American fashion brands Forever 21, American Eagle return to Japan

TOKYO, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Forever 21 and American Eagle Outfitters Inc ( AEO.N ) are both U.S. fast fashion brands to return to Japan after exiting the market in 2019, company filings said on Wednesday.

Japanese trading company Itotsu Corporation (8001.T) said that Forever 21 will start e-commerce sales next February and open a physical store in the spring, which has acquired domestic sales and licensing rights for the brand.

Forever 21 was acquired by New York-based Authentic Brands Group (ABG) in 2020. Itotsu said in August that it is working with ABG to expand Eddy Bauer stores in Japan after that brand closes its last store in the country in December 2021. Read more

American Eagle announced in October that it is returning to Japan with two flagship stores in the Tokyo neighborhoods of Shibuya and Ikubukuro. The brand was only available online in Japan following the closure of its last physical stores in 2019.

Reporting by Rocky Swift and Miho Uranaka; Edited by Christian Schmollinger

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