Aerie Comps Up 32 Percent

American Eagle Outfitters (Pittsburgh) is reportedly accelerating the rate at which it's opening Aerie brand stores. It opened 40 stores in 2018, and next year it plans to increase that number to 60 or 70 stores.

This news comes on the heels of the company’s third-quarter earnings results, which included a 32-percent increase in Aerie store comps. This marks the brand’s 16th consecutive quarter of double-digit comp growth and follows last year’s 19-percent increase for the third quarter.

Meanwhile, the company’s namesake brand saw comps rise 5 percent. Accordingly, it is planning to open 15 to 20 new American Eagle stores next year. To beef up its store offerings for that brand, it is planning to begin offering online pickup options in stores, which could also help assuage the rising costs of digital sales fulfillment, according to Retail Dive.