The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
The two retail giants are debuting Gap Home, a line of home, bath and bedding products that will be sold on Walmart’s website starting late June.
The line is Gap’s latest licensing deal. Last May, it announced a partnership with IMG to license the Gap brand for new product categories. The company has also already announced it was debuting eyewear in 2022 through a licensing deal.
With Walmart’s scale and Gap’s name recognition, the companies are hoping to win over customers interested in home decor. The category was a sweet spot during the pandemic when shoppers stayed indoors and spruced up their homes. Independent fashion brands like Sincerely, Tommy, Simon Miller, Shrimps and Sezane all debuted furniture or home accessories this past year. They join labels like Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, H&M, Zara and Urban Outfitters, which have all been in the category for years.
Although shoppers have returned to fashion purchases like dresses and skirts, the appetite for stylish home goods is expected to endure; market research firm Edited estimates the segment will grow 20 percent over the next three years.
Nordstrom, Tod’s and L’Occitane are all pushing for privatisation. Ultimately, their fate will not be determined by whether they are under the scrutiny of public investors.
The company is in talks with potential investors after filing for insolvency in Europe and closing its US stores. Insiders say efforts to restore the brand to its 1980s heyday clashed with its owners’ desire to quickly juice sales in order to attract a buyer.
The humble trainer, once the reserve of football fans, Britpop kids and the odd skateboarder, has become as ubiquitous as battered Converse All Stars in the 00s indie sleaze years.
Manhattanites had little love for the $25 billion megaproject when it opened five years ago (the pandemic lockdowns didn't help, either). But a constantly shifting mix of stores, restaurants and experiences is now drawing large numbers of both locals and tourists.