AEO ICON Finalist: Terry Roberts, Vice President – Employment Law and Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer
Each year, AEO honors one associate who has achieved significant accomplishments, personifies our values and who has left an indelible impact on our company and people. Over the next several weeks, we will spotlight the top three finalists for the 2019 AEO ICON.
Meet Terry Roberts, Vice President Employment Law and Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer. As AEO’s primary attorney focused on employment law, Terry has been a consummate professional and trusted business partner since joining the organization in 2016. In his role, Terry provides guidance on all legal matters relating to our associates including immigration and employment law issues.
Terry also spearheads our Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) efforts across AEO. This includes leading the I&D Alliance which is focused on creating an environment at AEO where everyone feels respected and empowered. The I&D Alliance is structured around three key pillars of inclusion: hiring, culture, and development. Terry’s partnership with the recruiting team has helped create relationships with diverse organizations such as HBCU’s and nonprofit organizations that help create access to diverse populations.
In 2019, Terry was pivotal in the creation and rollout of the AEO Sexual Harassment Training across the US and Canada. Terry designed comprehensive, innovative and interactive training materials to educate all of our corporate associates on how to prevent and recognize sexual harassment in the workplace. He coordinated logistics to train over 300 associates in more than 15 sessions across several states. He cleverly referred to the training as a “Terry Talks” and delivered the content in a manner that was comprehensible and relatable to participants. This was evident by the amount of participation and dialogue generated in the sessions. In the spirit of “Getting Real,” Terry even managed to incorporate current events and case studies to the discussion to help participants understand complex concepts, such as adverse and disparate impact. We received a flurry of positive feedback following the training. Can you believe that? Positive, glowing feedback on a Mandatory Sexual Harassment Training! Kudos, Terry!
Terry leads with authenticity –it’s his core value. He firmly believes that associates should have pride in who they are and not be afraid to say and live it. It’s that value that empowers him to drive change in our organization and to build relationships with associates at every level.
Congrats, Terry, on your nomination!
AEO ICON Finalist: Jen Baiker, Sr. Director – Supply Chain Services & Excellence
Each year, AEO honors one associate who has achieved significant accomplishments, personifies our values and who has left an indelible impact on our company and people. Over the next several weeks, we will spotlight the top three finalists for the 2019 AEO ICON.
Meet Jen Baiker, Sr. Director- Supply Chain Services & Excellence. Jen was nominated for the 2019 AEO ICON award for her efforts in leading a variety of key supply chain initiatives. At the highest level, Jen drove significant improvements that resulted in time and cost reductions as well as enabled efficiencies that spanned the entire supply chain.
By leading others through our REAL Values, applying her passion for logistics and coupling that with her technical expertise, Jen project managed several key initiatives that increased velocity of incoming freight and significantly reduced transit time to stores and customers. Through her commitment to various service improvements, she has helped lay the foundation for the supply chain to become a competitive advantage for AEO, Inc. and has begun leading the way for future enhancements and innovation, both contractually and operationally. Jen also drove significant cost reductions over various programs as a result of process improvements and the move to more automated platforms.
Lastly, it is important to note the impact she has on our people. Jen’s team grew from 10 to 25 in 2019. During this time, she prioritized the entire department’s engagement with our strategies while demonstrating optimism and enthusiasm for the supply chain of the future vision.
Kudo’s Jen, we thank you for your leadership and contribution to AEO, Inc.!
People: TikTok Star Addison Rae Styles and Photographs Herself in New American Eagle Campaign
Addison Rae shot her American Eagle #AExME Back to School campaign from her bedroom
Addison Easterling wants to encourage her 51 million TikTok followers to embrace their “most authentic selves” and her new campaign with American Eagle is helping her do just that.
The TikTok star (aka Addison Rae) is the new face of American Eagle’s #AExME Back to School ’20 ads, which features the brand’s first-ever virtually-produced shoot (due to the coronavirus pandemic).
“For me, being a part of the #AExME BTS ’20 Campaign is about sharing how I express myself,” the dancer tells PEOPLE. “AE gave me, and the other six real kids, complete creative control — we even styled and photographed ourselves in our own bedrooms.”
Easterling, who says she’s been wearing American Eagle jeans “for as long as I can remember” and modeled AE’s new Dream and AirFlex+ Athletic denim styles in the campaign, opens up to PEOPLE about why the partnership was a natural fit.
After experiencing her fair share of trolls and body-shamers as her popularity began to rise on social media, Easterling wants to use her platform to help instill confidence in others — something American Eagle is all about.
“AE’s commitment to celebrating inclusivity is one of the reasons I decided to partner with the brand,” she says. “I’ve built my platform on being my real self, and I recognize that I can have a huge impact. I’m committed to using my voice to continue to champion for others to love their real, most authentic selves.”
“I want to bring attention to the fact that it’s not OK and never right to judge someone else’s body,” she adds. “All bodies are beautiful and no one should make anyone feel badly for theirs.”
Of course, it helps to have mentors — like her close friend Kourtney Kardashian — reminding her to tune out the hate and focus on the positive.
“One of my friends, Kourtney Kardashian, has told me to appreciate and look at the bigger picture and to not get so caught up in the micro,” she says. “Just enjoy what you have and don’t let things get to you too much because there’s so much else to be happy about.”
While catching up with the star, we asked her a few other burning questions — check out her current obsessions, TikTok tips and more, below.
What has been your biggest “pinch me” moment so far?
AR: Having a billboard in N.Y.C. for both American Eagle and my new Spotify podcast, Mama Knows Best.
American Eagle notably handed everyday Gen Zers creative control of its marketing campaigns to launch the #AExME platform in 2018. The retailer’s latest advertising effort also marks a first: It worked with a new group of young stars to direct, shoot and produce an entire campaign remotely using Zoom.
The brand has debuted its #AExME Back to School (BTS) ’20 Campaign with a video inspired by TikTok and its creative relevance to young consumers. Set to the song Boa Noite by Tropkillaz, the campaign features seven ambassadors dancing in their homes in styles ranging from ballet and hip-hop to jazz and contemporary.
To mirror transition effects frequently seen on the video-creation platform, each creator uses a smartphone or instant camera to create practical effects to “pass” their dance to the next person. The creators use TikTok techniques that include The Stranger Things Challenge and the Ultra Spin transition.
The campaign stars TikTok influencer Addison Rae, who has more than 51 million followers and is the second-most-followed person on the platform. Rae previously collaborated with the brand for its virtual prom in May. The video also stars new ambassadors Donyea Martin, Hannah Hawkins, Irene Luna, Jevohn Gentry, Makayla London and Sumi Oshima, all of whom sport clothes from AE’s new fall collection.
AE creative director Michael Goldberg said the campaign is the latest iteration of the brand’s commitment to celebrating the individuality and diversity of Gen Z, with an emphasis on dance and social media creativity as forms of self-expression.
“I was inspired by the incredible talent of real kids producing innovative creative content in social media. I watched YouTube editing tutorials made by actual TikTok creators, and the entire campaign was truly built around what is happening on TikTok today,” Goldberg said. “But I didn’t want to just imitate or reproduce that content in our campaign. By truly co-creating with these young dancers, it became a creative collaboration and a chance for AE to really participate in youth culture.”
As remotely produced campaigns become the new norm during the Covid-19 pandemic, Goldberg explained that preparing for and executing the campaign with zero real-life interaction between the cast and crew was new territory for the brand.
The creators worked with artist Allie Smith, who helped them develop their hair and makeup looks for the shoot over Zoom. The cast self-shot their dances and sent them to the brand’s in-house production and creative team, which worked with them on live edits.
The crew then compiled the footage to create seamless transitions between frames. Goldberg said physical production lasted eight days. AE also tapped marketing and communications firm Shadow to manage PR for the campaign.
“When we started co-creating with our cast for #AExME in 2018, part of my job remained traditionally hands-on as a director, [with responsibilities] like managing a crew who did lighting and production design,” Goldberg said. “Working remotely, I felt the freedom to hand over significant creative control to our cast. We didn’t have to dramatically pivot; we simply evolved and went further to create a truly collaborative moment. In the end, it’s the kids that are responsible for the final output.”
The campaign also introduces the brand’s Dream and AirFlex + Athletic jeans, along with a range of tops and streetwear worn by the cast. Goldberg added that a primary goal with the #AExME platform is to have ambassadors offer customers style inspiration through their own style preferences, rather than suggestions from the brand.
Goldberg added that he hopes the new campaign offers a relevant example of how Gen Z is using common tools to make creative and entertaining digital content, especially with physical limitations.
“By sharing their work with the world, I hope others will be inspired by their originality and passion,” he said. “The work this group of kids produced should give us hope for the future of creativity.”
American Eagle Launches Back to School ’20 Campaign Shot Entirely Over Zoom Highlighting the Self-Expression of Youth Culture and Their Love of TikTok
Brand Combines Technology with Innovation and Taps Real Kids, Including TikTok Star Addison Rae, to Showcase Newness in Jeans, Featuring Ultimate Comfort for Limitless Movement
07.21.20 NEW YORK – (BUSINESS WIRE) – American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) announced today that its American Eagle brand will launch its #AExME Back To School (BTS) ‘20 Campaign which depicts the self-expression happening in youth culture, particularly across social media. The campaign represents the brand’s latest iteration of its #AExME platform, which features real, everyday kids. For the BTS ‘20 Campaign, AE cast young people with a shared passion for dance for its first-ever virtually-produced campaign inspired by TikTok and its creative relevancy to the AE community. Simultaneously, the brand is launching an innovative assortment of new jeans for Fall with the debut of its Dream and AirFlex+ Athletic fits.
As social distancing became the new reality, AE leaned further into the evolution of its #AExME platform of handing over complete creative control to a cast of real kids, although this time virtually. The campaign was directed, shot, and produced entirely through Zoom, in addition to cell phone photography, polaroid, and camera film capture. Elements traditionally conducted in person took on the form of virtual tutorials, including hair and makeup guidance by artist Allie Smith. Continuing the work of the past highly revered #AExME campaigns, the cast shot all content and styled themselves in AE’s collection of jeans, tops and accessories. The group worked closely with the AE creative team across the U.S. to receive live edits. The campaign video, set to the song “Boa Noite” by Tropkillaz, and imagery utilizes components to mirror TikTok content with unique transitions that are relevant to the brand’s socially connected community.
“At AE, we are always looking to engage with our customers on how and where they are spending their time – TiKTok has become increasingly important. Although back to school may look different this year, we know that our customers will continue to express themselves through music and dance and that social media will remain the #1 one way they interact. Technology, innovation and social media offer AE an opportunity to connect our community with each other, and our brand, even if we aren’t physically together,” said Chad Kessler, American Eagle Global Brand President. “As the leader in jeans, AE continues to prioritize quality, fit and comfort for the back to school season. The new campaign showcases the ultimate comfort and flexibility of our new Dream and AirFlex+ Athletic fits through the power of movement. We believe a great fitting pair of AE jeans are the perfect back to school style no matter where that is.”
Representing diverse backgrounds in dance, from ballet, jazz, hip hop to tap and contemporary, the cast includes Donyea Martin, Hannah Hawkins, Irene Luna, Jevohn Gentry, Makayla London, and Sumi Oshima. The cast was also joined by creator Addison Rae, who has over 50M TikTok followers and is the second-most-followed person on the platform. Recognized for expressing herself through music and dance, Addison has already created an authentic connection with the AE community through earlier initiatives including the #AExMEProm.
“I have been wearing American Eagle jeans for as long as I can remember, so being a part of the back to school campaign felt authentic to my real style,” said Addison Rae. “AE understands what my generation wants, and I love how the brand empowers kids to express themselves, which for me is through music and dance.”
The campaign illustrates the cast expressing themselves through dance, the ultimate form of movement, and highlights how the jeans’ advanced fabric makes for endless stretch and unparalleled comfort. This Fall, the brand introduces the following:
For her, the Dream fit offers booty-lifting, body-hugging, four-way stretch with endless holding power that never bags out.
For him, the Airflex+ Athletic fit was designed in the highest level of stretch fabric for lightweight flexibility and comfort.
An assortment of tops and layering options that the customer can style into their everyday wardrobe to show their creativity, tapping into themes of 90’s nostalgia and 70’s revival for her, and drawing inspiration from sport and streetwear for him.
WWD: Real Kids Create BTS Campaign for American Eagle
A diverse cast created TikTok-inspired films that will air on the retailer’s social media channels.
What’s the best way to create an ad campaign during a pandemic? If you’re American Eagle, you ask your loyal customers to do it for you.
The teen retailer reached out to a cast of real kids for its first virtually produced back-to-school campaign. The young men and women directed, shot and produced their own TikTok-inspired films through Zoom, smartphone photos, Polarioids and camera film. They received tutorials on how to do their hair and makeup by artist Allie Smith and then shot and styled themselves in the brand’s jeans, tops and accessories. A video for the campaign is set to the song “Boa Noite” by Tropkillaz and will be featured on American Eagle’s social media channels beginning Tuesday.
“At American Eagle, we are always looking to engage with our customers on how and where they are spending their time — TikTok has become increasingly important,” said Chad Kessler, global brand president for the retail chain. “Although back-to-school may look different this year, we know that our customers will continue to express themselves through music and dance and that social media will remain the number-one way they interact. Technology, innovation and social media offer AE an opportunity to connect our community with each other, and our brand, even if we aren’t physically together.”
He said even though the featured cast members were given tutorials by the brand, “they did everything in their bedrooms and houses. It’s really remarkable.”
The campaign features teens who have a wide variety of backgrounds in dance, ranging from ballet and jazz to hip-hop and tap. The cast includes Donyea Martin, Hannah Hawkins, Irene Luna, Jevohn Gentry, Makayla London and Sumi Oshima along with creator Addison Rae, who has more than 50 million TikTok followers and is the second-most-followed person on the platform. Addison has worked with the brand in the past, notably for its prom campaign this spring.
“I have been wearing American Eagle jeans for as long as I can remember, so being a part of the back-to-school campaign felt authentic to my real style,” Rae said. “AE understands what my generation wants, and I love how the brand empowers kids to express themselves, which for me is through music and dance.”
The campaign also serves to promote the company’s newest denim fits, the Dream, a body-hugging model with four-way stretch for women, and the AirFlex+ Athletic fit stretch model for men.
Kessler said that although the company’s stores were closed for months because of the pandemic, its jeans business continued to be strong online as well as when the stores reopened “and people started thinking about back-to-school.” And although it’s still uncertain whether kids will be returning to school this fall in many parts of the country, Kessler said American Eagle is still committed to dressing them, even if they attend classes virtually.
“Kids lost so many things this year and we’ve tried to be there for them in a virtual environment to provide social and digital engagement and let them know they’re not alone,” Kessler said.
AEO ICON Finalist: Marc Lambo, Senior Director- Associate Experience & Communication
Each year, AEO honors one associate who has achieved significant accomplishments, personifies our values and who has left an indelible impact on our company and people. Over the next several weeks we will spotlight the top three finalists for the 2019 AEO ICON.
Meet Marc Lambo, Sr. Director of Associate Experience and Store Communication. Marc was chosen as an 2019 AEO ICON finalist for exemplifying AEO’s core values of People, Integrity, Passion, Innovation and Teamwork.
In 2019, Marc led a variety of initiatives that innovated the way our field team operates and created an almost entirely digital associate experience. He was able to push the boundaries of what his team and the field organization were capable of doing by honing in on what matters most and ensuring we are executing as leaders in the retail marketplace.
Marc leads a variety of teams under the Store Operations umbrella, including Store Experience, Training, Video Production, Visual Production, Store Communication and Workload Planning. He empowers not only his team, but the people around him to think big and make big things happen. Under his leadership, each of his teams have been able to move forward on projects that have changed the way our field teams operate for the better. His reach extends all the way to our Brand Ambassadors working in each and every store. Marc’s innovation and passion impacts everything from how our stores teams start their shift, their understanding of AEO Inc.’s vision and purpose, and their motivation to drive results and celebrate success. This deep understanding of what it means to lead with PEOPLE is a quality that few leaders possess.
Congratulations to Marc on this much deserved nomination!
Fast Company: Iconic mall brand American Eagle Outfitters just opened a bougie boutique in the Hamptons
If you’re lucky enough to escape to the East Hamptons for the summer, you might stumble upon a newly opened boutique called Unsubscribed.
If you don your mask and pop into the store, you’ll be greeted by vintage wood product displays and a lot of open space. The vibe is what you’d expect in a typical high-end shop in the neighborhood. There are few clues that Unsubscribed is, in fact, an experimental new project from AEO Inc., the parent company of iconic teen mall brands American Eagle and Aerie. While it has a tiny footprint for now, this move could be a glimpse into how retailers will survive the ongoing retail apocalypse, which has only been exacerbated by the coronavirus lockdowns.
Unsubscribed is the brainchild of Jennifer Foyle, the global brand president of Aerie. The store features its own private label collection of recycled nylon swimsuits, silk dresses, cashmere sweaters, and oxford button downs that cost between $40 and $550. They’re classic designs that are meant to be worn for years, in stark contrast to the fast fashion trend of the other AEO brands, which sold affordable clothes that reflected the latest trend. “Unsubscribed is a slow fashion concept,” Foyle says. “[Fewer] deliveries, elevated quality, beautiful design.” Unsubscribed also curates other labels, like sustainable shoe brand Veja and Indego Africa, which are handcrafted accessories from female artisans in Rwanda and Ghana.It’s a challenging time for AEO to be launching Unsubscribed, which is, for now, a single store concept. Consumer spending has been down since the coronavirus lockdowns began in March, and retailers with large brick and mortar footprints have been hit particularly hard. Neiman Marcus declared bankruptcy in April, and just this week, Brooks Brothers and Sur La Table followed suit. AE and Aerie both struggled with decreased revenues in the first quarter.
But this crisis also opens up opportunities for retailers to rethink their business models. AE and Aerie have invested heavily in their e-commerce platforms and digital presence, which has paid off during this crisis, with online sales increasing by 33%.
But AEO also appears to be rethinking its very concept of brick and mortar. From this experiment, the company appears to be testing out the theory that the future of retail will have a lot in common with retail of the past. Instead of going to suburban malls, consumers might be more inclined to visit stores close to where they live, work, and dine. And instead of experiencing the sensory overload and decision fatigue of large format stores packed with products, they’ll prefer to shop at smaller stores with highly curated collections.Will it work? We’ll have to wait and see. But other large retailers, like Sephora and Nordstrom, have also been shifting toward smaller stores embedded in neighborhoods, so AEO certainly seems to be heading in the right direction.
WWD: Todd Snyder Opening East Hampton Pop-Up
New York City is quiet in the summer, even without a pandemic, as residents escape the concrete jungle for the cooler climes at beaches and mountains.
So Todd Snyder is following the crowd and will open his first pop-up in East Hampton next week.
The 1,000-square-foot space at 50 Main Street will be located between Warby Parker and Dylan’s Candy Bar in the tiny vacation community. It is slated to open on Monday and continue through the end of the year. If it’s successful, Snyder said, it may become permanent.
“I’ve always had my eye on East Hampton since moving to New York 30-some years ago,” he said. Ralph Lauren’s shop in East Hampton, which Snyder called a “miniature version of his lifestyle,” was a particular incentive for him. “Even in normal times, the city slows down so we thought this was a good time to test the market.”
To decorate the pop-up, he said he’ll borrow a lot of the furniture and artifacts from the company’s New York City showroom, which remains closed, as well as its two stores. “Our Madison [Park] store opened last Thursday and the Liquor Store [on West Broadway] will open next week,” he said. “Because of the pandemic, we’re making things less dense to allow people to walk around, so we can repurpose the furniture. It worked out really well.”
Snyder said that since COVID-19 hit, his online business has been “really strong” and is serving to keep him connected to both his existing customers while becoming a way to attract new ones. Snyder believes the pop-up will serve the same purpose.
“We look at the Liquor Store as a ‘discovery shop,’” he said of his location in Tribeca in a former liquor store that had previously housed a J. Crew men’s store. “They can discover who we are and what we do. It’s an acquisition tool, like our catalogue. A lot of our customers have relocated to the Hamptons so we can serve them there and hopefully acquire more.”
The pop-up will carry an assortment that will be heavily skewed toward the company’s beach-related collection — about 75 percent will be swimwear, linen shirts, shorts and some casual sport coats, Snyder said. It will also include collaboration product from Champion, Hartford Swim, Moscot, Miansai and others.
“Then like we do at the Liquor Store, we’ll have items from our online collection that people can order and then have shipped. It cuts down on inventory and is a really good way for our customers to shop,” he said.
“Customer acquisition is our number-one goal along with driving people to our online business, which has been our saving grace. That’s why we’re looking at pop-ups so see if they work and we can convert people.”
Snyder’s business was purchased by American Eagle Outfitters for $11 million in 2015.
WWD Exclusive: Unsubscribed, American Eagle Outfitters’ Latest Brand, Focuses on ‘Slow Retail’
Inside American Eagle Outfitters’ new Unsubscribed store are phrases such as “less is more” and “kind. conscious. free spirited” painted along the walls, oversize green plants and lots of sunlight. Clothing is spaced at intervals on racks, invoking a sense of minimalism, with a select assortment of accessories, including handbags and sunglasses, on display.
“Unsubscribed is all about slowing down, celebrating the beauty of modern simplicity and taking things easy,” Jennifer Foyle, Aerie global brand president, told WWD about American Eagle Outfitters’ fourth brand, which was quietly launched last month in just one store in East Hampton, N.Y. American Eagle Outfitters also owns Aerie and Todd Snyder, in addition to the nameplate brand.
“The goal is to create a welcoming environment,” Foyle said about Unsubscribed. “It’s about taking it easy and enjoying a stress-free shopping experience amongst beautiful clothes and accessories that you can’t help but purchase.”
Which is one reason American Eagle Outfitters decided to launch the brand in one of America’s prime summer locales. “The Hamptons truly are the epitome of relaxation,” Foyle said, regarding the location.
Opening a brick-and-mortar store amid a global pandemic that has caused retailers to close up shop — temporarily and in some cases permanently — may seem like a strange move. But Foyle said she began devising the idea pre-pandemic.
In fact, sustainability has been on her mind for some time. Earlier this year, under Foyle’s leadership, Aerie launched a line of sustainable swimwear. The collection is made from Repreve, or about 1.2 million recycled plastic bottles. The intimates brand also regularly donates gently worn bras to women in need by way of recycling bins in stores. As of March, Aerie recycled more than 43,000 used bras through the program. And, when Aerie expanded its AerieReal role model program in January, it added Manuela Barón to the 2020 roster. (Barón is a visual artist known for making sustainable art, or art out of trash. She also blogs about her commitment to producing zero waste.)
“The generations coming up really care about sustainability and I think we have to address it,” Foyle told WWD in March. “To get to 100 percent perfection would never be easy. I think the most important thing about this topic is to be very transparent.”
Unsubscribed plays off the sustainability theme, incorporating the concept of “slow retail,” or products that last longer.
“We are referring not only to the quality of our product, but the shopping experience as a whole,” Foyle said recently. “And this begins with how we communicate with our customer. We respect the slower pace by reaching out less frequently and more thoughtfully.”
That’s why the brand is only dropping two collections a year, emphasizing quality over quantity. And while not all products are fully sustainable, Unsubscribed is aiming to be more socially conscious. Some in-store examples include domestically produced knitwear and fleece, recycled nylon swimwear, upcycled denim and handbags made from 100 percent postconsumer waste.
Brands such as Ubuntu, Nannacay, A.Shirt.Story, Boyish and Indego Africa can also be found in the store, in addition to the in-house label. Accessories start at $5; swimwear ranges from $70 to $250; dresses from $90 to $550, and tops from $40 to $300.
There will be no e-commerce business — at least not yet. Instead, the brand’s Instagram account and web site, unsubscribed.com, which goes live July 2, will feature seasonal look books, store imagery and question-and-answer spotlights with founders of the third-party brands.
“We believe in creating meaningful connections with our customers,” Foyle said. “Like we’ve done within our stores, we want to build a digital space where we can share creative content, new product and inspiring photos. And we recognize the power a digital platform has in bringing us together.”
That doesn’t mean Unsubscribed will never have an e-commerce element. Foyle said the brand plans to eventually open up the experience to shoppers outside of the New York area by way of an online shop.
“We’re excited for her to experience Unsubscribed, no matter where she is,” Foyle said. The exact date has not yet been set.
There is also “definitely the possibility” of expanding Unsubscribed’s retail fleet to other locations and markets in the future.
“However, we are being thoughtful and selective on those location choices,” Foyle said. “We plan to use our East Hampton store to test and learn this new brand and customer to help us gain valuable insights for future growth. The growth of the business is always top-of-mind and we’ve led with a best-in-class strategy for identifying new opportunities to continue our momentum.”
Meanwhile, American Eagle Outfitters has plans to expand the rest of its retail fleet. On the June conference call, Foyle said Aerie plans to open about 25 locations this year, a mix of stand-alone and side-by-side American Eagle-Aerie units, many of them in new markets, despite recent losses.
“AEO is a leader in the industry and we’re thrilled to be in a spot that allows us to grow with the introduction of Unsubscribed into our portfolio,” Foyle said. “Like everything we do, we’ve put a lot of time, passion and resources into launching the brand and are fortunate to turn this concept into a reality despite these challenging times.
“Also, as a company, we are always looking for new ways to expand our community,” Foyle continued. “We’re constantly listening and learning from our current customers and we’re excited to do the same for the Unsubscribed shopper. The East Hampton location is the perfect spot for us to reach her first through this single store concept.”
