By

Sahja Nand Jha

History
•The original Banana Republic was founded
by Mel and Patricia Ziegler in 1978.
•It was a two-store safari and travel-themed clothing
company.
•As Banana Republic expanded its retail operation, it became
known for the themed decoration in its stores, often
featuring authentic elements, such as real Jeeps and foliage,
as well as atmospheric elements, such as fog and steam.

•The Gap, Inc. acquired Banana Republic in 1983, and

rebranding it as a mainstream luxury clothing retailer
profile
Wholly Owned Subsidiary of The Gap, Inc. 

Incorporated: 1978 as Banana Republic Travel and Safari Clothing Company 

Employees: 3,800 

Sales: $282 million (1997 est.) 

SICs: 5651 Family Clothing Stores

• Company Address: 1 Harrison Street, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.

• Company Website: www.bananarepublic.com

 
• The Banana Republic brand "is an accessible
luxury brand, offering high-quality apparel and
accessories collections for men and women".
Clientelling
• Banana Republic's niche is with high-income,
over-25, white-collar professionals, 32 percent
of whom have an annual household income of
more than $100,000. Another 22 percent of
the company's customers earn at least
$75,000, and yet another 19 percent are in the
$50,000 to $75,000 range.
 Product line
• Banana Republic has, in recent years,
branched out to sell housewares, personal
care items, footwear and dressy as well as
casual clothes and is one of The Gap's most
successful ventures in the specialty fashion
market
 Acquired By The Gap in the 1980s

• By late 1983, when The Gap--under president Millard S. Drexler

and chairman Donald G. Fisher aquired Banana Republic, there
were five Banana Republic stores in California, and the company's
annual sales had grown to $10 million.
• The new subsidiary was an immediate boon to the then-
floundering Gap, which was struggling to broaden its market
beyond a well-established teenage customer base.
• Banana Republic experienced meteoric sales growth and rapid
expansion for the next three years, with sales per square foot
peaking in 1986 at about $750, compared to an industry average
of about $235.
•
• New stores were opened whose interiors were
designed to recreate the adventurous setting
of the outback. Bush planes hung from
ceilings; thatched-roofed huts, jeeps and
ersatz wild animals were arranged on the
display floor.

• Catalogue publications increased.

• The search for a solid corporate identity began
to take shape in 1988, when The Gap brought
in a new management team, including Tasha
Polizzi, formerly of Ruff Hewn and Polo/Ralph
Lauren, as vice-president and director of
design and product at Banana Republi
• Although Polizzi stayed in the post for only a
year, citing creative differences in updating the
direction of the chain's merchandise, the new
team made some successful moves, including
a decisive shift away from the safari motif.
 Continuing Growth in the 1990s

• By 1994, Banana Republic was racking up the biggest gains of

any subsidiary at The Gap, and formulated plans to open 20
new stores a year for the next several years.
• In 1995, it opened its first store outside the U.S. in Alberta,
Canada, and rolled out its Body Care collection.
• In 1996, it introduced separate gender-specific concept stores,
Banana Republic Men and Banana Republic Women.
• The women's mix had by then grown to include career suiting,
casual wear, shoes, belts, handbags, lingerie, and luggage.
• In keeping with its story line, all items in the body care
collection were perfumed with a scent called "Classic."