Gap Swot Analysis
SWOT Analysis
? Brand name recognition and equity
Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic are three of the most well known brands in retail. The number
of stores by location at the end of fiscal 2001 and 200 was 3,079 and 2,848, respectively.
Gap is credited with creating the ?casual basics? category of apparel, which includes khakis, t-shirts,
button-down shirts, knit tops and other comfortable separates. Gap revolutionized the specialty
apparel category and quickly grew to become the industry leader and spawned several imitators.
In general, the specialty retail apparel industry is characterized by stores that either sell only clothing
or a combination of clothing and personal care items. It is this pinpoint focus on apparel and style
products that differentiates the current retail store format from its predecessor, the department store.
Prior to the opening of the first enclosed shopping mall in Edina, MD in 1956 most clothes shopping
was done primarily in department stores. Despite offering the convenience of being able to shop for
multiple purposes under the same roof, such stores by definition lacked any real focus on clothes and
thus tended to stock traditional and conservative styles. However, during the 1960? and beyond as
clothing became more associated with self-expression
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