Banana Republic facts for kids
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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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Number of locations
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700 (2017) |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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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 a popular American clothing and accessories store. It's owned by a bigger company called The Gap. It was started in 1978 by a couple named Mel and Patricia Ziegler. They first called their company "Banana Republic Travel & Safari Clothing Company."
In 1983, Gap bought the company. They changed the name to "Banana Republic" and made the stores look more fancy and high-end. Today, Banana Republic offers stylish clothes that are often compared to other well-known luxury brands.
Contents
How Banana Republic Started
Banana Republic was first created by Mel and Patricia Ziegler in 1978. Before starting the company, Mel was a reporter and Patricia was an artist for the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. They lived in San Francisco.
In 1978, they decided to leave their jobs and move to Tamalpais Valley. They wanted to start their own business. Mel and Patricia were known for finding unique clothes during their travels. They opened their first store in Mill Valley, California.
Their store became famous for its special hand-drawn catalogs. These catalogs featured interesting stories about travelers and explorers. Their stores also had a fun safari theme. The Zieglers wrote a book in 2012 called Wild Company about their adventures in the early years of the company.
Changes Over Time
Gap Inc. bought Banana Republic in 1983. By 1988, the founders, Mel and Patricia Ziegler, no longer had control over the company's creative direction. The brand then changed to offer more "mass luxury" clothing. This meant stylish clothes that were still affordable for many people.
The unique hand-drawn catalogs and travel-themed items slowly disappeared. They were replaced with more luxurious, but less unique, clothing. Today, the brand is known for these types of items.
Where You Can Find Banana Republic Stores
In 2005, Banana Republic opened its first store outside North America. This store was in Tokyo's Ginza shopping area in Japan. In August 2007, stores also opened in Seoul, South Korea.
More international stores opened in 2007. These included locations in Kuwait City, Kuwait; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In March 2008, Banana Republic opened its first store in Turkey. It was located in the Kanyon Shopping Mall in Istanbul. More stores soon opened in Istanbul, and plans were made for stores in Ankara and İzmir.
Banana Republic also opened stores in Saudi Arabia in late 2008 and early 2009. These were in Jeddah and Riyadh. In March 2008, a large store opened on Regent Street in London, England. Another store opened in Makati, Philippines, in May 2008.
Store Closures
In October 2016, Banana Republic announced it would close all its stores in the UK. This was because sales were dropping. By 2017, Banana Republic had over 700 stores worldwide. However, after closing its European stores, there are none left in Europe.
In August 2020, Banana Republic and Gap announced they would close over 225 store locations. This decision was made because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its financial effects. Most of these closures were for stores located inside shopping malls.
What Kind of Clothes Does Banana Republic Sell?
Banana Republic offers different types of clothing collections. They also work with designers to create special, limited-edition collections.
- Collections*
- BR Monogram
- Heritage
- Sunday Sunday
- BR Sport (started in 2021)
- BR Baby
- BR Athletics
- Special Collections (Capsule Collections)*
- Trina Turk
- Anna Karenina
- Mad Men
- Milly NY
- Issa London
- L'Wren Scott
- Marimekko
- Roland Mouret
- Peter Do (in 2023)
Current Store Numbers
In 2011, Banana Republic had 682 stores that were owned by the company or run by franchises in 32 countries. They also shipped clothes to 21 countries through their websites.
By late 2022, the number of stores in the United States dropped to 379. This included three outlet stores in Puerto Rico. The number of outlet stores in Canada, however, grew to 62. The company closed all eight of its stores in the UK and Ireland in 2016. They also shut down all of the brand's European websites in May 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Banana Republic para niños
- Dead mall
- Retail apocalypse
