The Decline of The Gap...What Happened?
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- Опубліковано 17 гру 2019
- In the late 1990's/early 2000's, The Gap was one of the most popular clothing brands out there. They've clearly fallen pretty far from that point and this video attempts to explain why.
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If they stopped putting GAP across all of their shirts, sales would go up
Wonder why they haven't figured that out. Lol
I wonder what would happen if other sports clothing companies do this move
I agree. Just make cool clothes that are well made. I don’t want a logo, or an animal, or a sailboat, or anything on my shirt.
this is like forever 21. i dont want weird things written on my shirt. i just want a shirt
not cropped either
@@GlowstoneWolf I like weird shit on my shirt but that works mostly for a small niche brand. Most people want solids bleh
I believe the brand has lost base with its core identity. My impression was that GAP was supposed to be this minimalist cool brand, with high quality basics in neutral tones. But then you go to the store and you see cheap clothes with tacky logos. It’s just dated.
The quality got really cheap and the cut was starting to get unusual, like khakis with french fly (double buttons)......which is usually for dress pants.
I also believe it has to do with both Walmart and Target stepping their game up and getting slightly more fashionable basics at decent prices. Most of the time at lower prices than Gap/Old Navy.
Patrick Riarchy fr I got a sick pair of black jeans at target and while they’re not top quality they’re fairly nice 🤷♀️
I agree with you 100%. I loved their minimalistic look and quality of their clothes but lately, it's been not like that at all. Also, their nearest brick and mortar to me is 1.5 hours drive away where as their other brands are closer.
I Bought a GAP cap last year just for nostalgia sake. The store was empty sad anď depressed
Man, if Old Navy is supposed to be the affordable brand, I now understand why Gap is struggling.
Especially when their clothes are crap too
You know something funny I used to think that Old Navy was a Military Surplus store !😀😀
yeah it’s absolutely crazy, i currently work there
@@GreyWhiteBlue they do have a purpose i guess. To me, those are nothing but leggings. Leggings are for women. Nuffin wrong with that.... For them
Meanwhile Old Navy isn't struggling. That's the only Gap brand that isn't struggling as a matter of fact
I worked for Old Navy, one of their biggest issues is that they overproduce clothing they've shifted more towards fast fashion but kept the same price structure. So the quality is down but the prices are the same. Most of the customers rely on shopping the clearance section, so they lose money.
Not to mention they don’t honor their tried and true styles like the mid rise everyday khakis and low rise bootcut jeans. Everything is stretchy now. Even the shorts have elastic in the back. Tacky tacky tacky.
T last typical thermally type sweater I bought from Old Navy was already thin bordering on threadbare. Those same style sweaters I bought from Old Navy in the mid-2010s still have some meat to them by comparison and I think they cost half as much.
Whats interesting is this is seems to be across the board, with most companies and most markets, especially food. Grab a box of cheerios, little debbies, even McDonalds and it just doesnt taste the same.
Buy a new bottle of your fav cologne and now it doesnt last as long, and maybe smells slightly different bc of reformulations.
I say all that to say that apparently a shift seemed to occur around 2010/2011 which started a domino effect. And now we find ourselves surrounded by crappy items & small packagings for higher costs (shrink flation). This trend of everything declining needs to end.
And it will.
I think the main reason is people stopped falling for paying almost $100 for some pants.
Tim W. That’s not gap at all, gap is cheaper than other retailers like American eagle or jc penny, etc . They clothes just ugly
@@Timothee_Chalamet_CMBYN American eagle makes the best jeans in the market , even better than Levis.
I used to buy Diesels way too expensive then i got levis but one trip to AE store changed my mind , AE has the the best jeans in the market for only $49 if u buy two it comes to $37 each .
Exactly. I went in for some dress pants and they were 78$. I could go to target and get a pair of equal quality for 30$.
I also think GAP is seen as 'old' or cheap. No one wants a nice tshirt with a big gap logo on it. That's not coo anymore
I never tried American eagle jeans I get mine in holister is holister jeans good??
Pineapple Pablo the quality of Hollister jeans aren’t as good as American Eagle so I prefer paying a lil extra to get the AE jeans that will last me a lot longer than Hollister Jeans
Their clothes are just boring as hell. Nobody wants to dress like they’re a cast member of Friends
Stuff at Walmart or Target is more fashionable in some cases.
Why not? I guess I'm just not sure what "we" want to dress like.
Spot on
opticnirvana the general consensus is that people don’t want to wear the same exact clothes they did in the 90s
90s fashion is coming back actually, clothes Rachael wore in Friends at actually really in but Rachel shopped in Barney’s back then lol. Barney’s is also down
a lot of companies like gap need to figure out that people don't care about brands and logos on their clothes anymore 💀 nobody cares if u have a shirt that says gap on it or a shirt that has the hollister logo on it, and, in fact, many people would rather have no logos on their clothes at all
Amen, so true!
Then Supreme is selling like crazy?
@@riksinha5 Don't worry he's just speaking out of his butt. The North Face? has a logo and it's doing well. Same thing with Abercrombie & Fitch.
That’s not true. Branding is everything.
They want a walking logo. It’s a marketing strategy that doesn’t really work.
I was a senior in high school in 96 and the Gap was considered preppy clothes. It was cool to have GAP clothes in the late 90s by preppy, jock type teens, its just how it was. As I aged the problem I had was, I felt they never changed and to be honest as I got older and a wiser shopper I thought they were not worth the prices. I walked into a Gap this year as a 42 y.o. man and I pretty much walked right back out. Lol
"Most of you don't wear the same clothes you wore in high school"
Sure. Let's go with that.
I'm halfway through college and I'm still wearing the same clothes I did in high school. Why fix a good pair of jeans and graphic tees or polos? It's simple and it works. Saves a hella lot of money too.
@@TheRunningLeopard bro I'm 30 and literally wear some of the same clothes but definitely have the same style and shop at the same stores. Except Deb. God I miss Deb
I have a lot of shirts and jeans from 10+ years ago, problem is I got bigger, a bit fatter and my blasted mother would sneak into my room and throw out/donate my old clothes! Stop trying to make me fashionable mom, I love my old threads! :(
@@cattysplat 😂😂
I'm 32, and i still wear some of my shirts from high school.
H&M, Zara, UNIQLO and athleisure happened. Gap is also just too expensive for what they sell.
Faber fast fashion has taken over
UNIQLO is the same quality but cheaper, Comparing my gap and uniqlo jeans, after 4 years they are both in excelent shape, but my gap jeans were 70 bucks and my uniqlo ones were 50, basically you are getting gap quality at old navy prices at Uniqlo.
problem with UNIQLO is they are very limited in stores. I've bought clothes from their store in San Francisco when I visit, and sometimes online when I'm confident the clothes will fit me. Yet back at home in Austin TX, there is no UNIQLO, so Gap is my next choice.
@@linuxman7777 WOW! I hardly pay over 25 and you throw 50 bucks at one pair?
308328928 because your jeans are ugly
My sister worked for The Gap back around 2000 when we were in 10th grade and I could tell you why they began declining. When they used to get store deliveries, her and the manager Amy noticed that some of the clothing was coming in straight from the factory out in Asia kinda filthy and some stank to high heaven. I think their cloths were made in Taiwan at the time.They had to take them to the dry cleaners before putting them on store shelves for the customers. Some they couldn’t dry clean and it was sent back to the factory. This went on for a while until news broke that the particular factory that The Gap used mistreated their workers and the factory also had urine and shit all over the floors-it was filthy in that particular factory. They were making the clothing in this filth and on occasion dropping some of the cloths on the floors accidentally, and then shipping them out to stores. When we found out WTF was going on, I NEVER stepped foot into a Gap store EVER! I’m not going to wear a pissy/shitty shirt that had to be dry cleaned to cover up the horrendous conditions the shirt was brought to the store and where they allowed the workers at the factory to be treated like shit while making those clothing items. A lot of people stopped shopping there when that news story broke-nobody trusts them anymore.
Unfortunately the mistreatment of garment workers is not unique to GAP; a lot of fashion companies are guilty of this.
If I worked in that factory I would drop it on purpose as a cry for help.
Ah so that explains why the last BR jeans I got smell so bad I had to take them back.
I forgot that story broke out, sadly it's still common practice with retail.
So...I actually paid for college, back in the 90's, by working at the GAP! Store #780 in Scarsdale, New York. What made that store, and the company, so special was that it sold product that folks actually wanted to purchase. Namely, basic clothing that was tasteful, versatile, and affordable! Some time after I graduated from college (late 90's), the company changed it's focus and started selling all this multi-colored and skinny jean crap that no one really wanted to buy and, as was stated in the video, their more mature customers wouldn't dream of buying (for themselves or their family members). I can't tell you how many of my repeat customers from back in the day would come in to buy something for a family member and later start shopping for themselves (with our help, of course). I also remember how the company had acquired such a name and reputation that it was cool to even be seen carrying a GAP bag (even if you didn't have GAP clothes in it).
These days, walking into a GAP store is a sad experience! Also, getting rid of Mickey Drexler was a huge mistake! He had a terrific read on the company's customer base and believed in keeping things simple, yet classy, and at a reasonable price point! As a now fully middle-aged man, I'm not interested in buying a pair of skinny jeans or khakis. I'd still like to be able to purchase, however, some of the very simple, yet classy types of shirts, pants, and accessories that were sold back in the 90's. Yeah...this might make me sound a bit old (and, admittedly, I am...), but the simple fact of the matter is that I've got disposable income and won't spend it at retailers that don't cater to my tastes (or needs). This is the reason GAP has and will likely continue to struggle in years to come. You can truly only serve one master well. The current team of executives need to figure out that 90's formula for success, return to it, and watch their profits slowly return over time. Just my eight cents on the matter...
I worked at the Stanford, CA store from 1991-1993. I agree with every word you wrote.
Remember when every kid in Elementary owned a GAP hoodie
ikr
By the time I got mine it was out of fashion and the wrong style. 🤷🏿♂️
Omg yes, I had wanted one so bad😂
@GreaterGood510 Baby, baby
I was one of them. It was lime green.
The quality of the clothing doesn’t correspond with the price.
high street shite at designer prices
Got worse when Recession hits. Cue cheaper clothes
Be better than the Gap.
It was alright in the outlets
They're not the only clothing retailer that thought they could quietly transfer manufacturing to China, or elsewhere in SE Asia, and nobody would notice. For a while it worked and profits went up - then people noticed .... and stopped buying there. Once you lose a customer over poor quaity issues, it is going to be nearly impossible to get them to come back.
We had a GAP in the mall when I was in the 3rd grade and when me and my friends went to the mall we would sooner go into Sears than in the GAP. It was just too expensive. Plus Sears was my favorite store even though it was old and sad looking. I just loved looking at all the tools
That "New Logo" from 2010 literally looks like some kid learned how to make a gradient and place text in photoshop.
They're way too overpriced. Even for NYC. $50 for some basic ass beige chinos.
💯💯💯
I'm from NYC too, I don't remember about the prices, but I remember never liking the clothing
Bram C and it’s not even ethical clothing. Multiple times they’ve been linked back to sweat shops. If the prices were reflective of better working conditions and quality - fine. But the Gap doesn’t do that.
Their outlets are better. Basically, the same kind of clothes as their regular stores.
So you are the production model that came after me? I am Bram B. (Brouwer)
So hard to hear someone say "the 90's were before my time"
Damnit, now I feel old... next episode "The decline of ...me"
I hear ya
Guest starring me.
The Rise and Fall and Rise Again lol
I wasn’t even alive during the 90s lol
Lol I saw a meme just last night talking about how the 90s were 30 years ago
I grew up loving The Gap and I still do but only shop when there’s a big sale because I agree $70 is a lot for jeans from The Gap. I like Banana because it gives me a lot of options for work or church but both of their prices are so high that I tend to look at other stores too
They used to offer better quality items.
Trust me, it's been at least 16 years since I got a gap or navy. They cost a lot for a pants or shirt! Ppppfftt, after that I went to flea markets or just went to a thrift store.
Baby Gap was amazing. Beautiful, thick pea coats, warm sweaters, blankets, and big fluffy hats that far exceeded the quality of other brands. I love Baby Gap👼🏽
Gap declined when their clothes don't withstand a couple of washes. It's not that hard to figure out. They used to sell solid quality basic pieces at their prime.
I still wear a (vintage) Gap tee I got at a thrift store!
That's true I have gone through so many pairs of Jean's from them I had all my pants from them and now I dont because my Jean's get holes in them after a month
I bought a hoodie from gap and in the first wash, the drawstring was busted (the weaving became undone) and the metal thing popped off.
A few years ago their long-sleeved t-shirts would develop holes or unravel at the seams after a couple of washes.
I love thrifting old gap stuff, it’s one of those many brands that used to be such great quality back when.
company man: "Most of you don't wear the same clothes you wore in high school"
me: *wearing a jacket from high school 20 years ago*
I stand corrected.
Yep I still have a few things from then.
Yep most of my clothes are still the same from HS. That was at least 10 years ago.
I still have and can get into my letterman’s jacket from 1991, Albeit tight but I can get it On
I am literally wearing a 30 year old flannel shirt right now, and it is almost like brand new.
I was forced by my aunt to go to the gap and old navy when I was a kid. She would pick out outfits for me that were so dorky and I hated them, so I’ve always had a particular disdain for the two stores.
The GAP in the 90s was the best store! It was definitely my go to store! Now they don’t have variety and pricey for the quality. It makes me sad:(
I never cared for a sweater with a giant word that says GAP on the front.
Or any other brand name for that matter. But you see who does .
Quad 5 huh? Who? 🤔
Let’s just say people with poor taste - would you like to walk around giving free advertising ? Sign spinners and sandwich board wearers at least get paid .
Quad 5 Matter of preference I guess. 🤷🏼♂️
@@quad5186 Yeah, UA or Adidas have better brand identity in that we are the beneficiary and not the advertiser
I feel like someone who works at GAP's corporate office could just read these comments and fix all of their problems pretty quickly
Absolutely true. The most truthful opinions are found on internet bc people do not care who thinks what of them. They should read these comments.
they pay millions of dollars to focus group consultants and they could just get the same or better information on UA-cam for free lol.
Shane Wimer No Shane , they marketing firms do that and listening officers do that
Facts 😂
They do see these things
As someone who worked at the Gap for about two years, the name the Gap referred to all the clothes and items one needed ‘to fill in the gap of other stores.’ It was supposed to be a one stop shop wear you could buy al your clothing items at one place. There would be no gaps in your wardrobe. I quit wearing Gap when I stopped working there but do still like Banana Republic at times. It’s better made & higher quality clothing too though. Forget Old Navy. That place is clogging up landfills like fast fashion places as Forever 21 with extremely cheap clothes. It’s one thing for clothes to be priced cheap, another to feel it.
One other thing that hurt the GAP was increasing obesity. The GAP was the first store I ever went to that limited the sizes it had on hand, allegedly specifically to keep certain sizes of people OUT of the brick-and-mortar locations. And I was a 34-35 waist at the time. Anecdotally, some girls I knew had it even worse. They kind of blew it with that customer base. I don't know that introducing GAP FAT (stacked in the logo) would get them back. :)
Gap was where the “rich” kids I went to school with shopped..
Same so when my family finally had money to shop there I walked in and went ???? It’s not that great???
There is not rich people in public schools. I bet if they move out to Europe or New York they would be average
Hi, Welcome to chilli's k I said “rich”
All the rich kids in my high school shopped at Abercrombie and Fitch.
@@EvansSt83
In my highschool all I heard were "Gucci" this and "Gucci" that, Im not a girl that keeps up with fashion much at all, I just buy whats cheap and looks good but I always assumed Gucci was the premier "rich kid" brand.
They opened a new store in my city in May 2019, their sign broke in June, still not repaired, closing at an unspecified time in 2020.
Never been in it, never wanted to.
What city is this new store in?
That's quite unfortunate. Store managers are responsible for building maintenance such as signage. They should have taken care of this right after the sign went out
Bruh go when they closing.... cause really good sales...
GAP... where the highest pinnacle of fashion is looking mediocre
Hey, what city are you in? Curious
I worked at Gap in high school. I loved it. They used to sell perfume, does anyone remember the one called “Grass”? It was incredible!!!
I’m with you. I bought this fragrance for a few years. I miss it.
do a video on Target's price hike. I used to love their Mossimo brand, and i like good fellow, but its a lot more expensive.
“ Levi’s records and tapes” so The Gap was Urban Outfitters before Urban Outfitters
they even used the same logo font
That was very common in the 1980's and early 90's to sell tapes ,records and other stuff like that at a clothing store.
vaderladyl that makes me think of newbury comics, the only place I know of to do that today. Haven't seen any comic books there though ironically
@@vaderladyl yeah Sears and Montgomery Wards done it often
For somebody who works for Gap. The main issue why the gap is doing horrible is because they lost the mission why Don Fisher opened the first gap store was to find the perfect fit of jeans. Gap needs to go back to their roots and become a denim fashion house and focus on making denim for the average customer e.g. making new and creative denim fits, offer new lengths for shorter guys, etc. Also Gap offers too many options!!! If the company focused on selling jeans then they can cut back on selling 15 colors of the same sweaters, tees, and dresses! They also need to invest in the marketing and make commercials like Old Navy. In 2019 gap had their 50 year anniversary it would had been a perfect time to collab with Levi’s and make a Levi’s jeans with a blue tag to show how the company first started. But instead they made some sad “50 tees or 50 years” last min thing.
I work for Gap too and I think the blue label Levi's would have been an awesome idea!! Especially with Levi's becoming the "It" thing to wear again. Hate to think of what Gap will look like in 5 years...been with Gap Inc. for almost 13 years and I do like the company!!
Yeah. I went to the Gap looking for the trendy cut mom jeans and cropped jeans and they were nowhere to be found. I don’t want a sweatshirt with the gap on it in 50 million iterations. I want them to be the leaders in denim fashion.
They definitely need to work on better unique designs like they use to have YEARS ago. I have 2 Gap pieces that I love. One is a denim jacket with a sweater lining, and the other is a white blouse from the time they had guests designers design like 5 different white blouses for the brand. Both of those items are so old. Both are probably the last time I got excited about a Gap item. 🤣
The right fit!!!! Yes that’s why I shop there for jeans. It was better in the 90’s when you can find odd lengths
They need to hang it up the quality of their denim now is not the same 25 years ago. Back then their jeans got better with age when you wash etc. Try doing that now with the cheap denim they use now they Jeans will not last. Their quality sucks and they want big money for it. Hell no!
I used to love Gap when I was middle and high school (early 2000s). Gap lost my interest when I noticed that the stores started to overflow with clothes. The stores began to look messy. It didn't seem like anything was selling but they kept producing more clothes. Then there's the quality, which went down significantly even though the prices remained the same. Also, they changed the sizing, which I presume was their attempt at inclusivity, but their way of going about it just didn't work for them. With trends being what they are they could make a comeback. They need to close all of their stores, rebrand and reopen.
As a young teen in the 90s once old navy opened up. Great looking clothes for much cheaper was available which moved thousands to old navy and away from Gap
They are both the same corporation along with Banana Republic, each targeting a different segment of the buying public.
I think we're at a point in modern hipster fashion where it would just take one icon to wear Gap and it would be cool again. If FILA can make a comeback anything can
thank gods I never based my fashion on what celeb's wear.....also celebrity is dead....that age died in 2020 when many bent the knee....unless we've already forgotten?
we are the free folk, we don't bend the knee here, those with no power bend the knee....
"no gods, no kings only man"
-Andrew Ryan
just saying you can bow and have no free thought or be independent and choose, Andrew also said a slave obeys, a man chooses
@@darthXreven uh?
@@Mmmald397 the short version
I don't value celebs dictating my fashion, others can do as they like but for me I've stuck to the same style from when I was a teen mainly cus aside from a couple things nothing's changed in 30 years
used to wear JNCO's now i wear army issue pants
used to wear rock T-shirts, still do but now i have more game & comics shirts too
I still wear boots
used to wear bandannas on occasion, now i wear bandannas as headbands so when i sweat it doesn't get in my eyes
I've always been a punker, an outsider and never let stores or celebs dictate what i wear
@@darthXreven short version longer than long one
@@Mmmald397 well dip me in hot lave hung by the toes then....
I used to be a GAP shopper in the 90s, when the fabrics and construction were quality. Then something changed and you needed to buy 2 shirts so people couldn’t see your bra, and garment pieces were cut from skewed fabric so seams didn’t lie straight. That’s when I started looking more in other stores.
GirdsHerStrength I agree that the quality was much better in those days.
Oh yes. Cotton is getting thinner and thinner across all stores not only at GAP.
@Cinda Oppenheimer For basics LL Bean is pretty good quality. I bought some cotton sweaters from them when no one else seemed to be selling 100% cotton sweaters and was genuinely impressed when the package arrived. I wouldn’t be surprised if their other stuff was good quality as well.
I worked there in the late 2000’s and they made the shirts like that on purpose. They made them cheaper so you layered clothes. Layering was a *huge* deal. As an employee, we were supposed to always wear two shirts no matter what. Living in the South, I did not abide by that rule in the summer.
@Demitri Borozny Actually, the fabric and garment industry in the US didn't want to pay workers and take care of their health. The companies were tired of fighting with unions that were fighting for the proper pay to and care of their employees. So they went over seas to pollute someone else's land and pay those workers cheaply (same 'using" behavior, different location).
I started shopping at the Gap sometime in the 1990s when I was in my forties. The reasons I didn’t sooner were first because I was in Canada where the stores appeared much later and second because I now had a job where the dress code allowed jeans. At the Gap I could find jeans that fit perfectly as well as attentive sales staff offering good advice. They also had classic white cotton t-shirts. I lived in jeans and t-shirts and didn’t have much time for shopping so it became on of my favourite stores. If you waited until the end of the season to buy next years stuff it was affordable. Since the trend cycle for jeans and white t-shirts is longer than it is for other clothing items you generally don’t have to worry about sales stuff being out of style the following year. I still shop at Gap.
Their jeans fit well (even though sizes are altered so a size 6 is now called size 4) and the quality is better than at many stores in a similar price range. Last year at end of season I got some jeans for $6, a pair of shorts for $20 and then splurged on a regular priced ($69) but super comfy sweatshirt I spotted on my way to the till. They’re right across from Uniqlo, my new favourite clothing store, so I’ll still be shopping there.
im 32, gap was way too expensive growing up so it was old navy for my family. i did not know they were basically the same company so thats interesting.
When I was in junior high school (late 90s), GAP was perceived as the store where silver spoon rich kids with no character or personality got their clothes.
Exactly. That's why I never shopped there. I was a Maurice's, and later, Hot Topic, kid.
Interesting. When I was in jr high mid-late 90s, Abercrombie and Fitch was where the plain rich kids got their clothes, hot topic was where the kids who wanted to be edgy dressed, and Gap was popular among middle class. I grew up in Oakland, CA and Bay Area so maybe that had something to do with it.
I don't know your background but when I was in my high school GAP was perceived as the store for rather poor kids.
Y E E Z Y
@@coldchillin8382 nah it was like that’s everywhere not just Cali
Who else thought the founder of GAP’s name was going to be something like John Gap
R A D O N no
I didn't. And I am an immigrant - came to US in late 90-ties. All I understood it was a gap between too big things. Icebergs or something like that. I didn't even think it could be someone's name...
John Fortnite
No, because I knew before the video how the company started.
@@someguy23475 but like how about before learning about that
When I was in my 20s, I thought Gap was cool. As I aged, I started noticing that their clothes didn't last long. They were poorly made. I still shop at Banana Republic.
I agree, Banana republic is way better value for your money.
I totally agree. They quality is not there anymore. CHEAP MATERIALS
I applied at Old Navy at least 3-4 times in my teens. I wanted to wear one of those cool headsets and walk around feeling cool and official. Never got hired but it was seen as a cool enviable job in high school.
I walked into a GAP store last week to see what they had because I’ve never shopped there and the clothes are just so dated and ugly. It’s basically clothes with no seasoning. Boring and bland.
Don't forget overpriced and low quality.
Jevon Sims abso lutely
And the stores are a mess! So unappealing.
Lily Valac basically 😂🤦🏼♂️
@Lily Valac Course some snapchat filter ho gotta open her mouth with some ignorant shit
The issue is, they're the Volkswagen of clothing retailers. The Gap tried to cover every socio-economic/age group its their three tiered brands. They figured they would have something to sell every customer in every demographic - just like Volkswagen, with their Skoda/VW/Audi strategy. The problem is when each brand attempts to sell more (which they will), the branding becomes blurred. Old Navy becomes what the Gap used to be. BR is now also what the Gap used to be, but for wealthier clientele. So the Gap attempts to go upscale to justify it's premium pricing, and bumps up into BR, while Old Navy is eating the Gap's old mid-range market. Same thing with VW, which can no longer make affordable cars. If they want to make a profit, they have to go upscale... but upscale is Audi. And Audi isn't a competitor they can take market share from. Audi is their parent company.
Too many brands under a corporate umbrella. It used to be a strength. Now it's a liability.
Billy K Harmony hey I like my VW lol
Billy K Harmony hey I like my VW lol
Audi is not the parent company of VW. Both brands are owned by VW Group.
@@oxanahendrix8080 rite.!
Heyyyy whats wrong with VWs...i love mine😜😁
Thanks for all the interesting and informative content. Clearly a channel I return to YT to see. I truly hope it is gainful for you
Can't wait to see an update of this video in 5 years
Made in Pakistan : $79.99
Agree and to add to that how something as American as Levi's known all around the world as true Americana can be "outsourced" to Mexico and Romania is beyond belief! They still want you to pay top dollar for something made by people on poverty wages. I would pay more if I knew they were still made in the USA. Levi's got greedy!
@John Volken If it were made in America it would be at least 30% higher. It's still cheaper to ship overseas....than pay minimum wage and have good working conditions...without borderline slave labor, etcetera.
@@trollof229antthevariable9 that's weird, my new balance sneakers made in America were 45$ cheaper than the Nike's made in Bangladesh next to them.
@@cookieshousecannabisco6963 you have to take account for brand recognition and quality. Nike is a lot higher quality and has a lot more recognition than New Balance so they can charge more.
@@flext-rex8284 Only idiot gen xers pay more for brand recognition.
Q : What happened to the Gap?
A : They didn't mind it
Granger Montag A London joke I guess 😂
@@stephm4047 good one!
Underrated joke
Heheheheheheh lolol LMFAOAOAOAOAOAOAOAOAOA LMAOAOOOO LMAOOOOOOO LOL HAAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHA not funny
Worked a treat mate. Cheerios.
I was one of the teens brought into the brand in the 90s and I gotta say from my perspective as a buyer, I was happy continuing to shop with them primarily up until around 2002. I liked the simple, clean lines of the clothes and the flattering colors they chose. But around 2002 something changed and they went from having a large selection of attractive clothes to still having nice cuts, but choosing terrible colors, lots of oranges and browns compared to the primarily blues, blacks, and whites they previously sold.
Now I do still go there occasionally, but mostly it's to buy jeans. And even then, I''m not so sure I would if it weren't for the fact that I have a discount card for the entire brand. And I shop at their other brands for shirts. Typically Banana Republic for tee shirts as the fabric is better quality, and I like the solid colors with no logos.
Also following the logo change you talked about, they actually did another logo update around 2012, but the changes were so minor that no one really noticed.
I was a teenager back in the early 1990s who shopped at the Gap when it was a cool brand. As I got older and my tastes changed and I got into their Banana Republic brand which is more my style these days. I agree that the Gap's struggle has been their inability to attract the next generation of shoppers. I would say that generation x, my generation, were the last generation of Gap shoppers before they went downhill.
The GAP is too synonymous with what the cast would wear on 90s/early 2000s shows like “My So Called Life”, “Friends”, “Boy Meets World”, “Blossom”, “Dawson’s Creek” > Generation X.
Except the 90's are what is on trend right now with young people...high waisted Mom jeans, light wash denim, white runners, denim overalls and full rompers/ jumpers, scrunchies etc.
Though the only difference is that kids are now fatter..... sigh.....
Yep! I am GenX and loved the Gap in the late 90’s to mid 2000’s....
Depends on that part of the decade you are on.... Early 90’s looks 80’s.... Mid 90’s gets that grunge/preppy professional feel.... Late 90’s gets slick, sophisticated and “futuristic” ala Y2K, Matrix and WWW....
Is they were smart they'd capitalize off this new "vintage and retro" trend with us teenagers.
"I'm guessing you don't wear the same clothes you did in high school"
*Looks down at the ancient Mountain Dew hoodie from 1998, which in middle school was horrendously oversized but I wore it anyway and still do today* I mean it fits me really well now...! It... I... ok I have no excuse for this.
I legit just got rid of of a pair of sweatpants I've had from 7th grade. They were way too big but like you said fit great when I got older. They were worn and had a hole in them. Had to lay them to rest.
@@bartturner3327 Yeah I had to remove the sleeves from mine because they were so battered, but the rest looks ok. Now I have a half-hoodie!
Now that's brand loyalty right there
ghey trendie phag fishing for complements badge achieved
I do too and have others in my closet just for the sentimental value.
I remember working at The Gap in the 90's. Great times, great clothes and actual customer service. The Service part started to decline and that stopped me being a customer.
At 23 years old as of 2021. I can say I’ve never stepped foot in a Gap. I honestly had no idea it was even a clothing store. I thought it was a home furnishings store.
If they lowered their prices and removed the branding from the shirts, I'd shop there.
My step mom took me into the gap when I was like 14 or something and I remember I couldnt see a single color. Everything was navy, white, black, brown, tan with like 2 yellow sweaters. I was so bored I just left.
Khaki . everything is Khaki.
GAP clothing has been my favorite brand of clothing that I've ever worn. But it definitely went down in quality, but up in price, in early 2000.
I just remember the theme song, “Fall into the Gap!”🎶🎶
The Gap was about as popular then as the “N’Cest Pas,” jeans-no consumer appeal in our purchasing community.
When I was a kid in the 80's, i remember my mother saying "let's go to GAP". But by mid teens in the 90's, i never wanted to shop for my clothes there. Then shopped at Old Navy in early 2000's. But now, it's kinda a higher class Walmart...as far as quality and price 🤷♂️.
I think you hit the nail on the head here.
Why shop at a higher class Walmart when Target exists?
@@d0su I always though Target was the higher class Walmart tbh.
Gap is just a boring brand. Nothing special about their store layout or their clothing.
That’s what you say when ur mom picks your clothes they have good pieces and you just need to find the stuff that isn’t branded
Their name is starting to suck too.
Its soo expensive too. I brought some stuff because I like the joggers but there like 30 quid each! I wouldn't have bothered if it wasn't 40ish% off
It screams old ppl, us millennials are not with it
And that’s what made them great. I love boring clothes, get attention with your words, fools!
From what I remember, for most of the 90's there weren't many Old Navy locations. So I shopped at the Gap to get quality basics that were just affordable enough for someone in their 20's, like myself. Then the styles and colors became unflattering and the prices went WAY up when Old Navy shops became more ubiquitous. My $40 jeans jumped to $70! No way. I just would not pay through the nose, let alone for ugly clothes. Not when I could get cute, quality jeans at Old Navy for $15 on sale! I then became a loyal and regular Old Navy customer. Some of their clothes are not made particularly well, but many are, and the prices, sales and rewards give me the best bang for my buck when shopping for clothes. I get most of me & my husbands jeans, tees, button downs, socks etc. They also have a fun vibe, whereas Gap models look depressed that they haven't eaten since the 90's. LOL.
This aged like milk in the sun after the Yeezy and Balenciaga collab
Gap clothing is the same every years. They need to rid off the team that designed the clothing.
Quang Tran they’ve done often
I got beat up when I was a little child for wearing those clothes
Nice 👍🏿 😁
"Gap? What are you, Gay And Proud?" Oh yeah know that all too well
@@Wimmer33fan1 And that's why I didn't wear GAP
Diego Gaspar why
:(
I'm old enough to remember their slogan " fall into the gap!"
could never afford to shop there...
1) the clothes are too big/ the cuts are old
2) the aesthetic needs to be updated
3) barely present in the social media/internet realm
4) pricing is... odd
5) no actual "market" to identify with
6) the clothes look a tad bit dated
Gap’s business model isn’t the problem, it’s actually their image and store layout! I remember when Gap was more than just a clothing store, it was their branding. They now feel like Kohl’s and JCPenney, they’re so boring!
The Reverend Jim Jones the Kohl’s layout is awful and messy! Gap back in the 1990s and early 2000s were bright and clean! They turned the gap into a smaller version of Kohl’s department store. Even Kohl’s now isn’t fun anymore, they barely sell good stuff anymore.
@The Reverend Jim Jonesmy mom loves Kohl's too. I am 28....so...
Matt R major bore
kahluaqueen these stores bore customers, they rather shop elsewhere.
It's shocking that this brand is still around. I'm 43 and I remember the lower to mid 90s when they were still doing good. It's insane we are almost in 2020 and this brand is still trying to tough it out with their overpriced clothes.
Agree. I only get their t-shirts for 5 bucks. Anything above 10 dollars, no thank you.
The problem isn’t that The Gap’s mediocre threads aren’t overpriced; rather, The Gap isn’t overpriced enough. Think about what I am saying.
Never thought the gap was overpriced, compared to J Crew and Banana Republic, it's just their quality really declined.
I thought GAP stood for “Gifts and pants”?? That’s what I was told when I work for a GAP DC in the U.K...
From 1994 to 2014 I was a loyal Gap customer because it was the place to find women's jeans that fit. Each year I'd buy a pair (or two or three) in different colors. Then the company ditched the sizing and nothing fit anymore. I was still a size 6 with a short inseam; nothing in stock fit that shape. Contacted the company with a polite written request which got no response, not even a form letter. After a few more visits in hopes of finding a return of the old cut and sizing, I stopped looking.
The Gap’s target market is the same as Zara, H&M, and UNIQLO, only difference is Gap’s clothes cost more and they aren’t very fashionable. Uniqlo may not be as stylish or fashion forward as Zara and H&M, but they do very well with functional getup especially office and winter wear. Gap’s sister company, Old Navy, is cheaper and more fashionable, which explains the higher sales.
The GAP quality is still better than H&M ZARA or UNIQLO. Those stores offer more fashionable styles but the quality is crap. Wear once, wash once, ruined.
No Rubbers perhaps The Gap needs to start offering both quality and style. Also, remember that market trends for clothes have since changed to fast fashion. People no longer wear clothes for years as was the case in the 90s. What you wore this summer won’t be so hot next summer.
@@Brave-828 As of late there's been a push back against fast fashion. If GAP can repackage their identity, raise quality through ethical means and address their shortcomings they could have chance at relevancy again.
@@Brave-828 I wear stuff from the late 90's now...summer stuff looks cool if it's NOT trendy.
I understand the quality has gone downhill over the years too and no longer justifies the high prices.
Didn’t even know GAP still existed
New subscriber 😁
I was constantly brought to the Gap with my mom in the 90s, I hated shopping, but when I was a teen, everyone shopped there. I completely forgot about this store until I had my kids, then again it just never crossed my mind to shop there. Since the pandemic, I’ve been doing a little too much online shopping, and discovered that I love their jeans. I’m a mom and still want to look stylish, no there aren’t very many pieces I like, but I find some... and I’ve been able to get some great deals... like $13 jeans with all the sales. I found Gap Factory online too... Again, I personally like it, and so far the quality is good. Better than most I find at dept stores and just have a better quality look. The normal prices at the actual stores, $70-80 for a pair of jeans makes no sense, but finding a legitimate sale and getting items at the right time has been working for me... I also like that I can shop all their brands, Old Navy and Banana Republic with one checkout. Just my experience...
As a high school-er in the early 2000s, I remember how trendy the GAP was. However, the cost is the primary reason that I never shopped there. My cousins would shop there (but my uncle's an attorney so $$ wasn't as much of an obstacle for them). My family and I would shop at Old Navy instead, and get so much more for about 1/3 - 1/2 the price.
I use to shop at Gap in the late nineties early 00's when my clothes were mostly bought at the mall. As an adult I don't go to the mall as much.
Mary Pritchard thrift stores forever. i haven't bought anything new or groom from the mms mall in 4 years
Year contracts that were too expensive and locked you in whether you are going to the gym or not and penalizing your credit score you if you want to drop out.
Same. I feel very uncomfortable with how a lot of stores (especially H&M) use questionable labor and ecological tactics to sell their crappy clothing.
I’d rather either buy used, spend a little more for high quality, or even make my own.
Same. It's been at least 20 years since I've been back.
The Gap in my my local mall got closed down and they built a Zara in its place 😂
Do you mean the mall in San Francisco? That is the store I know.
Free standing Gap on Main Street in Venice turned into an American Apparel, then into nothing!
Yep the gap in my mall closed down too. It was the only time I bought stuff from them. All of the clothes were seriously 90% off. I got a 150$ jacket for 15$
Same here.
I didn't grow up rich. I got most of my clothes from walmart, goodwill/salvation army, and yard sales. I'd occasionally come across gap stuff and I noticed no difference in quality. Gap clothes just looked less visually interesting then other brands.
Basically, $80 for a pair of Jean's is crazy when that same amount could get you multiple outfits from walmart
I had a bad experience with a GAP store as a teen where the sales associate ignored me but welcomed the next customer that walked in with virtually open arms. I had just gotten paid a big Christmas bonus and was ready to shop. I turned around, walked out, and haven’t been back since.
In my mid 20, never buy Gap because the logo is just too big
I hate big and obvious logos
Yes but not in my Jordan’s
I remember I used to work for gap when I was 17 ...the store I worked at was closing and ever since I’ve put them on my resume as a manager for 4 years lol ... it worked
Lmfao! Your picture matches your comment 🤣
Used to work for gap when I was 17. I hated it. Every customer I dealt with was rude as shit. The manger that hired me was super nice but then she ended up have to resign because her husband had cancer. As soon as we got a new manger. My hours went down and so did everything else. I originally got hired as a cashier because I had prior experience, Which they did. But when we got that new manger, she started making me supervise the dressing rooms which meant you were always gonna get customers asking about a certain size. Counts were off for inventory so we never had the right size clothes for anyone. Overall working at gap sucks when I was 17. I’m glad That’s over.
Nice going to find a closing store now.
😂
Nicholas S yeah bro ... it did suck lol , I think I only got paid like $7.65/ hr at the time ... but my coworkers were mostly hot girls ... we had a buff tall tan guy as a manager who I’m sure used to screw most of them 😂 ... I was a stock associate ..
I could never understand why they were so popular. Their prices were ridiculously outlandishly expensive.
I worked on lots of Gap TV spots in the 80s. Levi’s too. (The “Levi’s 501 Blues” was a great series of commercials!)
Hip ad agencies and brilliant production companies in the SF Bay Area back then. Most of us were shooting on 35mm film. The generous budgets allowed such high quality cinematography.
This is a good video but barely scratches the surface about what The Gap became: owned by Levi’s for a time, The Gap became the parent company of Old Navy, and Banana Republic, and in doing so was able to capture 3 different markets & demographics.
Some of the better Gap TV spots were directed by Spike Lee (yes, that Spike Lee.)
In case you revise and expand this video, you should cover some of the history behind Banana Republic, long before becoming a Gap brand.
Cheers,
HM, a Clio Award winner (yawn)
To paraphrase an old ad campaign for The Gap … “Some of us grips wear khakis.”
Oh man I'd love to see one on Forever 21
@@peterjszerszen Forever 21 has an ironic name considering the fall.
@@eatatjoes6751 it's gonna be forever closing now
I've been single-handedly trying to keep them in business. I love buying trendy pieces for cheap.
Cnbc did a pretty good video on it recently
Their failure to attract the international market expanding too fast. CNBC posted a video of it.
Haven’t been there since I was a little kid, only thing I actually remember about it was that rumor about them owning Hot Topic
Personally, I liked the Gap in the late 80's when I was a teenager. Many other clothing brands around that time were overly trendy and featured typically obnoxious 80's styles, like pastels and prominent labeling. The Gap of that era offered a more timeless style and excellent quality, even though the price was a little higher. I was obviously not a fashionista, but Gap was my go-to store back then.
Part of the problem is, dare I say, quality. 10 years ago I bought several stock single color T-shirts from them--of which I still actually have one. They were made of a thick fabric that didn't pill and held together well. Five years later I checked in to get some more, and found the quality had taken a nosedive. The thick fabric of the original t-shirts had been replaced to the point where one could almost see your hand through the material. Threading snapped, and the bottom hem came apart in some places. Add to this they had raised the prices around 10-15% for the same shirt. Buying a $7-10 tee from Old Navy and I will accept one that won't last more than a year or two. Paying $20-25 for the same shirt is a deal breaker, and I suppose it is for a lot of people.
Their store is a big mess ... feels like warehouse than a store. Unorganized
Like Heidi Klum said, "In fashion, one day you're in... and the next day you're out"
I grew up in the heydey of The Gap (graduated high school in 1999)...and I honestly never had a clue Old Navy was affiliated with Gap! 😮
Gap for myself originally was where you went for the basics, jeans, khaki's, basic tee shirts in black, white, multi-colored, basics, super comfy sweaters. Over the years Gap seemed to start chasing fashion trends, particularly for the younger, rather than the all ages basics. What I liked about J Crew was the colors--J Crew took the same old styles and refreshed them with great colors and color combinations. Gap prices are reasonable and I continue to shop at Gap for basic items. Banana Republic which grew from a catalog has become a 'skinny-minnie' store, good choices for working folks in white color jobs. I am happy to see some fashion trends return to practical basics and H&M now rules.
You got picked on in middle school for wearing that stuff, they said it meant "gay and proud"
Right, that's why I never wore it
In my school they went with "gay ass people". I never shopped there because I was poor kid and a misfit who learned to hate brand labels. Lol
Lol I remember that
Their locations in June were decked out with pride shit. Lives up to the name then.
damn for real? I gotta buy some gap stuff then...
1. When I go to their website; it appears like they are targeting a slightly older crowd - 40s-50s.
2. In-store, when I've tried on their items, the sizing is off; when/if they do carry an XS, its oversized.
3. Their pricing is out of touch for their brand's popularity/prestige. They want 70$ for a non-cashmere sweater. If I'm a middle class shopper, I could get a similar sweater at Express (clear demographic target of 20-30s professionals) for 20-30$ cheaper.
4. If anything, NOW would be the time for their popularity to surge with the 90s fashion trend that's happening with teens and 20 somethings, but (reflecting back to my 1st point) they are targeting consumers in their 40s & 50s.
*They could fix this by revamping their website & mod shots, initiate a massive social media campaign targeting influencers and celebrities, and then dropping their prices SLIGHTLY- not massively- but like I said they do not have the reputation to charge the prices they are charging and still increase sales growth.
That happens for every brand out there. The departments are just outdated and bloated with old ideas. Here's more details on how to fix it:
1. Simplify and Densify. Carry out contracts with Amazon and Shopify and the other online retailers that are available. Get them to carry your stuff for a commission of 3%. The cash alone that could be raised would be enough to revamp the site and hire new modeling agencies that are in touch.
2. The online brands of influencers and celebrities are huge, and they would love to do promos for established brands. The kinds of folks that could model the clothes AND promote them, taking out many middle men in the process. Mr Beast, Casey Neistat, Pewdiepie, and a sweeping handful of others. I mean, it requires money, so a massive cash raise is needed.
3. Cut prices by 10% across the board. So a shirt selling for $50 should sell for $45. It may not seem like much, but changing the first digit in a number can be invaluable to closing sales. Also, hire qualified salespeople that know the business. There should be a ton of folks who lost their independent fashion labels, so perhaps give them a lifeline in managing the sales floor, with a few bucks earmarked for restarting the independent labels once the money is raised.
I started shopping in The Gap in the late '70s once I was allowed to shop for most of my own clothing (i.e. Levi's 501 Student Cut Jeans for $10 USD!!!... and a 45 rpm music record as a treat), and it became one of the main stores for clothing for my teenage and young adult years in the '80s. In the early to mid '90s, it continued to be one of the main stores for clothing in my younger adult life and a source of clothing for my children - especially from The Gap Outlet (young families need to save money). I moved to Europe in the mid-'90s and only started shopping at The Gap again when it opened up in the UK and briefly in Germany (closed there in the late '90s). I'd also shop there whenever I went back to the US on holidays along with the once catalogue Banana Republic, now a store, of slightly more mature clothing than The Gap (more suitable to a more mature adult). I think I stopped shopping at The Gap circa 2002/2003, and stopped shopping at Banana Republic when they closed all their stores in the UK around 2010/2012 (not sure of the closure year). It still has a special place for me because of the '80s and early '90s... The only thing that stays the same is... change.
I can tell my experience with GAP as a person from ex-"socialist" eastern european country. I get my first few GAP shirts in the 90's as present from my relatives traveling abroad. I loved them - they were so thin and dense, with so resistant dyes that seemed to never fade out. When they eventually wared out my father use them as working clothes in the garden of his country house till the beginning of 2010's. And finally, the first GAP shop appeared in a shopping mall in my city and I've intentionally gone to see what's in there. I saw more or less the same as in the chinese discount stores with just a bit better cut and seam but made of generally worse cloth for 15 times higher price. Thanks a lot - that was the last time I've put any interest in the GAP brand.
I fell into the GAP in the 1980s and stayed there through the 90s.
My favorite thing about their clothes was that they were somewhat conservative (relaxed fit jeans, a nice mock turtleneck sweater, crew neck sweaters, button down oxfords, Lounge wear, boxer briefs, etc...and everything in natural fibers) and I loved their muted tones. My casual wear tended to stay in the blue, gray and black range and the GAP had a lot of cool stuff in those colors for me (all in 100% cotton and wool).
Every trip to the mall during the 80s and 90s required a trip to a GAP). When I moved to Chicago in 1992, the GAP on Michigan Avenue was the place I spent the most time (after home and work, of course). The simple dark blue square with the big white letters just made me feel at home.
In the mid-to-late 90s the colors got a lot brighter and I just stopped shopping there. It broke my heart to stop shopping there. I've pretty much spent the last 20+ years trying to find a store that would allow me to maintain that same aesthetic (really comfortable clothing with muted tones), but nothing has been able to replace the GAP..
Old navys
Please rise and fall of Bally’s total fitness
They were crooks!
Bally: Still charging people’s credit cards.
Dimitri Borozny no they were way gone before planet fitness
I worked for la fitness and I know they bought them over and I heard all types of crazy stories why and seen so many of the deals we had grandfathered in that were crazy (1$ for a full year as an example ) so I want to know the real story
Here in Houston 24hr fitness bought them out, here anyway.
Good cloths but over priced. I can get the same items at Target under the GOODFELLAS brand for 20% to 30% less. And without the huge GAP stamped all over it
I remember when The Gap switched from Levi's to their own brand. I suddenly had no reason for my mom to shop there anymore, especially since she'd be paying cool prices for uncool, less-durable clothing.
I hardly noticed The Gap again until the fabulous ads in the late 1990s. But the clothes themselves weren't that cool; the ads tried to make them cool. And Gap clothes were no longer made in all sizes, so I couldn't buy them anyway! Then the cool ads stopped, and once again there was no reason to even take a look inside their stores.
As this video shows, The Gap brand began as jeans for all sizes of cool hippies playing cool music. That was a very strong identity with a memorable vibe. The chain's in-house clothing hasn't been cool, or right-sized, for any given era since.
The Gap became too corporate; even when it could identify what's cool with young adults, they couldn't get that coolness past the accountants and shareholders -- and they couldn't do it with quality materials at reasonable prices.