This message was sent to Gap Inc. employees.
Today, we are proud to announce that we have closed on the sale of our Gap Greater China mainland business to our longstanding local partner, Baozun Inc. Moving forward, Baozun will operate the Gap Brand business through stores and e-commerce for China mainland and Hong Kong under a franchise agreement.
To make sure our partnership is successful, a team within the Franchise, Strategic Alliances and Licensing (FSAL) division will be responsible for leading the new franchise partnership with Baozun. Based in Shanghai and led by former Gap China GM Chris Mohler, this team will act as liaisons between Gap Inc. and the franchisee to grow international brand power and expand customer reach while protecting the global brand vision and processes.
While we continue to work toward regulatory approval in Taiwan that will allow us to complete the full sale and transition of our Gap Greater China business to Baozun, today is a major milestone in our Partner to Amplify strategy to grow our Gap international business through strong local partnerships.
We are deeply grateful to the teams at Gap Greater China and Gap Inc. for helping to set the stage for Gap’s new growth chapter in this important market.
Mark Breitbard
President and CEO of Gap Brand
Adrienne Gernand
Managing Director of International, Global Licensing and Wholesale