Banana Republic facts for kids
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Flagship Store in Manhattan
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| Division of Gap | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1978 Mill Valley, California, U.S. |
| Founders | Mel Ziegler Patricia Ziegler |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
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Key people
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Sonia Syngal (CEO of parent Gap, Inc.) Sandra Stangl (president & CEO) |
| Products | Clothing |
| Parent | Gap Inc. (1983–present) |
Banana Republic is an American brand that sells upscale clothing and accessories. "Upscale" means the items are generally more expensive and of higher quality than clothes at many other mall stores. The company is owned by Gap Inc., which also owns the Gap and Old Navy stores.
The brand was started in 1978 by Mel and Patricia Ziegler. They first called it "Banana Republic Travel & Safari Clothing Company." In 1983, Gap bought the company and changed the name to just "Banana Republic." They gave the stores a more high-end, luxury look. In recent years, the brand has been trying to create a new image with very stylish clothing that has been compared to famous luxury brands like Ralph Lauren.
Contents
How Banana Republic Started
A Creative Couple
The story of Banana Republic begins with a couple named Mel and Patricia Ziegler in 1978. They both worked for the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, where Mel was a reporter and Patricia was an artist.
The idea for the company started after Mel traveled to Australia for a work assignment. While there, he bought a cool-looking British military jacket from a war surplus store. The Zieglers realized there was a market for unique, travel-inspired clothing. They started their business by buying 500 old paratrooper shirts from the Spanish Civil War for only $1.50 each. They sold them at a local flea market and made a profit.
The First Store
Soon, the Zieglers quit their jobs to focus on their new company. They opened their first store in Mill Valley, California. The store had a fun safari theme, and they became famous for their catalogs. These weren't just lists of clothes; they were filled with Patricia's drawings and Mel's exciting stories about travel and adventure.
In their 2012 book, Wild Company, the Zieglers share the story of their adventures during the first ten years of building the brand.
Changes Under Gap Inc.
In 1983, Gap Inc. bought Banana Republic. After a few years, the founders, Mel and Patricia Ziegler, were no longer in charge of the brand's creative direction. Gap wanted to appeal to more people, so they changed the company's image.
The unique travel and safari themes were removed. The hand-drawn catalogs and one-of-a-kind items disappeared. Instead, the stores began selling more mainstream luxury clothing. This style, known as "masstige" (a mix of "mass market" and "prestige"), made the brand popular for its stylish but accessible clothes.
Stores Around the World
For many years, Banana Republic grew and opened stores all over the world.
- In 2005, the first store outside of North America opened in Tokyo, Japan.
- Stores soon followed in South Korea, Kuwait, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
- In 2008, the brand expanded into Europe, opening a large store on Regent Street in London, England.
However, the company later faced challenges. In 2016, Banana Republic closed all of its stores in the United Kingdom due to low sales. By 2017, the brand had over 700 stores, but none were left in Europe.
In August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Banana Republic and its parent company, Gap, announced they would close over 225 stores. This was because the pandemic caused financial problems for many retail businesses. By the end of 2022, the number of U.S. stores had dropped to 379.
Despite these closures, the brand continues to operate. In 2023, Banana Republic worked with fashion designer Peter Do to create a special limited-edition collection.
Clothing Lines
Banana Republic has offered many different clothing lines over the years.
- Collections
- BR Monogram
- Heritage
- Sunday Sunday
- BR Sport (started in 2021)
- BR Baby
- BR Athletics
- Special Capsule collections
- Trina Turk
- Anna Karenina
- Mad Men
- Milly NY
- Issa London
- L'Wren Scott
- Marimekko
- Roland Mouret
See also
In Spanish: Banana Republic para niños
- Dead mall
- Retail apocalypse
