American Eagle rebalances marketing toward performance as sales slide

American Eagle Outfitters’ namesake brand is adjusting marketing strategy toward performance after comparable sales declined 2% year over year. Comparable sales for Aerie rose 25% for the spring period ended May 2, reaching a record for intimates and loungewear. American Eagle’s recent campaigns have relied heavily on celebrity collaborations, including work with Sydney Sweeney, which previously helped attract new customers and sell signature denim. Sweeney returned for the spring-summer 2026 campaign promoting jean shorts, with full impact still unclear. Executives said women’s bottoms drove the Q1 sales decline and stated plans to reignite the women’s business through improved product execution and brand positioning. Sponsorship of the Stagecoach country music festival was cited as a bright spot for reaching Gen Z customers.

"American Eagle Outfitters' namesake brand is rejiggering some of its marketing strategy toward performance following a quarter that saw comparable sales, an important measure of retailer health, decline 2% year over year. The slide at American Eagle stands in sharp contrast with sister brand Aerie, which grew comparable sales 25% for the spring period ended May 2, hitting a new record for the intimates and loungewear-focused business, according to an earnings statement."

"Ad campaigns for American Eagle have centered heavily on celebrity collaborations, including through controversy-stirring work with Sydney Sweeney. The partnership with the "Euphoria" actor last year helped draw new customers to the brand while Sweeney's signature denim items flew off of shelves. Sweeney returned in American Eagle's spring-summer 2026 campaign to promote jean shorts. It's too early to gauge the full impact of the latest Sweeney-led marketing push, which went live mid-April, but larger changes seem underway at American Eagle to respark growth heading into the critical back-to-school shopping window."

""While results at American Eagle were mixed, our teams are moving decisively to reignite the women's business and strengthen product execution and brand positioning," said Jay Schottenstein, CEO of parent AEO, in a press statement attached to the earnings. The apparel maker has other tie-ups it hopes will generate buzz with coveted Gen Z customers. Executives on the earnings call pointed to American Eagle's sponsorship of the Stagecoach country music festival, which is supported by young artists like Ella Langley and Bailey Zimmerman, as a bright spot."

"But in a broad sense, American Eagle appears to be gear-shifting tactics heading into the second half of the year as it tries to tie marketing more closely to conversions. "The "

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