American Eagle soars high above the competition

American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) saw a much lower rate of sales decline as stores were forced to close during the pandemic and the retailer's Aerie banner posted a 32 percent increase in revenue. The retailer's focused approach on listening to and meeting the needs of Gen Z consumers appears to be the difference-maker for AEO. “We’re gathering feedback from customers at every step,” said Jay Schottenstein, chairman and CEO of the retailer. “We’re reading comments on social, we’re getting feedback in stores.”