old-navy
(balmes)
(Jeff)
(Chad)
(evansent)
(Google Maps)
(Photo: Lisa)
—>Reader Joe sent us a tip that Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Atheleta have changed their online return policy. "They now deduct 6$ from the return refund, no questions asked... " he wrote. Well, that's not exactly it. Here's the official word from Gap Inc. More »
If you're seeking a price adjustment on your Gap clothes, don't put it off. Heather writes in to warn that the price adjustment period at the Gap and Banana Republic has been reduced from 14 days to 7. Old Navy remains at 14 days. More »
—>Attention: This is gross. If you don't want to read this post, we understand. More »
—>This Old Navy boys windbreaker has a waist drawstring, a big "no no" according to the CPSC's children's clothing safety guidelines. You can either cut the drawstring out, or return the jacket to Old Navy for a full refund and get a $5 gift card for your trouble, meaning you've essentially been paid $5 to let your kid to wear a jacket. More »
—>A freelance journalist has caught the GAP using child labor to produce hand embroidered clothing for its GAP Kids line. The children, who are as young as 10, are quoted as saying they were sold to the factory by their families and cannot leave until their debt is paid. A video of the factory's squalid conditions shows GAP Kids labels on the clothing. More »
—>Todd Oldham has a new job: Fixing Old Navy. According to the New York Times, Todd has been hired to attract shoppers in their 20's, a group Old Navy has identified as their target market after years of "trying to be all things to all people." More »
Pressler's penny-pinching may have turned off the Gap's core customers. Sweaters that were once 100% cotton or wool, for example, showed up in stores as acrylic blends, and people noticed. Banana Republic tried to woo the same high-end consumers as J. Crew but didn't go far enough in offering luxury fabrics, like cashmere, that those shoppers wanted. In 2005, while department stores couldn't sell enough $100-plus premium jeans, the Gap skipped denim and tried to push khakis. "Pressler went too far in focusing on costs at the expense of merchandising," says Christine Chen, senior research analyst at Pacific Growth Equities. "Sometimes you just need to go with your gut and do what makes sense to get customers in the door."The article also mentions the way in which stores like H&M refresh their looks faster, drawing in and keeping customers in their 20s and 30s. By the time a look hits the GAP, it's already over, and possibly expensive for the store and unflattering for the customer (skinny jeans?)—MEGHANN MARCO More »
