Closing the age Gap
Apparently Gap is going back to basics… again. According to the NY Post, Gap is narrowing its focus to 24-to-34-year old shoppers, reversing earlier attempts to appeal to anyone and everyone.
I am forever reading about Gap’s rising/falling sales. What I want from Gap is the ULTIMATE basics. The timeless boy-cut chino – not the comedy-wide one they’ve done this season but a regular boy-cut, but scaled down for a 5’2″ woman. The perfect blazer cut to today’s proportions – slim on the shoulders and through the body, very plain that I can happily wear for the next 3 years. The wear-with-everything grey marl T-shirt without Lycra that won’t cling to the body but sits just so (see American Apparel Summer T-shirt for reference). The plainest white cotton shirt to wear with skirts or trousers that’s long enough to tuck in and thick enough not to show my underwear. Etc etc etc. And then they can throw in some great colours and accessories to zhuzh things up and keep the impulse buyers happy. It’s not about focussing on age, it’s about reliable design that you can depend on Gap for. What’s so difficult about that?
18 July, 2007 @ 3:02 am
What so difficult is that they are trying to keep up with target. I do agree that they have to go “back to basics” but still drop at least 10% of their production in fads and trends. Here in the states Target is doing a well job in this. Aslo, there are way too many choices out there, GAP has not come out with nothing that’s innovative and catching. Something that MAYBE could help: if they associate with an independent designer to creat a buzz and only produce limited quantity, just for the buzz NOt for sales. Then later work arounf that buzz… you know hype up the GAP a bit!
19 July, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
I think that Gap has just been trying too hard to please everybody, and then they just end up pleasing nobody. it would be good to see them go back to the basics we all know and love them for
20 July, 2007 @ 2:08 pm
Agreed! Basic tees, well-cut, reasonably priced jeans and chinos, and forget trying to appeal to the Chico’s and J. Jill crowd with that awful Forth & Towne store!