Comments on: Gap’s decline http://youlookfab.com/2007/01/23/gaps-decline/ Look fab, feel fabulous. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:52:07 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: youlookfab » Blog Archive » Wow! It’s our first anniversary http://youlookfab.com/2007/01/23/gaps-decline/comment-page-1/#comment-1258 youlookfab » Blog Archive » Wow! It’s our first anniversary Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:01:48 +0000 http://www.youlookfab.com/2007/01/23/gaps-decline/#comment-1258 [...] Gap’s decline (fascinating industry story) [...] [...] Gap’s decline (fascinating industry story) [...]

]]> By: Rebecca http://youlookfab.com/2007/01/23/gaps-decline/comment-page-1/#comment-1257 Rebecca Wed, 24 Jan 2007 05:01:25 +0000 http://www.youlookfab.com/2007/01/23/gaps-decline/#comment-1257 "People do not want to look like each other." That's why I can't bring myself to buy much beyond basics there. If I buy a plain t-shirt there, nobody can tell whether I bought it at Gap, Old Navy, Mervyn's, Target, or wherever. And I have this weird thing about not liking to look like the stuff that's hanging on the racks. Which works in my favor - I never buy anything until the end of the season final clearance! From the bottom of the fashion food chain, :) “People do not want to look like each other.”

That’s why I can’t bring myself to buy much beyond basics there. If I buy a plain t-shirt there, nobody can tell whether I bought it at Gap, Old Navy, Mervyn’s, Target, or wherever.

And I have this weird thing about not liking to look like the stuff that’s hanging on the racks. Which works in my favor – I never buy anything until the end of the season final clearance!

From the bottom of the fashion food chain, :)

]]> By: Angie http://youlookfab.com/2007/01/23/gaps-decline/comment-page-1/#comment-1256 Angie Tue, 23 Jan 2007 19:07:28 +0000 http://www.youlookfab.com/2007/01/23/gaps-decline/#comment-1256 I totally agree with you Stephanie. I still buy for my friends at Baby Gap all the time. Their maternity wear is also usually very good. Their denim and t-shirt ranges leave a lot to be desired and I think that they should concentrate on fixing that area and target it at a specific audience - either youths or baby boomers. They can't be everything to everyone any more. People have become a lot fussier in how they spend their fashion dollar and there is plenty of competition out there. Basic clothing does not seem desirable anymore. People do not want to look like each other. Zara purposely prevents this from happneing by offering limited quantites per style. If I don't end up being their new target customer for ladies wear - I know that I’ll still be a loyal customer for their children's wear! I totally agree with you Stephanie. I still buy for my friends at Baby Gap all the time. Their maternity wear is also usually very good. Their denim and t-shirt ranges leave a lot to be desired and I think that they should concentrate on fixing that area and target it at a specific audience – either youths or baby boomers. They can’t be everything to everyone any more. People have become a lot fussier in how they spend their fashion dollar and there is plenty of competition out there. Basic clothing does not seem desirable anymore. People do not want to look like each other. Zara purposely prevents this from happneing by offering limited quantites per style. If I don’t end up being their new target customer for ladies wear – I know that I’ll still be a loyal customer for their children’s wear!

]]> By: Angie http://youlookfab.com/2007/01/23/gaps-decline/comment-page-1/#comment-1255 Angie Tue, 23 Jan 2007 19:03:08 +0000 http://www.youlookfab.com/2007/01/23/gaps-decline/#comment-1255 This is music to my ears Jill. This is precisely what I mean when I say that people want more for their fashion dollar and that "basic" might be the problem. Their biz model worked well for decades but something has gone very wrong. They haven't managed to keep up with the changing needs of their customer. More crucially, the Gap needs to decide who they want to sell their improved designs to. Which age group and which lifestyle ? It will be interesting to see how their clothing ranges will change over the next few months. This is music to my ears Jill. This is precisely what I mean when I say that people want more for their fashion dollar and that “basic” might be the problem. Their biz model worked well for decades but something has gone very wrong. They haven’t managed to keep up with the changing needs of their customer. More crucially, the Gap needs to decide who they want to sell their improved designs to. Which age group and which lifestyle ? It will be interesting to see how their clothing ranges will change over the next few months.

]]> By: Jill http://youlookfab.com/2007/01/23/gaps-decline/comment-page-1/#comment-1254 Jill Tue, 23 Jan 2007 18:30:24 +0000 http://www.youlookfab.com/2007/01/23/gaps-decline/#comment-1254 If the Gap wants to save itself from ultimate bankruptcy, they need to refocus their design on not just mass producing the basics. Face it--you can get a plain tshirt anywhere. But really, who wants to wear just a plain tshirt anymore? With really amazing designers targeting the broader audience (i.e. Target), the Gap should also reevaluate their designers. Why not be selective in design and run lines by known designers and also new up and coming designers? It may break the mold, but really...are we not finished with the McDonald's business model? (the same thing over and over again). We want clothing that is unique, well-made, fun, different--not cookie cutter prototypes that you know you have seen the year before...(and you know that they have just changed to color to call it something new for the season.) They have the means for production...so why not use it for good design? If the Gap wants to save itself from ultimate bankruptcy, they need to refocus their design on not just mass producing the basics. Face it–you can get a plain tshirt anywhere. But really, who wants to wear just a plain tshirt anymore? With really amazing designers targeting the broader audience (i.e. Target), the Gap should also reevaluate their designers. Why not be selective in design and run lines by known designers and also new up and coming designers? It may break the mold, but really…are we not finished with the McDonald’s business model? (the same thing over and over again).

We want clothing that is unique, well-made, fun, different–not cookie cutter prototypes that you know you have seen the year before…(and you know that they have just changed to color to call it something new for the season.)

They have the means for production…so why not use it for good design?

]]> By: Steph http://youlookfab.com/2007/01/23/gaps-decline/comment-page-1/#comment-1253 Steph Tue, 23 Jan 2007 18:09:06 +0000 http://www.youlookfab.com/2007/01/23/gaps-decline/#comment-1253 I don't know how I'd save the entire chain, but I would certainly put some more effort into the organization of their stores. The stores always seem like such a mess to me and the jeans area have little rhyme or reason to them. The styles of jeans are often mixed together and sizes are not in order so it makes shopping a frustrating experience instead of a fun, pleasant one. For some reason, I expect Old Navy to be a total mess but I expect the Gap to have everything under control. It also seems like the Gap doesn't have the staples I want for very long. Just when I find a t-shirt style that I like, they stop carrying it and the perfect jeans for me used to be easily found there, now they don't even exist. The Gap Body stuff is great, I think, but there is only a location downtown so just "running in" to buy something is almost impossible. I still love Baby Gap, though. I can always find something super cute for my daughter there. I don’t know how I’d save the entire chain, but I would certainly put some more effort into the organization of their stores. The stores always seem like such a mess to me and the jeans area have little rhyme or reason to them. The styles of jeans are often mixed together and sizes are not in order so it makes shopping a frustrating experience instead of a fun, pleasant one. For some reason, I expect Old Navy to be a total mess but I expect the Gap to have everything under control.

It also seems like the Gap doesn’t have the staples I want for very long. Just when I find a t-shirt style that I like, they stop carrying it and the perfect jeans for me used to be easily found there, now they don’t even exist. The Gap Body stuff is great, I think, but there is only a location downtown so just “running in” to buy something is almost impossible.

I still love Baby Gap, though. I can always find something super cute for my daughter there.

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