AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS INC

Macroeconomic Conditions and Inflation

During Fiscal 2022 and Fiscal 2023, our results were negatively impacted by macro-economic challenges and global inflationary pressures impacting consumer spending behavior, which constrained revenue and increased margin pressure to clear through excess inventory. Given ongoing external uncertainties, we have taken additional actions to improve financial performance, including more operating efficiency initiatives. For further information about the risks associated with global economic conditions and the effect of economic pressures on our business, see “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report.

Omni-Channel and Digital Capabilities

We sell merchandise through our digital channels, www.ae.com, www.aerie.com, and our AEO apps, both domestically and internationally in approximately 80 countries. We also sell AE and Aerie brand merchandise on various international online marketplaces. We offer Todd Snyder and Unsubscribed brand products online at www.toddsnyder.com and www.unsubscribed.com, respectively. The digital channels reinforce each particular brand and are designed to complement the in-store experience.

Over the past several years, we have invested in building our technologies and digital capabilities. We focused our investments in three key areas: making significant advances in mobile technology, investing in digital marketing and improving the digital customer experience.

Shifting Strategy

As e-commerce penetration and growth has normalized coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the supply chain landscape has continued to evolve. In Fiscal 2023, as part of our profit improvement initiative, we began to streamline and shift the operations of Quiet Platforms to better align with AEO's long term strategy. As a result of these changes, Quiet Platforms has refined its focus on its core capabilities as a regionalized fulfillment center network. The network has been updated to reflect this refined focus. The impact of the Quiet Platforms business changes resulted in $119.6 million impairment, restructuring and other charges in Fiscal 2023.

Our international business has also experienced changes in market conditions as a result of unbalanced recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company has made the decision to exit the Japan market fully as of the end of Fiscal 2023. Relative to Hong Kong, the Company has implemented a strategy to right-size our presence in the market given a slower than anticipated recovery. The impact of the change to our international strategy resulted in $21.8 million of impairment, restructuring and other charges recorded in Fiscal 2023.

Profit Improvement Program

We launched our profit improvement program during Fiscal 2023, which focused on a comprehensive review of our cost structure. Early actions have been focused on the components of gross margin and contributed to margin expansion in Fiscal 2023. Other significant work streams have been identified, actioned and incorporated into our Fiscal 2024 plans. The results of these initiatives are expected to yield gross margin expansion, as well as SG&A and depreciation leverage, resulting in an improved operating profit rate.