Urban Outfitters Is Pissing Everybody Off, and That’s Just How They Like It

Urban Outfitters has been courting controversy for years. It’s part of their schtick — they stride the line between a raised eyebrow and a raised fist with aplomb. As soon as they sink back into the usual thrum of retail, they claw back into the limelight with another poorly (or brilliantly?) conceived product. Hey, any publicity is good publicity, right?

Urban Outfitters doesn’t set out to sell high fashion, high-quality pieces. It’s as close to fast-fashion as you can get — extremely trend-driven, geared to college-age kids, with a gift selection that feels like like a ‘90s Spencer’s Gifts.

This might explain why Urban Outfitters has become so heavily dependent on stunt fashion. Young, fast-fashion shoppers are an impatient bunch. For every Urban Outfitters store, there are at least three H&Ms, two Forever 21s and maybe a Zara. You don’t see Anthropologie, Urban’s sister brand geared towards late-twenty- and thirtysomethings, coming under fire for hawking teepees or describing a colorway as “Obama black.” Free People, Urban’s other brand, which is designed for a “26-year-old girl,” has been in hot water for cultural appropriation, but nothing quite as outrageously insensitive as Urban Outfitter’s mock-bloody vintage Kent State sweatshirt.

But is this actually working out for them? Sure, they’re in the press more (most recently for a tapestry that grimly resembles jumpsuits worn by gay Holocaust prisoners) but how is this translating to sales? Not so well, it seems: In the first half of last year, Urban Outfitter’s sales spiraled downward even as the company’s other brands saw gains; Urban Outfitters shares experienced the biggest decline in two and a half years. The company’s successful 2014 holiday season was its saving grace.

In fact, Urban’s string of purposefully provocative items (the ‘Depression’ and ‘Eat Less’ shirts; those pill-bottle shot glasses) and poor garment quality attracted the wrong crowd. As BuzzFeed reported last March, Urban CEO Dick Hayne expressed concerns about losing Urban’s ‘target demo,’ 18- to 28-year-olds, as the brand appealed more to the under-15 set. But instead of upping product quality, the brand has acted more like an obnoxious adolescent boy, teasing his crush relentlessly so that she notices him.

“I have friends who wont shop there because of it,” says a 21-year-old Drexel student of Urban’s offensive products. “A friend said she wouldn’t shop there because of a slogan she saw on a t-shirt.”

A Penn senior agrees: “I don’t actively boycott them, but if I can get something somewhere else, I will, and they’re last on my list when I’m looking for clothes. They are just constantly looking to offend people. Not the kind of stuff that would make me protest in the streets, but enough that I’d rather not shop there.”

Others acknowledge the controversy, but still stop — and work — there. It’s inexpensive, convenient and, if you can see past the t-shirts featuring a Palestinian kid armed with an AK-47, some of the stuff is pretty cute.

“As a person who is an advocate of equal rights, it upsets me that a huge corporation like UO is offending groups of people on the daily: blacks, Jews, liberals, conservatives, people with eating disorders and more,” says a 22-year-old Temple senior and former UO employee. “I hate it because I still shop at UO, all the time, actually. It makes me question myself as I am supporting a company that seems to purposely create attire with controversial messages. One would think that UO, after the first, second, third mishap, would be more careful and make it a priority to not offend anyone, but that is not the case. Is it because people like me are still shopping at UO regardless of their offensive nature?”

Yes and no. On Monday, Urban Outfitters reported that its revenue for the 2015 fiscal year was 3.3 billion dollars, up eight percent from the previous year. “We are encouraged by the steady progress the Urban Outfitters brand is making in re-engaging its core customer,” Hayne said in a release. While sales took a serious dip in the first two quarters of last year, it wasn’t enough to slow Urban’s growth momentum.

But Urban might do well to pay attention to other young-adult-focused, controversy-courting brands. Abercrombie & Fitch (remember those “Do I Make You Look Fat” tees?) is now in financial straits. American Apparel hasn’t made a profit since 2009. Teens and young adults tire of controversy. If you don’t offer quality, most shoppers will eventually move on.  (“I won’t shop at UO because their clothes are terrible and fall apart,” says one former Urban fan, now 31.) The schtick starts to feel desperate, like a dorky dad trying to be cool, or a bumbling comedian flailing onstage.  And desperation, well, that’s anything but chic.