When a brand sees momentum stall so sharply, it often reflects a reputational or cultural factor cutting through to consumers.”

Foot traffic is down at American Eagle by almost 9% year-over-year for the week of Aug. 3, according to retail data firm Pass_by.

An American Eagle ad featuring actress Sydney Sweeney drew criticism in July for its tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” a pun on “jeans” and “genes.” For Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities,