Gap Inc. has announced that it is expanding its brands Athleta and Janie & Jack outside the US with franchise partners, for the first time as the company looks to provide updates on its planned spinoff into two publicly traded companies.
Gap will begin franchising Athleta and Janie & Jack brands internationally, starting with online and in shop-in-shop formats. The retailer said that it will eventually open bricks-and-mortar stores with proven partners.
The announcement was made by the fashion brand at its Meet the Management investor event.
Commenting further on the expansion, Roy Hunt, Senior VP, Gap Inc. global franchise & strategic alliances, said “Introducing Athleta and Janie & Jack is a monumental milestone in our history and an opportunity to share more of our iconic brands with a broader, global customer base.”
He added “Given the premium, gift-worthy children’s looks of Janie & Jack and the versatile, sustainable women’s performance apparels of Athleta, we feel the two brands will resonate with customers in new and existing markets internationally.”
It will franchise the two brands through its global franchise and strategic alliances division which first opened Gap franchised store in 2006 in Singapore. In the last 3 years, Gap has opened 100 new franchise locations and there are presently more than 500 franchised Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy stores around the world.
The company said that a substantial driver of sales overseas stems from Gap’s logo-plastered products, which account for nearly 30 per cent of total sales in the franchise division each year.
The company as of 3 August 2019, had 3,356 company-operated stores and 521 franchise locations globally.
