The Banana Republic reveals an American sensibility with an accurate and positive viewpoint.
The timeless style captures a modern interpretation of classic fashion, and its relaxed attitude expresses a comfortable and confident quality. The adventurous spirit of the line is built from its heritage in travel and living a life full of passion that is open to discovery.
By 1994, Banana Republic was racking up the most significant gains of any subsidiary at The Gap and formulated plans to open 20 new stores a year for the next several years. In 1996, it introduced separate gender-specific concept stores, Banana Republic Men and Banana Republic Women. By 1996, there were more than 200 Banana Republic stores in the U.S., as well as five in Canada; they had a total estimated sales volume of more than $500 million. Menswear still accounted for 50 percent of all sales, and stores had begun to offer free alterations and personal shopping assistants. Home merchandise items were introduced into a handful of stores during the holiday season, such as formally dressed tables and beds in fabrics popular from the men’s and women’s clothing collections. In 1997, “BR Athletic” was introduced, adding athletic clothing and footwear, a move mirrored by mall favorites and competitors such as Eddie Bauer, L.L. Bean, and J. Crew. Donald Fisher was named National Retail Federation’s Gold Medal winner, and Jeanne Jackson moved into the position of chief executive officer mid-year, while at the same time announcing the company’s intent to open 30 stores a year to add to the 226 then in existence.
By early 1998, that number had grown to 40, according to Jackson, who said that the company was planning 20 percent growth a year. Among these new stores, there were plans for a new type of store, the flagship, first introduced in San Francisco, Chicago and Waikiki in 1997. Flagship stores were more extensive than previous Banana Republic retail locations, averaging 25,000 to 35,00 square feet and featuring all of the company’s merchandise lines under one roof. Their interior design reflected the look and felt of their distinctive communities while incorporating the chain’s signature features–super-sleek fixtures, lots of polished metal, neoclassical arches, and overall spare design. The Chicago store, for example, incorporated the glass and steel staircase from the original
Michigan Avenue store, had a facade whose vertical lines pay tribute to the city’s modern
architecture, and showcased art from local artists. In San Francisco, the unit was designed to replicate an upscale home, with separate rooms used to display the different styles of clothing.
New flagships were planned for New York, Boston, and Philadelphia in 1998, while some of the smaller retail locations were slated to grow from around 10,000 square feet to units that were twice as large or larger. The number of stores was projected to break the three hundred mark, and there were plans to reintroduce the company’s catalog. As the end of the century approached, the Banana Republic was poised to remain a strong presence in the chain store apparel market, an innovator in the area of specialty merchandise, and the marketer of a lifestyle.
