Compiled by the staff of Shopping Centers Today
Gap Inc. is preparing a massive makeover of its U.S. Gap stores, president and CEO Paul Pressler told investors at a conference today.
“The big, white Gap box that Gap has become famous for just doesn't feel relevant today,” he said. Last month the retailer renovated seven Gap stores in Denver to incorporate a design that departs from what Pressler called the “sterile” traditional Gap layout.
The new stores look like stage sets, with dark wood floors, theatrical lighting and modern sound systems. They feature “denim bars” at the back of the stores, with seating and books for shoppers searching for jeans. Pressler did not disclose how much the company is paying for the makeover.
The stores reflect the different ways men and women shop, Pressler said. Separate portals lead to the men's and women's sections of the store. The women's section is broken up into small rooms, with merchandise rotated frequently to appeal to the female shopper's need for “discovery” in the shopping experience.
The mens' section is more straightforward, with displays being “directive,” Pressler said. Shoppers are staying longer, using fitting rooms more frequently and buying more garments per transaction at the Denver stores, he noted.
The company will introduce the new design at 10 stores in the Hartford/New Haven, Conn., market and at five in San Diego later this year. Eventually, the company says, those elements that generate the highest returns on investment at the Connecticut, Denver and San Diego stores will be incorporated into Gap stores nationwide.
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