Gap Inc.

Gap Inc. is the largest U.S. clothing retailer. Gap ( originally The Gap ), headquartered in San Francisco, California. In Great Britain, France, Japan and Canada Gap is also active. The commitment to the German market was abandoned after long testing phases.

At Gap Inc. Gap next to the brand with its own retail stores are also chain stores Banana Republic (1983 acquired), Old Navy ( founded in 1994 ) and Forth & Towne (2005-2007) and the online retailer Piperlime ( founded in 2006 ) and Athleta ( acquired 2008).

History

Gap was founded in 1969 by Doris and Donald G. Fisher. The name is derived from the known differences between children and parents from ( "the generation gap " ), in German as a generation gap. Initially brands were sold as, for example, Levi's. However, the Fishers felt more and more that the demand for good customer service and fashionable clothes were not met. That's why they started in 1982 with the design and marketing of our own ideas. Since 1990, Gap does not sell more foreign brands. Robert Fisher, Donald's son, took over in 2004 the position of Chairman. The Fisher family owns more than 25 % of the company.

The company Banana Republic, which offers higher-priced and more elegant fashion for men and women, was purchased in 1983. Old Navy in 1994 was put on the market to cover the lower price for women's, men's and children's clothing.

After an international media campaign for bad labor conditions, Gap agreed to be independently monitored the first major company in the U.S. in 1995.

1988 opened the first Gap store in Essen and was closed in the same year. From 1996 to 2004 there had been in Germany a total of eight Gap stores. As of 2002, there was for a short time also Old Navy and Banana Republic retail space in Karstadt stores or at the KaDeWe in Berlin. The commitment in Germany ended in 2004 due to difficulties in the establishment of the German market with the sale of all Gap stores in the biggest European rivals Hennes & Mauritz (H & M). In the same year the Forth & Towne brand was introduced to the market, targeting women over 35 years were in the U.S.. However, the last of the stores of this brand has already been closed end of August 2007. 2006 Gap Inc. established the online shoe retailer Piperlime, whose range was extended due to clothing. The mail order company founded in 1998 for women's sportswear, Athleta was acquired by Gap Inc. in 2008.

Criticism

End of October 2007 reported the British newspaper The Observer of child labor in New Delhi. A company spokesman announced to withdraw tens of thousands of garments from the sale.

In the WEF Gegenveranstaltung Public Eye on Davos CAP was awarded in 2014 for his refusal cooperation with reforms in the textile industry of Bangladesh by the jury with a negative price.