Manufacturing

eBags Corporate Office

A group of five people founded eBags in 1998: John Nordmark, Peter Cobb, Frank Steed, Andy Youngs, and Eliot Cobb.

They launched an e-commerce site, www.ebags.com, in 1999 with seven brands, including Samsonite, JanSport, and Skyway luggage.

eBags drop-shipped most products directly from manufacturers to customers, meaning eBags did not keep any stock but rather transferred the merchandise directly from manufacturer or wholesaler to the customer.

The company grew, experiencing some downturn which caused it to diversify into handbags and purses.

eBags expanded unsuccessfully to Europe in 2004, and ended up shutting that operation down in 2008.

Today eBags is an online retailer of handbags, luggage, backpacks, laptop bags, and accessories from more than 500 brands. It has its own brand, The eBags Brand, and also operates handbags.com.

eBags, Inc.

A group of five people founded eBags in 1998: John Nordmark, Peter Cobb, Frank Steed, Andy Youngs, and Eliot Cobb.

They launched an e-commerce site, www.ebags.com, in 1999 with seven brands, including Samsonite, JanSport, and Skyway luggage.

History

The company grew, experiencing some downturn which caused it to diversify into handbags and purses.

eBags expanded unsuccessfully to Europe in 2004, and ended up shutting that operation down in 2008.

Today eBags is an online retailer of handbags, luggage, backpacks, laptop bags, and accessories from more than 500 brands. It has its own brand, The eBags Brand, and also operates handbags.com.

Talbots Corporate Office

Talbots was founded by husband-wife team Rudolf and Nancy Talbot in 1947 in Hingham, Massachusetts when they opened their first store.

Soon after, they began marketing by direct mail to names bought from The New Yorker Magazine.

The company was growing with five stores and a growing catalog business when it was sold to General Mills in 1973.

In 1988, after further expanding the brand, General Mills sold its retail division to JUSCO Co. Ltd.

Talbots began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in 1993, trading under the symbol TLB.

Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm, acquired Talbots in 2012 and the company became private again.

Today Talbots operates 495 stores in 45 United States and Canada. The chain specializes in private-label, classically-styled apparel, shoes, and accessories for women over 35 years old.

In October 2020, the company announed that they were expanding into home goods and decorative items.

Talbots maintains a corporate office where it was founded, in Hingham, Massachusetts.

The Talbots, Inc.

Talbots was founded by husband-wife team Rudolf and Nancy Talbot in 1947 in Hingham, Massachusetts when they opened their first store.

Soon after, they began marketing by direct mail to names bought from The New Yorker Magazine.

History

The company was growing with five stores and a growing catalog business when it was sold to General Mills in 1973.

In 1988, after further expanding the brand, General Mills sold its retail division to JUSCO Co. Ltd.

Talbots began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in 1993, trading under the symbol TLB.

Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm, acquired Talbots in 2012 and the company became private again.

Today Talbots operates 495 stores in 45 United States and Canada. The chain specializes in private-label, classically-styled apparel, shoes, and accessories for women over 35 years old.

In October 2020, the company announed that they were expanding into home goods and decorative items.

Talbots maintains a corporate office where it was founded, in Hingham, Massachusetts.

Ralph Lauren Corporate Office

Ralph Lauren founded the Ralph Lauren Corporation in 1967. At first, the company only sold men’s ties. Two years later, Ralph Lauren had a boutique store for ties inside Bloomingdale’s department store in Manhattan.

Around the same time, he released a line of women’s suits that were tailored in men’s style with the Polo emblem on the cuff. This was the first time the Polo emblem was seen.

In 1971 the first Ralph Lauren stand-alone store opened in Beverly Hills, California.

In 1981 the company opened its first international location in London.

The Polo Sport Line was introduced in 1993.

The company went public in 1997, trading on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker RL. By that time Ralph Lauren was an umbrella corporation for the company’s various brands and other ventures.

Today Ralph Lauren includes the brands Polo by Ralph Lauren, Chaps, Rugby, RRL, Club Monaco, and RLX Ralph Lauren. The company designs and markets apparel and home furnishings, and fragrances. The company has 380 stores and its products are available at 11,000 locations worldwide.

Ralph Lauren Corporation is #370 in the Fortune 500, a member of the S&P 500, has 19,000 employees, and had $5 billion in revenue in 2010.

Ralph Lauren Corporation

Around the same time, he released a line of women’s suits that were tailored in men’s style with the Polo emblem on the cuff. This was the first time the Polo emblem was seen.

In 1971 the first Ralph Lauren stand-alone store opened in Beverly Hills, California.

History

In 1981 the company opened its first international location in London.

The Polo Sport Line was introduced in 1993.

Ralph Lauren Corporation is #370 in the Fortune 500, a member of the S&P 500, has 19,000 employees, and had $5 billion in revenue in 2010.

American Eagle Corporate Office

American Eagle Outfitters was launched as a division of Silvermans Menswear, Inc. in 1977.

Mark Silverman, CEO of Silvermans Menswear, and Jerry Silverman, COO, were the third-generation running the family business. The brothers decided to diversify the company’s product line to grow the company and to be able to open more than one store in the same mall.

The company grew throughout the 1980’s and had 137 stores in 1989. At that point the brand began to lose money and the Schottensteins bought out the Silverman brothers to become owners of the brand.

The Schottensteins changed the direction of the company, which found its present niche in casual clothing for men and women.

American Eagle Outfitters went public in 1994, trading on the NASDAQ. The money infusion from the IPO helped the company to open 90 additional stores the following year.

In the years following the company refocused on the demographics of people between the ages of 18 and 32, to great success.

Current CEO Jay Schottenstein said in an April 2021 interview that he expected retail stores to have a “roaring 20’s” type of comeback after the pandemic.

Today American Eagle Outfitters has 911 stores and 158 Aerie stand-alone stores, has almost 23,000 employees, and had $3.61 billion in revenue in 2016.

American Eagle Outfitters

American Eagle Outfitters was launched as a division of Silvermans Menswear, Inc. in 1977.

History

The Schottensteins changed the direction of the company, which found its present niche in casual clothing for men and women.

American Eagle Outfitters went public in 1994, trading on the NASDAQ. The money infusion from the IPO helped the company to open 90 additional stores the following year.

In the years following the company refocused on the demographics of people between the ages of 18 and 32, to great success.

Current CEO Jay Schottenstein said in an April 2021 interview that he expected retail stores to have a “roaring 20’s” type of comeback after the pandemic.

Today American Eagle Outfitters has 911 stores and 158 Aerie stand-alone stores, has almost 23,000 employees, and had $3.61 billion in revenue in 2016.

REI Corporate Office

Recreational Equipment Incorporated, commonly known as REI, was founded by Lloyd and Mary Anderson in 1938 in Seattle, Washington. They had imported an ice axe from Austria and decided to set up a cooperative to help other people buy quality outdoor recreational equipment at reasonable prices.

At first the company was known as REI Co-op and was primarily focused on equipment for backpackers, climbers, and mountaineering expeditions.

In the 1980’s the company’s focus changed to family camping, kayaking, bicycling, and other outdoor sports. Sport-casual clothing also became an important part of the product line at this time.

REI still operates as a co-op for its members, but this title has been dropped as it also does business with the general public whether they are members or not.

REI has repeatedly been ranked in the top 100 of Fortune’s Top 100 Companies to Work for in the United States, finally earning the #8 spot in the Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For: All Stars in 2013.

REI has 11.6 million members, over 11,000 employees, and had $1.93 billion in revenue in 2012.

REI

At first the company was known as REI Co-op and was primarily focused on equipment for backpackers, climbers, and mountaineering expeditions.

In the 1980’s the company’s focus changed to family camping, kayaking, bicycling, and other outdoor sports. Sport-casual clothing also became an important part of the product line at this time.

History

REI still operates as a co-op for its members, but this title has been dropped as it also does business with the general public whether they are members or not.

REI has 11.6 million members, over 11,000 employees, and had $1.93 billion in revenue in 2012.