Zara vs Gap
“If Gap wants to cater to a jeans and t-shirt customer, then do that, without mixing in Pierre Hardy shoes and ThreeAsFour dresses, but if they want to cater to a customer who cares about Philip Crangi and Rodarte, do that. They’ve overreached, leaving their customers, and apparently their own brand strategists, quite confused.”
Good analysis from Britt Aboutaleb over at Fashionista regarding the Gap vs Zara debate (Zara has overtaken Gap as the world’s largest fashion retailer). Poor old Gap.
13 August, 2008 @ 10:19 pm
Makes sense.
13 August, 2008 @ 11:05 pm
I read this and I’ve been thinking about it since (strangely). When she says, if Gap wants to compete, they’d better start following the rules of modern retailing is very compelling…
14 August, 2008 @ 1:17 am
I agree. The style at Gap is kind of jumbled.
14 August, 2008 @ 7:35 am
I think they can do both but need to section and have core gap basics – Zara does core basic – the cardi, jumper, v-neck etc.
Gap tees are either hit or miss, their jeans are very miss and yet they have some lovely items.
Basically the customer is confused, turned off by constant changing of merchandise- note Zara doesn’t do this, always has same sections – and not sure who they ar selling to at Gap.
It doesn’t matter what they sell if they get the layout and experience right, plus stop doing intellectual advertising – I like the campaigns but they don’t work or sell the store to mainstream public on high street. Bums on seats or that kerching of till count!
14 August, 2008 @ 8:50 am
I agree… it is altogether a little confusing…
14 August, 2008 @ 1:51 pm
Well said. Poor old Gap indeed!
14 August, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
I don't understand why they can't have their cake and eat it too. Gap and Zara are SUPER different stores, and even when they make their high end designer collaborations they are still keeping the Gap "All-American" feel to the clothes, so it makes sense to me.
Zara is about super high turnover high fashion-fast fashion. I think to each their own. I could see maybe comparing Zara to H&M but not necessarily to Gap.