Aéropostale’s One Big Mistake Was Trying To Be Cool

For fans of high stakes gambling, there’s Vegas and then there’s retail aimed at the American teenager. Take your pick. Either can make you very rich, or can obliterate your bank account in a single gasp. And if you hang around long enough, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be the latter—a harsh lesson that mall fashion brand Aéropostale has recently learned. In 2011, the company famous for its logo-laden clothing was cruising along in the financial fast lane, with $2.4 billion in annual sales. But then, suddenly, the tires blew out and the car spun out of control. Turns out teenagers, the demographic largely responsible for the money-printing success of Aéropostale—not to mention similar brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle—suddenly lost interest. Read more at Esquire.