Fall into the gap

Interesting comments on a slate.com article abou the demise, both cultural and economic of The Gap

From its position as the main purveyor of reliable yuppie wear that you didn't have to think much about to choose and put on, Gap decided to chase not its own 30s-40s demographic but a younger one-- right at the moment when the younger one, chasing hiphop fashion, got into some seriously ugly shit. Gap didn't go all the way toward being Abercrombie and Crotch, so the kids just looked at it like it was Mom trying to dress young, but they cluttered up their clean lines with enough zippers and pockets one season, logos and whatever the next, so Moms and Dads with any real sense couldn't find anything classy enough for them to feel comfortable in.

Turning around Gap is easy. Burn down everything you're up to right now, cut the crap, and start making clothes for who your customers really are, not for the models in your ads. They won't, though, because they're less afraid of a slumping stock than of being thought unhip. So they'll spend 30 years dying. Gap, the Sears of the 21st century.

Emsworth


[...] I can't decipher Gap's target demographic. I don't think The Gap can either. They hired Sarah Jessica Parker about a year ago. At the time, I was happy that the Gap may be skewing towards the 30-something market and would start producing appealing mid-range clothing again, but they quickly jettisoned Parker for generic 'young people' to freshen thier image. I was surprised at the time that they were still able to pull in top-tier celebs to shill for them but they squandered what may have been thier last shot.

Another non-scientific indicator of The Gap's downfall is my wholly superficial and shallow perception of the attractiveness of the staff. When I was in my early to mid 20's, the Gap staff was always attractive and well dressed. Lately I've noticed more overweight and sloppy employees at The Gap that brands like A&F and J. Crew would never allow.

Which brings me to my final point: Advertising.
The TV ads which first brought me to The Gap were the "Khakis" swing dancing ads of the late 90's. These were fantastic ads and the first that ever made me WANT to shop anywhere. I can't remember the last Gap ad that I saw, but it must not have grabbed my attention in the least. The Gap is failing on two advertising fronts: The first is their media ads, and the second their staff, since they are the best indicator of what the clothes look like on a real person.

My advice: Find a demographic and stick to it. Improve your advertising to target that group, and be aware that your hiring decisions have a direct affect on the public perception of your brand.

boboli


The Gap used to be the only place to get decent jeans, its bread and butter. But Gap isn't even on the radar in the cool jeans department now, overtaken by high-end denim brands like Seven for All Mankind, and even similarly priced denim like Lucky Brand, which has its own Cali-cool image. So if The Gap's main product isn't where its at, then it better have other things to offer.

It doesn't -- it has held on to its versions of fairly bland t-shirts and other boring clothes, and the result is a bland and boring store. That's Gap's problem. In an era where there are lots of reasonably priced interesting clothes, there is nothing interesting there. Pocket t-shirts do not a company make.
--Catorce