Banana Republic is an American clothing brand founded by
MelMel Ziegler and his wife, Patricia Ziegler were the founders of Banana Republic. Along with William Rosenzweig, they also co-founded the Republic of Tea. They eventually sold both companies....
and
Patricia ZieglerPatricia Ziegler and her husband Mel Ziegler were the founders of the clothing retailer Banana Republic. Along with William Rosenzweig, they also co-founded the Republic of Tea. They eventually sold both companies....
in 1978 as a travel-themed clothing company; it has subsequently largely eliminated this tropical or travel-related theme. The company was bought by
GapThe Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
in 1983. Banana Republic has over 600 stores located internationally.
History
The original Banana Republic was founded by
MelMel Ziegler and his wife, Patricia Ziegler were the founders of Banana Republic. Along with William Rosenzweig, they also co-founded the Republic of Tea. They eventually sold both companies....
and
Patricia ZieglerPatricia Ziegler and her husband Mel Ziegler were the founders of the clothing retailer Banana Republic. Along with William Rosenzweig, they also co-founded the Republic of Tea. They eventually sold both companies....
in 1978. It was a two-store
safariA safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
and travel-themed clothing company. The majority of sales came from its eccentric, hand-illustrated catalog, which presented high-end and unique items with chatty, usually fictional backstories from exotic locations, as well as more pedestrian high-volume products deliberately spiced up with a similar treatment. Many of the backstories were written by well-known authors including Cyra McFadden, author also of The Serial and Rain or Shine. As Banana Republic expanded its retail operation, it became known for the themed decoration in its stores, often featuring authentic elements, such as real
JeepJeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
s and foliage, as well as atmospheric elements, such as fog and steam.
The Gap, Inc.The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
acquired Banana Republic in 1983, eventually rebranding it as a mainstream luxury clothing retailer. The literate articles, hand-drawn catalogue, and eccentric tourist-oriented items were phased out and were replaced with more luxurious, but less unique, items for which the brand is currently known. To set itself apart from Gap as a more upmarket brand, Banana Republic occasionally buys and refurbishes historic buildings for its retail locations. Although this broadened the appeal of the Banana Republic and was an effective business strategy, it also made Banana Republic a byword for bourgeois amongst its former fan base.
Milestones
- 1978 - The first Banana Republic store opens in Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. The population was 13,903 at the 2010 census.Mill Valley is located on the western and northern shores of Richardson Bay...
.
- 1979 - Banana Republic begins to distribute a Safari and Imported Surplus Catalog.
- 1983 - The Gap, Inc.
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
acquires Banana Republic - a two-store mail-order safari and travel clothing company.
- 1984 - The Banana Republic Summer 1984 catalog reaches over one million people. Catalog orders are 50% of sales.
- 1988 - Banana Republic opens its 100th store.
- 1988 - Banana Republic discontinues its Travel & Safari catalogs.
- 1990 - The Gap, Inc.'s 1,000th store opens - a Banana Republic in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
.
- 1993 - Banana Republic begins its transition to a lifestyle brand by broadening its offerings beyond clothing to include jewelry and small leather products.
- 1995 - The first Banana Republic store opens outside the United States in Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
- 1995 - Banana Republic continues its lifestyle branding by introducing personal care and shoe lines.
- 1996 - Banana Republic introduces gift and home accessories collections.
- 1998 - Banana Republic debuts its first national television commercials, featuring Banana Republic suede.
- 1998 - Banana Republic introduces the company's first private label credit cards.
- 1998 - Banana Republic annual sales exceed $1 billion.
- 1999 - Banana Republic launches its online store at bananarepublic.com.
- 2000 - Banana Republic is featured on NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's popular sitcom Will & GraceWill & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
. In several episodes, Jack McFarlandJohn Philip "Jack" McFarland was a fictional character on the American television sitcom Will & Grace, played by Sean Hayes.-Character personality:...
(Sean HayesSean Patrick Hayes is an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Jack McFarland in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, for which he won an Emmy Award, four SAG Awards, one American Comedy Award, and six Golden Globes nominations.He also portrayed comedian Jerry Lewis in the...
) is a Banana Republic sales associate.
- 2001 - Banana Republic launches petite sizes in an online-exclusive debut.
- 2004 - Banana Republic collaborates with Bravo to combine product placement
Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...
with on-air content in the hit reality series Project RunwayProject Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
.
- 2005 - The first Banana Republic in Japan opens in Printemps Ginza
is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi.It is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. Ginza is recognized as one of the most...
, Tokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
- 2007 - The first Banana Republic franchise store opens in Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
, Bahrain' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, followed by stores in JakartaJakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, IndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
; Kuwait City-Suburbs:Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:Al-Salam ""السلام"" -Economy:...
, KuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
; Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
; Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia; SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
; SeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
; and Muscat, OmanMuscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
.
- 2008 - The first Banana Republic store in the United Kingdom opens on Regent Street
Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
in London. The first Banana Republic franchise store in Saudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
opens in JeddahJeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
. Banana Republic opens a flagship store on Greenbelt 5 in Makati CityThe City of Makati is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and one of the major financial, commercial and economic hubs in Asia...
, PhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
- 2009 - Banana Republic unveils its "Revolution" concept store in Las Vegas
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, ScottsdaleScottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
and SoHoSoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores...
.
- 2009 - Banana Republic launches its first limited-edition accessories boutique, Edition by Banana Republic, in the U.S. at Westfield San Francisco Centre
Westfield San Francisco Centre is an upscale, urban shopping center located in San Francisco, California, managed by the Westfield Group and co-owned by Westfield and Forest City Enterprises. It is anchored by Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's, and includes a Century Theatres multiplex, a Bristol...
.
- 2010 - Banana Republic's online store launches its international shipping service with the global e-commerce provider, FiftyOne, along with the other Gap Inc. Brands. Banana Republic opens its first Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
flagship store in MilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
- 2011 - The first Banana Republic franchise store opens in Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, RussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Profile
The company operates more than 500 Banana Republic stores in the United States (including
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
) and 26 stores in Canada. The Gap, Inc. is expanding its international presence with franchise agreements for Gap and Banana Republic in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Banana Republic opened its first store outside North America in 2005 in Ginza, Tokyo's most prestigious shopping district. Banana Republic's presence in South Korea debuted on August 24, 2007 with a flagship store in the Apkujeong district of Seoul. In 2007, the first Banana Republic stores opened at
The Avenues shopping mallThe Avenues mall is the largest mall and shopping center in Kuwait. It is soon to be one of the largest malls in the Middle East. It is located in the Al-Rai industrial area, along the Fifth Ring Road...
in Kuwait City, Kuwait;
Senayan CitySenayan City is a mixed-use development located in Senayan area, Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The complex comprises a seven-floor high end shopping mall, an office tower , an apartment tower, and a five-star hotel operated by Sofitel. Senayan City is built on a land area of 48,000 m² owned by the...
in Jakarta, Indonesia; and
Pavilion Kuala LumpurPavilion Kuala Lumpur is a shopping mall situated along the Bukit Bintang district in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This place was built on the site where former Bukit Bintang Girls' School, the oldest school in Kuala Lumpur that has been moved to Cheras as Sekolah Seri Bintang Utara on 2000...
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Banana Republic opened its first store in
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
on March 15, 2008 in the
Kanyon Shopping MallKanyon is a multi-purpose complex located at Büyükdere Avenue Nr. 185 in the Levent financial district of Istanbul, Turkey. Opened on 6 June 2006, it unites a 160-store shopping mall , a 30-floor office tower and a 22-floor residential block with 179 residential apartments into a complex...
in
IstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. By May 2008,
İstinyeİstinye is a neighbourhood in Istanbul, on the European side of the city. It is located between Emirgan and Yeniköy on the northwestern shore of the Bosporus, within the borough of Sarıyer. It is one of the finest seashore locations on the Bosporus where people walk around during the weekends....
Park Shopping Mall and
NişantaşıNişantaşı is a quarter of Istanbul, Turkey, comprising neighbourhoods like Teşvikiye, Osmanbey, Maçka and Pangaltı. It includes the stores of world famous brands and has many popular cafés, pubs, restaurants and night clubs. It is a part of the Şişli district...
stores were also opened in Istanbul. More stores are planned to be opened in
AnkaraAnkara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
and
İzmirIzmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
by the end of 2008 to bring the total number of stores in Turkey to six.
Banana Republic was first introduced in
Saudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
in late 2008, with a first opening in
Mall of ArabiaThe Mall of Arabia is a shopping mall located in Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The mall is located on the eastern side of the Medina Road and south of Makkah Road, near the King Abdulaziz International Airport. With an area of 261,000 square meters, The Mall has 16 entrances and 3,000...
in
JeddahJeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
and a second opening in Riyadh Gallery Mall in
RiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
in March 2009.
On March 20, 2008, Banana Republic opened its 17000 square feet (1,579.4 m²) flagship store on Regent Street in London, England. On May 9, 2008, Banana Republic opened its flagship store on
Greenbelt 5Greenbelt is a shopping mall located at Ayala Center, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines which is just near Glorietta and SM Makati. It is owned by Ayala Malls, a real-estate subsidiary of Ayala Land, which is an affiliate of Ayala Corporation. It opened in the 1980s and it is one of Ayala...
in
Makati CityThe City of Makati is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and one of the major financial, commercial and economic hubs in Asia...
,
PhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Clothing lines
Collections
- BR Monogram
- Edition by Banana Republic (2009)
- Heritage
|
Capsule collections
- Luxe Leisure (2010)
- Mad Men® (2011)
|
Store count
As of the end of Q1 2011, Banana Republic had 642 company owned or franchised stores in operation across 32 countries, shipped to 20 countries through company owned websites, and had the ability to ship to more than 50 countries through a 3rd party.
North America 40 536 |
Asia 3 28 1 2 2 1 1 3 2 9 6 3 |
Europe 1 8 |
|
External links