The Gap’s closed and these are reasons High Street favourite is shutting its doors

THERE will be no need to mind the Gap any more.

The high street store is set to close all 81 of its UK branches after reporting losses of £40.7million in the year to February 2021.

WENNEva Herzigova looks gorgeous as she models for Gap[/caption]

Once adored by A-list celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, Jada Pinkett Smith and Madonna — and a welcome addition to any ward-robe — the US retailer will now be operating online only in the UK.

It could be a savvy move for the brand — known for its hoodies, jeans and winter knitwear — as it follows retailers such as Arcadia, Debenhams and Warehouse to become a digital first model.

Retail expert Claire Bailey, of The Retail Champion, says: “Perhaps by reducing the overheads associated with the store estate, and moving to online only (whether permanently or just for a period of regrouping), they will generate the necessary cash to be able to reimagine the brand, revamp the product range, and re-engage the modern consumer.”

But it could be too little too late for the wholesome all-American brand. Here’ are ten reasons why . . . 

1. SIZES MISSING IN STORES

In certain stores, not online, Gap stopped stocking all sizes due to lack of sales.

For example, in its jeans department in Oxford Street, one sales assistant told me they had stopped selling size 8 and 14 but kept 6, 10, 12, and 16.

GAPMissy Elliott and Madonna in a advertising campaign for Gap[/caption]

To exclude a huge proportion of your customers is unheard of for any high street brand and undoubtedly resulted in loyal customers being put off going in ever again.

Alienating such a seismic proportion of shoppers will have most definitely contributed to its downfall.

2. OVER-BRANDED BASICS

In recent years, Gap stores have gone from selling quality essentials such as plain T-shirts and wool jumpers to being jam-packed with more and more branded items. It is overkill.

While at its height, the brand grew 24,000 per cent between 1984 and 1999 — with “Gap”-emblazoned hoodies a must-have item.

BackGridJennifer Hudson has also starred in a campaign for the clothing company[/caption]

The OTT logo tops have since become outdated, but it seems Gap head office did not get the memo.

3. POSTER GIRLS FLOP

Once upon a time Gap had a campaign with every star going — Missy Elliott, Eva Herzigova, Lenny Kravitz, Jennifer Hudson, Naomi Campbell, Kim Basinger, Cindy Crawford and Luke Perry, to name a few.

These days, celebrities would hardly be seen dead in Gap, never mind risk fronting a campaign for the chain.

The GapCindy Crawford models for Gap in a matching pink denim look[/caption]

Apart from Kanye West, that is.

He signed a ten-year deal with his brand Yeezy to collaborate with Gap, but it has so far only appeared in the US.

4. TOO EXPENSIVE

It has never been the cheapest place to shop for the kind of staple basic clothing it is known for.

A pair of jeans will set you back around the £50 mark and midi dresses £65.

The GapHunk Luke Perry models a sleeveless denim jacket for Gap[/caption]

The likes of Uniqlo and Lindex — stores that are similar in their basics clothing approach — offer similar products for a fraction of the price.

Plus, many shoppers now head to bargain stores such as Primark to pick up T-shirts for as little as £2.50.

5. TRENDLESS

Doris and Don Fisher launched Gap in San Francisco in 1969. The couple wanted to create something “simple” after being unable to find a pair of jeans to fit — and they saw a “gap” in the market.

Arriving in the UK in 1987, the brand became a hit during the 1990s and early 2000s with “Gap layers” being so on trend. And someone was wearing a Gap sweatshirt on every street corner.

The GapLenny Kravitz wowed as he modelled for Gap[/caption]

While other brands of that era, such as Benetton, have moved with the times and updated styles to match new trends, Gap remains stuck with the same old clothes.

6. POOR ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Of huge importance for brands in more recent times is having presence on social media.

Gap’s UK Instagram account has a following of 82,700 compared to the likes of Next with 2million and River Island with 2.4million.

The GapKim Basinger modelling for Gap in 1989[/caption]

If Gap wants to survive it needs to widen its customer base online. This is one of the main ways to advertise today.

7. DIZZY WITH DISCOUNTS

Gap has actually been in trouble for years, with stores reported to be closing in the UK back in 2019, before the pandemic made matters worse across the sector.

According to experts, Gap has coped in the past by offering massive discounts of 50 per cent and more.

Getty – ContributorGap has been in trouble for years[/caption]

But customers got so reliant on these sales they simply waited for them to roll back around again and probably avoided buying at full retail price.

8. DOESN’T KNOW ITS MARKET

Often sitting in the middle of the high street market, Gap seems to get a little lost.

Who is its target customer? No one really knows.

ReutersGap is often sitting in the middle of the high street market[/caption]

According to Business Research Methodology, it aims for customers up to the age of 45, specifically targeting young couples and those early on in their adult life.

However, take a look in any Gap store and you would be forgiven for thinking that its clothing is creeping towards the older demographic.

9. DITCHED TV ADS

As well as its many campaigns with celebrities, Gap’s TV ads were central to its marketing.

From line dancers in khakis to its “Everybody in vests” advert, its campaigns captured audiences across the globe.

Gap’s TV ads were central to its marketing

However, in 2009 it was announced Gap was no longer focusing on TV adverts as much, opting to use social media instead (look how that worked out!).

Any adverts released since have been low key in comparison.

10. BECAME A RUNNING JOKE

Turns out you can get too much of a good thing. Hollywood blockbuster Crazy Stupid Love saw a stylish Ryan Gosling mocking frumpy dad Steve Carell, saying, “Be better than the Gap”, after the latter labels the brand trendy.

In Friends, Joey is ridiculed for having the same shirt as Ross and says, “Stupid Gap on every corner”.

HandoutThe store used to be a fashion powerhouse[/caption]

While the store used to be a fashion powerhouse, it gradually became the butt of the joke.