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American Girl history
American Girl company history timeline
When Pleasant founded American Girl in 1986, she believed that great stories with aspirational characters could inspire girls to make their own positive mark on the world—and she was right.
Since our start in 1986, we’ve dedicated our entire business to being a trusted partner in building girls of strong character and helping them reach their full potential.
By 1991 sales had grown to $77 million based only on a direct mail catalog and word of mouth; the "buzz" factor among mothers was not insignificant.
American Girl magazine was introduced in 1992 and is the company’s very first contemporary offering that affirms self-esteem, celebrates achievements, and fosters creativity in today’s girls.
In 1992 Pleasant Company's publishing arm launched a bimonthly magazine called American Girl.
1993: Pleasant Company is recognized in Advertising Age magazine's Marketing 100.
In 1994, sales increased by 40% to $152 million.
That same year, 1998, she sold the company named for her to Mattel, Inc, the world's leading toymaker and owner of the Barbie dynasty.
In 1999 American Girl Place was awarded a "THEA," the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Themed Entertainment Association.
Rowland became vice-chairman of Mattel, but retired in 2000 to pursue new challenges.
Pleasant Company established an office in London in 2000, and the publications arm of the business prepared to enter the European market.
In 2001, American Girl introduced Girl of the Year™, that gives voice to a diverse range of personalities and backgrounds through inspiring characters that offer girls a broader worldview and help teach acceptance.
In 2002 annual revenues for Pleasant Company reached $350 million, with sales coming exclusively through limited channels: the corporate web site, catalogue, and retail store.
In early 2004 Pleasant Company made a move to better highlight its well recognized brand by officially changing the company name to American Girl, Inc.
The New York and Chicago stores combined saw three million visitors in 2004.
In 2016, the company launched WellieWishers™, a line of 14 ½-inch character dolls, early chapter books, and accessories for girls ages 5-7 that teach kindness and empathy.
Girl of the Year 2020: Joss
10Receive one free GYF84 Happy Birthday® Present Headband for Girls (retail value $15.00) with purchase of any Truly Me™ 18” doll and GYD89 American Girl® Take the Cake Birthday Outfit, offer valid beginning 4/29/2021.
AG Rewards™ members receive $5 off their purchase beginning 6/1/2022.
The plan is to continue this platform into 2022 to keep amplifying voices.
Rate how well American Girl lives up to its initial vision.
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American Girl competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hasbro | 1923 | $4.1B | 5,600 | 172 |
| Fisher-Price | 1930 | $1.1B | 5,000 | - |
| Mattel | 1945 | $5.4B | 32,100 | 178 |
| Nordstrom | 1901 | $15.0B | 74,000 | 1,081 |
| Vudu | 2004 | - | 180 | - |
| FAO Schwarz | 1862 | $33.0M | 149 | 1 |
| American Eagle Outfitters | 1977 | $5.3B | 37,000 | 1,186 |
| Staples | 1986 | $18.2B | 75,000 | 2,017 |
| Kohl's | 1962 | $16.2B | 110,000 | 1,490 |
| New York Magazine | 1968 | $78.5M | 200 | - |
American Girl history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of American Girl, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about American Girl. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at American Girl. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by American Girl. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of American Girl and its employees or that of Zippia.
American Girl may also be known as or be related to American Girl, American Girl Brands LLC, American Girl LLC and The American Girl.