This fall, American Eagle Outfitters celebrates its 40th anniversary and looks to the future with AE Studio, a remodel of AE’s store in a premiere location in NYC’s vibrant Union Square neighborhood. Opening November 10, AE Jeans will be a focal point of the studio’s first floor Jeans Gallery, where customers can engage in a unique and experiential shopping environment featuring AE’s leading collections. This includes an exclusive collaboration with Atelier & Repairs, an assortment of customized denim and apparel repurposed from AE’s previous collections. The creative atmosphere is meant to inspire community and collaboration.
AE Studio’s experience includes:
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Jeans Gallery featuring an in-store Maker’s Shop – Customers can shop AE’s extensive jeans collection and create one-of-a-kind pieces. The Maker’s Shop will feature options for customers to personalize their AE Jeans to fit their distinctive style.
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Onsite Social Media Team – AE’s social media team will have an in-store work space to directly engage with customers. Working in the heart of our studio, they’ll create content in real time and keep their finger on the pulse of the brand.
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Complimentary Laundry Wall – Students are offered a free place to do laundry. While they wait, they can hang out with friends or study in the studio bar and seating area and enjoy the view of Union Square.
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Digital Concierge iPads in dressing rooms – Customers can personalize their shopping experience and engage the brand with the tap of their finger.
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Collaboration Space – The space will feature capsule collections co-created with new brands, emerging designers, and artists.
“As we celebrate the success of the last four decades, we look ahead to create new brand experiences to inspire today’s customer, and broaden our leadership in jeans,” said Chad Kessler, American Eagle Outfitters Global Brand President. “AE Studio is a perfect example of our evolution where we invite customers to enjoy a unique brand experience, feel at home, and curate their distinct individual style.”
We think it had become imperative for AE to come out with a new niche as it has been sliding downhill with falling sales and profits and even experienced a 25% fall in share price earlier this year. Mid segment has become a tough place to be in and retailers like AE need to reinvent themselves to survive the Fast fashion onslaught !
Here are some images from the celebration and launch
About Atelier & Repairs x American Eagle
The collection features one-of-a-kind garments for men and women repurposed and customized solely from American Eagle’s previous collections. Co-founded by Maurizio Donadi, Atelier & Repairs aims to fix, improve, recreate and up-cycle product that already exists. The collection is priced $48 to $128 and currently sold at 22 AE stores nationwide including Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Boston, Miami and more. 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 Outfitters® and Aerie® brands. The company operates more than 1,000 stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China and Hong Kong, and ships to 82 countries worldwide through its websites. American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie merchandise also is available at more than 190 international locations operated by licensees. For more information, please visit www.ae.com.
