to whether wear a mask or not wear a mask. Those associates that are not vaccinated will have to wear a mask,” Schottenstein explained. “And then to the customers, when they come in we’ll say, if you’re not vaccinated please wear a mask.”

American Eagle Outfitters did not provide guidance for the year, but ended the quarter with $792 million in cash and short-term investments and nearly $330 million in long-term debt.

Shares of American Eagle Outfitters, which closed up 5.74 percent to $35.17 apiece Wednesday, are up nearly 247 percent.

American Eagle Outfitters reported Wednesday fiscal first-quarter earnings and sales that topped analysts’ estimates, as shoppers spent their money on new styles of denim, summer swimwear, and comfortable bras and underwear from Aerie.

Its shares were down around 1% on the news in extended trading, however, as the company didn’t provide a financial outlook for the full year. The stock had closed the day up more than 5%.The results follow strong showings earlier in the week from both Urban Outfitters and Abercrombie & Fitch. The three retailers’ executives are pointing to pent-up demand — particularly among younger consumers — who are eager to get out of the house and socialize again. And as they do that, they want new outfits to don in front of family and friends.

American Eagle had already preannounced in April that its first-quarter sales were on pace to top $1 billion.

Momentum has continued to accelerate into the second quarter, it said Wednesday.

Here’s how American Eagle did for the period ended May 1, compared with what analysts were anticipating, based on Refinitiv estimates:

• Earnings per share: 48 cents adjusted vs. 46 cents expected
• Revenue: $1.03 billion vs. $1.02 billion expected

American Eagle’s net income for the period ended May 1 grew to $95.5 million, or 46 cents per share, compared with a loss of $257.2 million, or $1.54 per share, a year earlier. Excluding one-time adjustments, the company earned 48 cents per share, 2 cents ahead of analyst expectations.

Revenue climbed to $1.03 billion from $551.7 million a year earlier. That beat estimates for $1.02 billion.

Sales at the company’s namesake American Eagle brand were up slightly from 2019 levels, it said, at $728 million. While Aerie’s revenue surged 89% on a two-year basis, to $297 million.

Jen Foyle, chief creative officer at American Eagle Outfitters and global president of Aerie, said in an interview with CNBC that the company has pulled back on promotions, helping to boost profits. The business also is reacting faster to fashion trends, such as the popularity of high-rise and wide-leg pants, she explained. And it is getting smarter about suggesting other pieces on mannequins in stores and online to complete entire looks.

“We continue to just focus on really getting the outfits [right] and completing the look,” Foyle said. “Focusing on tops and dresses and fashion. … We’ve really started to attack that, fast.”

American Eagle shares are up about 76% year to date.

American Eagle Outfitters Reports Record First Quarter Revenue and Operating Income, Exceeding Expectations with Positive Growth Across Brands — Results Reflect Excellent Execution on the “Real Power. Real Growth.” Value Creation Plan

May 26, 2021

First quarter 2021 compared to first quarter 2019:

• Business accelerated across brands, delivering all-time high first quarter revenue of $1.03 billion; and record operating income of $133 million, rising 177% from operating income of $48 million
• Strong full-priced sales fueled gross margin expansion of 550 basis points to 42.2%
• Aerie revenue rose 89%; operating income up 747% reflecting an operating margin of 23.5%
• American Eagle revenue up slightly; operating income up 39% reflecting an operating margin of 20.8%
• Digital momentum continued with revenue up 57% including Aerie up 158% and AE up 20%
• Second quarter-to-date business momentum has accelerated

PITTSBURGH — (BUSINESS WIRE) – American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended May 1, 2021. Due to the significant impact COVID-19 had on fiscal 2020 financial results, first quarter fiscal 2021 results are compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2019, which management believes is a more meaningful comparison.

“Our first quarter results were truly outstanding and reflected excellent progress on our “Real Power. Real Growth.” value creation plan in addition to favorable external factors. Demand for Aerie’s product and powerful brand platform continued at a rapid pace, which drove significantly higher sales, margins, and profitability. The American Eagle initiatives to reignite the brand, optimize inventory, and reduce promotions resulted in a meaningful recovery in margins, with more runway ahead. I am extremely pleased with how our teams are executing across all functions, from our customer-facing priorities through our supply chain initiatives. We have been well positioned to meet higher demand for our products and have exceled in managing all facets of our business. We remain poised for success, and our brands are stronger than ever. I believe we are on pace to deliver our 2023 operating profit target well ahead of schedule,” said Jay Schottenstein, AEO’s Executive Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.

First Quarter 2021 Results Compared to the First Quarter of 2019

• Total net revenue increased $148 million, or 17% to $1.03 billion, compared to $0.89 billion in the first quarter of 2019.
• Aerie revenue increased 89% to $297 million. American Eagle revenue increased slightly to $728 million.
• AEO’s digital revenue increased 57%. Store revenue was flat, due to COVID-19 related traffic pressure and store closures in Canada.  US store revenue increased in the quarter.
• Gross profit of $436 million rose 34% from $325 million in the first quarter of 2019. Gross margin expanded 550 basis points to 42.2% from 36.7%. The increase reflected significantly higher merchandise margins across brands, primarily due to higher full-priced sales, lower promotions and inventory optimization initiatives. Lower rent expense also benefited gross margin for the quarter. This was partly offset by higher delivery and distribution center costs, due to increased digital mix and higher shipment costs, as well as increased performance-based incentive compensation.
• Selling, general and administrative expense leveraged 40 basis points as a rate to sales, due to strong revenue growth. The dollar increase of $34 million from 2019, was due to performance-based incentive compensation, an increase in corporate salaries and higher variable selling expenses, partly offset by lower travel expense.
• Depreciation and amortization expense of $38 million decreased $7 million from $45 million in the first quarter of 2019, leveraging 140 basis points, due to strong revenue growth, asset impairments, as well as lower capital spending in 2020.
• Operating income of $133 million compared to operating income of $48M and adjusted operating income of $49 million in the first quarter of 2019. On an adjusted basis, the operating margin expanded 730 basis points to 12.9%, the highest rate since 2007. Aerie’s operating income increased 747% to $70 million from $8 million reflecting a 23.5% operating margin.  American Eagle operating income increased 39% to $151 million compared to $109 million reflecting a 20.8% operating margin
• Average diluted shares outstanding were 207 million compared to 174 million in first quarter 2019. The increase primarily reflected 34 million shares of unrealized dilution associated with the company’s convertible notes.
• EPS of $0.46 this year compared to EPS of $0.23 in the first quarter of 2019. Adjusted EPS of $0.48 this year excluded $0.02 of non-cash interest expense on the company’s convertible notes.  Adjusted EPS of $0.24 in first quarter of 2019 excluded $0.01 of restructuring charges.

Inventory

Total consolidated ending inventory at cost increased $11 million or 2% to $467 million compared to 2019. The increase was due to higher inventory for Aerie to support strong demand, assortment expansion and new store growth.  For the American Eagle brand, inventory declined due to inventory optimization initiatives and lower clearance levels.

Capital Expenditures

In the first quarter of 2021, capital expenditures totaled $37 million. For fiscal 2021, the company expects capital expenditures to be in the range of $250 to $275 million, prioritizing strategic customer-facing and supply chain investments.

Cash Flow and Balance Sheet

The company ended the period with total cash and short-term investments of $792 million, an increase from $350 million in first quarter 2019.  The quarter-end cash balance included $406 million in proceeds from the April 2020 convertible notes offering.

Conference Call and Supplemental Financial Information

Today, management will host a conference call and real time webcast at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. To listen to the call, dial 1-877-407-0789 or internationally dial 1-201-689-8562 or go to http://www.aeo-inc.com to access the webcast and audio replay.  Additionally, a financial results presentation is posted on the company’s website.

Non-GAAP Measures

This press release includes information on non-GAAP financial measures (“non-GAAP” or “adjusted”), including consolidated adjusted operating income and earnings per share, excluding non-GAAP items. These financial measures are not based on any standardized methodology prescribed by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and are not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Non-GAAP information is provided as a supplement to, not as a substitute for, or as superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.  Management believes that this non-GAAP information is useful for an alternate presentation of the company’s performance, when reviewed in conjunction with the company’s GAAP consolidated financial statements, as it helps identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be masked by the effect of the items that we exclude in such non-GAAP measures. Accordingly, we believe that adjusted operating income provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results, enhancing the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects, and allowing for greater transparency with respect to the key financial metrics used by our management in our financial and operational decision-making.

These amounts are not determined in accordance with GAAP and therefore, should not be used exclusively in evaluating the company’s business and operations.  We encourage investors and others to review our financial information in its entirety, not to rely on any single financial measure and to view these non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with the related GAAP financial measures.

* * * *

About American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) is a leading global specialty retailer offering high-quality, on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable prices under its American Eagle® and Aerie® brands. Our purpose is to show the world that there’s REAL power in the optimism of youth. The company operates stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong, and ships to 81 countries worldwide through its websites. American Eagle and Aerie merchandise also is available at more than 200 international locations operated by licensees in 33 countries. For more information, please visit www.aeo-inc.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

This release and related statements by management contain forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995), which represent our expectations or beliefs concerning future events, including second quarter 2021 results. All forward-looking statements made by the company involve material risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on many important factors, some of which may be beyond the company’s control. Words such as “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “potential,” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise and even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed or implied therein will not be realized. The following factors, in addition to the risks disclosed in Item 1A., Risk Factors, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2021 and in any other filings that we may make with the Securities and Exchange Commission in some cases have affected, and in the future could affect, the company’s financial performance and could cause actual results for fiscal 2021 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any of the forward-looking statements included in this release or otherwise made by management: the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and related operational disruptions; the risk that the company’s operating, financial and capital plans may not be achieved; our inability to anticipate customer demand and changing fashion trends and to manage our inventory commensurately; seasonality of our business; our inability to achieve planned store financial performance; our inability to react to raw material cost, labor and energy cost increases; our inability to gain market share in the face of declining shopping center traffic; our inability to respond to changes in e-commerce and leverage omni-channel demands; our inability to expand internationally; difficulty with our international merchandise sourcing strategies; challenges with information technology systems, including safeguarding against security breaches; and global economic, public health, social, political and financial conditions, and the resulting impact on consumer confidence and consumer spending, as well as other changes in consumer discretionary spending habits, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and liquidity.

CONTACT:          

Olivia Messina

412-432-3300

LineMedia@ae.com

May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. At AEO, we are taking this time to reflect on the significance of the AAPI community as we seek to amplify their voices, stories and contributions.

AEO is an industry leader—attracting top talent who are eager to play a role in the company’s incredible performance and future growth. Bk, Vice President of Data Technology & Analytics is one of the many tenured leaders who was compelled to join the AEO family. Originally from southern India, he has been in the tech industry for nearly 25 years. Throughout his entire career, Bk has been a passionate advocate for driving inclusion and building diverse teams and is excited to continue his work here at AEO.

What drew you to AEO?

AEO was intriguing to me because of the growth opportunity. I am really excited to mix my technical experience with my retail experience and help propel the growth of AEO and the American Eagle and Aerie brands. We have a tremendous growth plan laid out for us here and I knew I wanted to be part of it. I am excited to bring that value to the table even faster!

What advice would you give to young professionals?

Initially, you need to be open to learning and remove the entitlement mentality. Second, you must find what you’re passionate about. It’s so important to love your job. Last, you have to work hard. People often see success stories like Mark Zuckerburg and think it happens overnight, but what they don’t see is the work they had to put in to get there.

This month is AAPI Heritage Month. Why is Inclusion & Diversity so important, especially in the tech space?

Everyone has unique strengths that make them special. Inclusion and diversity is all about appreciating  individual differences. It’s my job to accept people for who they are and I know as a leader it is my responsibility to create an environment where everyone feels included.

I once took a Zumba class and I was the only male. I was so uncomfortable the entire class. At the end of the session, the instructor commended me for showing up and making it through! The lesson I learned that day is the experience of a lot of women in technology, a historically male-dominated industry. Whenever I see a few women in a meeting with many men, I always think about that Zumba class and how it made me feel. I make it a point to reach out and include  women so they know they always have a seat at the table.

How do you hope to impact the I&D work here at AEO?

I will continue to ask myself “how can I make a difference in people’s lives?” As a leader, I can advocate for marginalized groups. I have been doing a lot of research to educate myself on others’ cultures and experiences. I can be a voice for anyone as long as I continue learning.

May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. At AEO, we are taking this time to reflect on the significance of the AAPI community as we seek to amplify their voices, stories and contributions.

American Eagle District Team Leader, Christine has been in retail for nearly 20 years. Originally from South Korea, she moved to Canada with her aunt and uncle as a young child to pursue better education and more opportunities. Christine shared her journey adjusting to a new culture and her growth and success in the retail world in her own words below.

The first thing I noticed when I moved to Canada was everyone looked so different. I really loved seeing the different hair colors and the clothing styles. I had a lot of people ask about my culture, and I was able to explain some differences between Asian cultures. People knew of Chinese and Japanese cultures, but Korea wasn’t a country people thought of when seeing an Asian person. I was able to share my experiences and learn more about how other children were raised in Canada.

Once I finished high school, I went to George Brown college in Toronto and studied creative fashion design. While I was in school, I had a goal to work at Max Brown Fashion Discount Store to further my fashion knowledge. I would apply week after week, and finally I was hired because I was persistent on applying! During school, I worked as a part-time sales associate and six months later, I became the assistant manager. After another six months, I had my own store!

20 years later, I have spent my entire retail career in retail and currently serve as the American Eagle District Team Leader for Maritimes Canada. My job is really about connecting with my internal and external guests and creating a work environment where everyone wants to do their best! I take pride in upholding the AEO culture and practice inclusion in everything I do.

I feel so lucky to work for AEO. I love the people and I am surrounded by leaders and teams who love what they do. Working here makes me feel like I really am a part of something bigger. Plus, the company has given me so many opportunities. Last year, I was awarded a Gold and Diamond Council award — a top performing field leadership award at AEO. Winning that was so meaningful, especially after the year we had.

AAPI Heritage Month is important to me because it’s my roots– being Asian is a part of who I am. When I look at my culture, I am proud of how we have evolved and how we have infused our culture into different areas of the world. People now love kimchi and Korean barbecue and I love that the rest of the world is appreciating some of the things that make Korea great!

I am so thankful to have had my experiences and to have led such a successful life!

In the continued effort to fight fast fashion and make the fashion industry more sustainable and environmentally friendly, American Eagle is rolling out its new limited edition jean collection in conjunction with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign Project.

Made from 100 percent organic cotton, easy to recycle, and produced without any environmentally harmful chemicals, the collection is meant to put the planet first while simultaneously being stylish. American Eagle released a statement explaining its goal behind the collection and why it’s important.

“Today, the brand is launching a new limited jean collection, using guidelines as a part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign Project,” American Eagle stated. “Simultaneously, AEO, Inc. is reinforcing its mission towards becoming more environmentally responsible.”

American Eagle has consistently stood to limit the harm it does on the environment when producing its garments. Since 2017 the brand has been able to save a total of 4.5 billion gallons of water with recycling and reduction efforts. It also reduced its water usage in jeans by 21 percent in 2020, with advancements in their production.

The new collection includes two mom jean fits, which offer a looser silhouette for women, and also two slim jean styles for men. AE’s limited jean collection in partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign Project is available exclusively on the brand’s website at a retail price of $59.95.