We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Urban Outfitters, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the popular but polarizing brand that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: The Company Was Racist Toward Obama. In 2010, Urban Outfitters listed a color option for their BDG Burnout Henley as “OBAMA/BLACK,” while the lighter option was only listed as “WHITE.”
Number Seven: It Had Clothing Supporting Eating Disorders. In 2014, the brand released a shirt that had the words “Eat Less” on them, promoting eating disorders. The shirt may have been a jab at the high rates of obesity in America, but regardless, it was incredibly insensitive.
Number Six: Its Customers Are Broke. Urban Outfitters has a target market of people between the ages of 18 and 28, and many people in their customer base are broke. In fact, rather than go into a UO to buy something, many “customers” go into a store to see what looks cool and then buy the product online or in another cheaper store.
Number Five: It’s Working With Food, Too. Urban Outfitters’ headquarters are in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and its stores there have partnered with award-winning restaurant Pizzeria Vetri. This is a new move for UO, which has previously only ever partnered with coffee shops.
Number Four: Its “Sales” Are Not Really Sales. Urban Outfitters almost always has a crazy sale going on, but have you ever wondered how they can afford to do that? Well, just take a look at the original retail price of the products allegedly on “sale,” and you’ll understand.
Number Three: Hayne Studied Anthropology in College. Urban Outfitters’ CEO, Richard Hayne, studied anthropology – not Anthropologie – in college. However, he said he was a pretty unremarkable student.
Number Two: Hayne Lacks a Fashion Sense. Though Richard Hayne is UO’s CEO, he’s admitted that he shouldn’t be playing a role in the clothing they sell. He says that he would never try and figure out what 20-something girls want to wear and that he leaves it up to other employees.
Number One: It’s Undergoing a Serious Controversy With Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation may get millions from UO if a lawsuit is settled in their favor. The company has been selling apparel featuring the tribe’s name, and the tribe is not pleased about it (to say the least). We hope you enjoyed our list of 15 things you didn’t know about Urban Outfitters!