The Existence of the Banana Republic Store

Originally The Banana Republic was founded in 1969 as a travel-themed store; think of The Rain Forest Restaurant being made into a clothing store. There were extravagant decorations like Jeeps and fog machines that made shopping within the store a fun experience. However, the majority of their sales still came from catalog sales. The catalog of course only reinforced the store’s theme. Eventually in 1983 Gap Inc. bought the company and slightly changed the extravagant decorations. Every once in awhile The Banana Republic store is a refurbished historical building. So the next time you see a store on vacation stick your head in for a quick visit to find out if the store itself has any history.

The Gap Store Near You

I like to shop locally most of the time but every once in awhile I like to travel just a little farther to see what other malls and stores have within their seasonal lineups. The Gap store next to me isn’t really that big. Just a few miles down the road I can find another mall that has slightly a bigger Gap and a few extra pieces of clothing. The biggest things I shop for are button down shirts and right now the medium size stores carry several summer styles. My last suggestion, if you feel like your store is too small, is to give online shopping a try.

The Layout of the Gap Stores

Most of the Gap stores all have the same look and layout; guys on the right side and girls on the left. Have you ever noticed that is always the same for the majority of stores? Structure was the only store I can remember that had guys on the left. I wonder who decided on this socially acceptable mean. I know it's comfortable and natural for me as a guy to always go to the right when I walk into a store so I guess it's natural for a girl to go to the left when they walk into a store. My real question is if it is politically correct to have ladies on the left?

What are Piperlime Shoes?

A lot of people, including myself, have not heard of Piperlime shoes. I recently learned they are a shoe company owned by Gap Incorporated. Online shoe shopping has become a big market recently and now Gap is able to supply this market with their style. Through the use of online shopping you are able to browse hundreds of different shoe styles all in one place. The most interesting approach they have taken is the addition to handbags. Handbags and shoes are some of the most purchased accessories and Piperlime has created a marketplace for both. Check them out!

Is Old Navy Hiring?

If you've ever applied for a job at Old Navy then you know the pain-staking hours one spends to just get a chance to work at the retail store. Now any professional will tell you that finding the right job candidate is almost solely dependent on how well each person is interviewed. So it's no wonder why more and more retail stores require an online application that usually takes anywhere from 1 to 3 hours long. This is ultimately a good thing for the company because some of the personal questions that store managers do not like to ask are completed up-front and done in the same manner for everyone. With the application process being so efficient I wonder, is Old Navy hiring or are they like a fisherman that just leaves his pole in the water all the time? I think the process is so efficient it drastically reduces a store's hiring options and because of this they never have enough people to help. At my local store I've seen the 'Now Hiring' sign in the window for over 5 months.

Why so many Old Navy Coupons?

Everyone knows Old Navy is a great place to shop for a good bargain but did you know that they are one of the biggest companies to offer online coupons? Everyday there are at least several Old Navy coupons available through Old Navy's website. Some of the most popular discounts of course include free shipping or a discount on the shipping. Online retailers know that shipping is one of the biggest problems shoppers still have with making purchases online, so they usually try to counter balance this cost to keep sales up. Presently, I know they are having a $5 flat shipping rate for everything you buy online.

Gap Jeans and the Gap Clothing

You know, I use to think the Gap clothing was basic and came in two colors: white or black. However I've come to love their button down shirts. Their button down shirts are classier than Tommy Hilfiger and have lots of colors. The clothes at Gap do reflect a classic style but they really aren't basic; they still have plenty of choices when it comes to jean fittings. They have a standard fit, loose fit, boot fit, easy fit, slim fit, low rise fit, hayes fit, relaxed fit, carpenter fit, and yes . . . even a baggy fit. I find it strange that Gap finally makes a baggy fit. Less than a decade ago you couldn't find baggy jeans at Gap but now they have changed and offer more styles than ever before.

I Love an Old Navy Sale

One of the main things I like about this store is that every single time I walk in, there is some sort of Old Navy sale! There is always something on sale. It may be something that is "last season" but it is new to me. Often I don't even buy the items that are new, I buy the items that are on the sale rack but I still stay in style. Clothes from Old Navy never seem to go out of style. Old Navy has amazing prices too. Even the stuff that is not on sale are at unbelievably low prices. Their clothes are high quality items so even though you are not spending that much money buy shopping the sale racks, you are still getting quality goods. That is another thing I love about Old Navy.