American Eagle Becomes First Fashion Retailer to Join Snap Map 

In a first-of-its-kind move for a specialty fashion retailer, American Eagle (AE) has teamed up with Snap Inc. to launch over 800 U.S. store locations as Promoted Places on Snap Map, Snapchat’s real-time, location-based discovery tool. The integration, which went live on July 9, is designed to meet Gen Z consumers where they already spend time — connecting with friends and discovering trends on Snapchat.

The launch is part of AE's biggest back-to-school jeans campaign to date, with more announcements still under wraps. When users tap on an American Eagle Promoted Place in Snap Map, they can:

• View localized content, including stories and spotlight videos from AE, creators, and other Snapchatters.
• Access store information, browse products, and click to shop directly on ae.com.
• Later this summer, try on AE denim virtually through the AE "Jeans Try-On Haul" AR Lens in Snapchat’s Lens Carousel and on the brand’s Public Profile.

"For retail brands, this is about turning digital discovery into real-world foot traffic,” said Crystal Alexander, senior manager, client partner at Snap Inc., in a blog post. “Snap Map is where millions of Snapchatters go to see what’s happening around them. With Promoted Places, we’re helping brands like American Eagle show up in everyday moments and major events like back-to-school shopping.”

Total Retail's Take: The move comes at a key moment: According to Snap research, 95 percent of Snapchatters plan to shop in-store for back-to-school this year, and Demandsage reports that 82 percent of U.S. social media users aged 18-24 use Snapchat at least monthly.

By integrating AE store locations into Snap Map — a feature accessed by 400 million users each month and opened over 40 billion times last quarter — AE is tapping into some of the most valuable Gen Z real estate in the social media landscape.

With this latest innovation, AE is setting a new standard for how fashion retailers engage Gen Z — blending physical retail, digital content, and social discovery into a single experience.