Archive for May 2011

    May 31, 2011 10:35 AM by Daniel Yang, Gap China store manager

    What it's Like Working for Gap in China


    想知道在GAP中国零售店铺的工作是怎样的么

    I’ve been with Gap for about 10 months and the year has been exciting.  I was invited to San Francisco to learn about the company and  train for my role in opening the first Gap store in Beijing, China.  The company just promoted me to store general manager and I moved to Care City in South Beijing where we just opened Gap’s 5th store in China.

    It’s different from our stores in Beijing and Shanghai.  It’s in a new mall in an area with more than 500,000 residents with convenient subway and bus connections.  I’m really excited to connect to our customers in this new environment.

    屈指算来从加入GAP到现在的十个月非常之精彩，我有幸经历了旧金山的启蒙之旅并参与中国第一家店铺的开业，随后公司晋升我为中国第五家店铺——首地大峡谷店的店总经理。刚刚开业的首地店位于北京南城，与之前的四家店铺比较起来有些不同：购物中心新近营业，周边有着超过五十万的常住人口，地铁和多条交通线路使交通非常之便利，所有这些都将帮助我们吸引更多顾客。

    What are customers in China like?

    想知道中国的顾客是怎样的么？

    What I’ve learned about our China customers is that they are now observing and following global fashion trends. They are very concerned about product quality. And they are savvy shoppers who watch for promotions and know about the Gap brand products. They call and visit the stores, shop online, and design unique looks with Gap clothes.  I’m not sure if these are also popular in the U.S., but customers here love the 1969 jeans, easy fit khaki pants, cropped pants and logo tees which are made to suit Chinese consumers’ body types.

    根据我所了解的中国顾客，他们已经开始关注并跟从国际时尚趋势，关心产品品质，并且对折促销活动非常敏感并且了解GAP品牌以及我们的产品。越来越多的顾客通过电话、访店和网购很好的知晓了GAP以及我们出众的设计。我不太确定美国的市场，目前我们的顾客非常喜欢1969牛仔，宽松卡其，七分裤以及LOGO短袖T恤，所有这些都是为中国顾客量身打造的。

    I’m am really proud of our Care City team and excited to work with future employees as Gap continues to grow in China!

    我作为首地团队的一员倍感自豪，同时也期待伴随GAP在中国业务的成长有更多成员加入！

     

     


    May 31, 2011 10:24 AM by Daniel Yang, Gap China store manager

    What it's Like Working for Gap in China


    (I'm 2nd over from the bottom right.)

    想知道在GAP中国零售店铺的工作是怎样的么

    I’ve been with Gap for about 10 months and the year has been exciting.  I was invited to San Francisco to learn about the company and  train for my role in opening the first Gap store in Beijing, China.  The company just promoted me to store general manager and I moved to Care City in South Beijing where we just opened Gap’s 5th store in China.

    It’s different from our stores in Beijing and Shanghai.  It’s in a new mall in an area with more than 500,000 residents with convenient subway and bus connections.  I’m really excited to connect to our customers in this new environment.

    屈指算来从加入GAP到现在的十个月非常之精彩，我有幸经历了旧金山的启蒙之旅并参与中国第一家店铺的开业，随后公司晋升我为中国第五家店铺——首地大峡谷店的店总经理。刚刚开业的首地店位于北京南城，与之前的四家店铺比较起来有些不同：购物中心新近营业，周边有着超过五十万的常住人口，地铁和多条交通线路使交通非常之便利，所有这些都将帮助我们吸引更多顾客。

    What are customers in China like?

    想知道中国的顾客是怎样的么？

    What I’ve learned about our China customers is that they are now observing and following global fashion trends. They are very concerned about product quality. And they are savvy shoppers who watch for promotions and know about the Gap brand products. They call and visit the stores, shop online, and design unique looks with Gap clothes.  I’m not sure if these are also popular in the U.S., but customers here love the 1969 jeans, easy fit khaki pants, cropped pants and logo tees which are made to suit Chinese consumers’ body types.

    根据我所了解的中国顾客，他们已经开始关注并跟从国际时尚趋势，关心产品品质，并且对折促销活动非常敏感并且了解GAP品牌以及我们的产品。越来越多的顾客通过电话、访店和网购很好的知晓了GAP以及我们出众的设计。我不太确定美国的市场，目前我们的顾客非常喜欢1969牛仔，宽松卡其，七分裤以及LOGO短袖T恤，所有这些都是为中国顾客量身打造的。

    I’m am really proud of our Care City team and excited to work with future employees as Gap continues to grow in China!

    我作为首地团队的一员倍感自豪，同时也期待伴随GAP在中国业务的成长有更多成员加入！

     

     


    May 26, 2011 3:57 PM by Scott Key, SVP and GM of Athleta

    Gap Career Path Leads to Biking Trail


    Twenty-one years ago, if you told me my career path at Gap Inc. would lead me to Sonoma County, to an office on the edge of a well-protected wetland, where I could bring my dog Twyla to work and ride my bike Friday mornings with my team,  I wouldn’t have believed you.  And yet, here I am, part of the Gap family, working for Athleta in Petaluma, doing just those things.

    Most of us here are active in a variety of sports. We have runners, triathletes, cyclists, yoginis, tennis players and folks who are crazed for soccer, like me.  The same passion we bring to our individual sports thrives in the office – as we stay positive and remain committed to the Athleta philosophy – to inspire women to lead active and adventurous lives.

    Athleta was founded to provide women with functional and fashionable active lifestyle apparel.  Our designers are female athletes themselves.  Our passion is growing as we expand our business from catalog and online into stores. Just this week,  Athleta was awarded the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) 2011 Hot Retailer Award which acknowledges innovative retail concepts that touch consumers all over the world, proof that we’ve put our all into making our stores the best they can be for customers.

    We look forward to expanding our stores, growing our team, and becoming an even bigger part of more women’s lives.  

     

    May 24, 2011 10:48 AM by Nathan Sung Budziak, Banana Republic Factory Store employee

    How Gap helped me find my birth family


    As Asian-Pacific American Heritage month comes to a close, I wanted to share a personal story of serendipity. My work as a Gap Inc. employee helped me connect with my birth family and my Asian heritage.

    In the Fall of 2010, work sent me to China to help roll out the first Gap stores in Beijing.  For three months, I was absorbed in our “Let’s GAP Together” campaign and in the power of blending cultures.  The experience sparked a hunger and curiosity to learn more of my own mixed background. I’m a Korean-American, international adoptee, and for 27 years only knew one set of parents.

    I arrived back in California, and my jetlag hadn’t even worn off, when I fired off a late night e-mail to the Holt International Adoption Agency. Five days later, a response came as a shock.  I didn’t expect any reply at all, let alone, one from a social-worker in Seoul, South Korea stating that the agency found my birth family… yes, family.

    I got back on a plane to Seoul, South Korea, where I visited my birth parents, and two sisters.  It’s a complicated and emotional story covered by the Chosun news, but here's the brief version. When I was born, my birth father was expected to die of liver cancer. Money was tight.  My mother told a lie that I had passed away at birth, so my father would not feel guilty about leaving us during his final days.  But, he survived and pushed through college, and graduate school in memory of a son he thought he would never meet.   

    I can’t put into words the emotions each of us is going through. But, I can honestly say that none of this would have happened if my work didn't open my mind and support me in this journey.  “Let’s GAP Together” may seem like a marketing campaign. But for me, it really is a symbol of bringing East and West together as one.

     

     

    May 23, 2011 6:18 PM by Corey Lyons

    It's After 5 Somewhere, Right?


    Fashion bloggers recently took over Banana Republic flagship stores.

    OK, “took over” may be a bit strong – but they hosted exclusive shopping events called “After 5,” meeting directly with their fans and customers for a kind of group retail therapy for everyone.

    Check out a few of the bloggers’ posts and images about the Summer styles: B. Jones, A Lovely Escape, Saucy Glossie, Mon Petit Chou Chou and Song of Style.

    May 19, 2011 3:05 PM by Lydia Markoff, Blog Squad writer

    Clean a closet, change a life.


    I just moved.  I’m exhausted… but in the move, I came up with two huge boxes filled with perfectly good (clean) pants, sweaters, and kids clothing that my daughter will outgrow more of in the time it takes to write this blog.

    I’m hauling the boxes to the Gap store down the street, where they are going to make a huge difference in someone else’s life.

    We’re partnering with Goodwill Industries to support the Goodwill® mission of providing job training programs and employment placement services to the people who need them most.

    Extra bonus - donate at any US or Canada Gap store May 19-29 and you’ll get 30% off your Gap purchases that day.

    Since we’re talking numbers… check out this Donation Impact Calculator which tabulates how much “good” that pre-worn clothing can do – 3 pairs of jeans = 30 minutes of job counseling!

    Closets cleaned, lives changed. Don’t take my word for it.  Read more on Huffington Post from Jim Gibbons, the President and CEO of Goodwill Industries.

     

     

     

    May 17, 2011 2:38 PM by Catherine Rhoades, Global Communications

    Gap Inc. Jetsetter (without the plane)

    ...

     This company is taking off on a global runway. For me that means adjusting to time zones, working through language barriers, and holding virtual meetings nearly every day. It’s all really exciting and I can’t wait for this to turn into opportunities to travel! But in the meantime, strap on the virtual seatbelt.  I’m going to take you on a trip around the world to see all we’ve got going on at Gap Inc. without boarding a plane.

    China: For starters, this year, we just opened a store in Beijing’s Care City Mall. This is our fifth store in China - third in Beijing. The team definitely took some time to celebrate ;)



    Kazakhstan:     Heading over to Eastern Europe, earlier this year, we also opened our first franchise store in Kazakhstan in the capitol, Astana. The store is in the Khan Shatyr, or “Royal Marquee” - the largest transparent tent structure in the world!




    Serbia and Ukraine:     You probably saw the news last week, but we just added Serbia and Ukraine to our list of new franchise markets. We’re going to get this party started with our first Gap store in Kiev, the capitol of Ukraine in a few short weeks.



    Japan:       In March, we opened a new Gap flagship in Ginza and made quite a splash with a celeb studded opening. We also just announced our plans to take another brand to Asia – Old Navy. Get ready Japan!  


     

    Italy: On the heels of opening our first stores in Milan, Gap’s preparing to open its first store in an outlet center in Italy and our first Gap brand store in Rome later this year. Ciao Italia! 


     

    South America: Oh…and in case that’s not enough, we’re adding the sixth and final inhabitable continent to our list, with our first store in South America - a Gap franchise store in Chile slated to open in late 2011.



    United States:     Project ONE, also known as the “The New Old Navy”, continues to make its mark around the nation with more than 250 stores remodeled to date. We’re edging closer to reaching our goal of remodeling a third of the fleet and expect to complete another 100 remodels in 2011.   


     

    Looking ahead, the first Athleta store in New York is set to open later this year. If you hang out on the Upper West Side, you may have already noticed the signage, but if you’re in San Francisco, be sure to visit our Fillmore Street store and get a taste of what’s coming.


    May 12, 2011 8:45 AM by Your Gap Inc. Recruiting Pros

    11 Resume Tips


    We’ve got a lot going on at our corporate headquarters and our stores across our five brands.  We’ve got new stores opening and websites launching around the world – and that means more “opportunities,” of course.

    If you’ve found a position you’re interested in on the Job Search section of our Careers page, make sure you apply with a resume that rocks.

    To help you out, here are our 11 resume writing tips:

    1) Don’t just apply to every job you see that you “think” you can do. Pick the one you REALLY want.

    2) Don’t send a cookie-cutter resume that gets lost in a sea of applicants. Tailor your resume to the specific job you want.

    3) Highlight your biggest accomplishments up front and use metrics whenever possible. Your resume should read like an advertisement that says:  “If you pick me, you will get these skills and an employee who will be successful in the company’s culture.”

    4) Make sure your resume has clear content and active language that really showcases your skills and abilities – not just a laundry list of your work history.

    5) Make sure the key words in the job description are on your resume. Most recruiters search their database of applicants by those key words.

    6) List your key work experience in bullet format versus paragraphs. It’s easier to read.

    7) Avoid the trap of using too small a font size. Ideal size is 11-12. We should not need a microscope to read it. 

    8) Be concise and keep it to one page if you can. BUT if you have great experience that highlights your skills don’t be afraid to use a 2nd page. Just make sure it’s all worth reading.

    9) Double check spelling and grammar. It’s “manager” not “manger.”

    10) If the application asks an optional opened ended question (ie. “Why do want to work at..?”) Take the time to answer the question. This will set you apart from the rest.

    11) Don’t go it alone – Have someone else proof read before you click send. It’s easy to get too close to it, and you might miss some things. Find friends to review your resume or free online resources to help you.

    We often get asked if we look at all of the resumes we receive. And the answer is “Yes.” When we say we really appreciate your interest in our company -  we mean it.   

    Good luck with your search!

     

    May 10, 2011 10:10 AM by Nick Sheth, Gap Inc. Direct Sr. Marketing Director

    Mobile Shopping Made Easy with Gap


    Internet shopping from your mobile phone has been about as easy as squeezing into skinny jeans after a weekend food fest.

    In fact, The New York Times reports retailers are seeing only 2-percent of sales coming from mobile devices.  But, we expect that to change here at Gap Inc.  

    We’ve got a new mobile shopping experience you’ve got to see to believe.

    My co-worker and I shot this video to show you how it works.

     

    May 5, 2011 9:59 AM by Corey Lyons

    Back in the Day ...


    Ahh, back in the day. You know, back when we could call people who shopped our stores not “consumers,” but “cats and chicks.” Which Gap did. In national ads.

    But I digress. Sort of.

    What you may not know about Gap is that, beginning in the early ‘70s, we started selling private-label clothing – such as Foxtails jeans for women, pictured above. In Gap’s early years, it sold Levi’s – private label was a chance to build Gap’s own brand identity and heritage. (Read Our Story.)

    And we did. In the ‘70s, we made history as the first retail chain to use its store name as the brand name when we sold jeans called “Gap.” Foxtails was for women and Eaton Hill was for men.

    Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this little “history lesson” and, of course, the fashionable image included with this post.

    May 3, 2011 8:49 AM by Sue Kwon

    Inside Gap's Denim Digs


    It’s a former cigar-factory converted into a one-room, gritty, high-ceiling think tank.

    Cell phones outnumber landlines.

    An office dog named Louis rules the roost.

    It’s not a Silicon Valley startup.  This is the scene at Gap’s relatively new 1969 office in downtown L.A.

    It’s where design, merchandising, production, and everything else related to Gap’s denim business is done.

    Since I can’t quite put it all into words – this video does the trick.

     

     

     

This is the place to get to know Gap Inc. and our brands a little better. Get in on the conversation -- we'd like to know you, too!

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