Retailer Faces Tough Times: American Eagle's First Quarter Struggles

American Eagle, a popular clothing store, has hit a rough patch. The company has decided to scrap its financial predictions for 2025. This comes after a disappointing first quarter, which ended in early May. Sales were lower than expected, and the company had to offer big discounts to clear out extra stock. This led to a significant loss for the quarter. The retailer expected to make around 1. 1 billion dollars in revenue. This is about 5% less than the same time last year. The company's own-brand stores saw a 3% drop in sales. Aerie, their lingerie brand, fared even worse with a 4% decline. This is much worse than they initially thought it would be. The company's CEO, Jay Schottenstein, admitted they messed up. He said their plans for the quarter didn't work out as they hoped. This led to too much stock and too many sales, which hurt their profits. They had to write off 75 million dollars worth of spring and summer clothes that didn't sell. This, along with the heavy discounting, resulted in an operating loss of around 85 million dollars. The company is now trying to fix these issues. They've started the second quarter with a better inventory plan. They're also looking at their future plans to improve product performance and buying strategies. The company also mentioned that the uncertain economy and possible changes in tariff policies might have played a role in their struggles. It's not all doom and gloom, though. The company had some inventory issues at the start of the quarter. They needed to restock in some key areas, especially at Aerie, which has been a big growth driver for them. Despite these challenges, they're working hard to turn things around. The company is actively evaluating their forward plans.