Gap新CEO将发力女装以重振品牌

    Gap公司的同名品牌再度陷入困境。公司首席执行官称，一个更具灵感的女装系列是让这家连锁零售商重拾活力的关键。

    去年，Gap品牌的可比销售额下降了5％，同期，其姐妹品牌Banana Republic的销售额持平，而平价品牌Old Navy的销售额增长了5％。Gap面临来自H＆M和优衣库等快时尚商家的激烈竞争，同时，基本款服装日益普遍。加之Gap的服装设计乏善可陈，品牌号召力大不如前。

    为了重新站稳脚跟，Gap最近取消了由明星设计顾问丽贝卡•贝担任的创意总监一职。加盟Gap仅两年的丽贝卡，此前曾成功推出H＆M旗下高端品牌Cos。Gap还聘请了新的品牌总裁。上周四，Gap公司首席执行官阿特•派克表示，重振Gap品牌是其“头等要务”，而这意味着专注于提升女装业务。派克在几年前曾亲自执掌Gap品牌。

    上周，派克在出任公司首席执行官后，首次出席收益电话会议，他表示：“首先要重振女装业务。这里存在审美问题，我们正努力尽快解决该问题。”本月早些时候，派克取代了担任首席执行官已久的格伦•墨菲。“要达到我们预期的业绩，女装业务必须马力全开。”

    Gap上周四还宣布，聘请了前L Brands高管文迪•戈德曼担任新设立的Gap产品开发设计副总裁一职。派克称，这一职位是为戈德曼量身打造的。

    派克表示，虽然Gap的牛仔女装业务稍有起色，但该品牌的上装，尤其是针织衫，缺乏时尚感，而且既不合身也不好看。谈到Gap的女性顾客对现有商品兴趣缺缺，派克说道：“对现在的产品她们纯粹是眼也不眨一下。”

    问题是其春夏款商品已经进货，因此，公司警告称，“Gap品牌局势扭转较慢”将影响其新财年的利润。

    在其他方面，Gap可谓是其自身问题的始作俑者。在供应链提速方面，Gap落在了姐妹品牌之后，这使其无法迅速对大热或受冷的时尚潮流做出反应，也无法迅速应对H＆M和优衣库的动作。因此，派克将缩短Gap的产品周期作为优先事项，并辅以其他改变，使Gap能迅速增加热卖品的产量。

    2011年2月至2012年11月，派克曾担任Gap北美区及其700家门店的总裁。他称自己的经历表明Gap品牌能东山再起。Gap曾有几年苦苦挣扎，关了200家门店，但随后在2013年凭借亮色牛仔裤和“潮流”单品大获成功。事实上，派克承诺在今年晚些时候，推出更多彩色、印花和带图案的单品。

    Gap公司不能任由其年销售额高达62亿美元的同名品牌一蹶不振。Gap品牌贡献了公司38%的销售额，而且该品牌正向海外扩张。Gap的男装、婴儿装以及Fit产品线的业绩都不错。但该品牌最大的产品类别——女装业绩不佳。这种局面必须扭转。

    派克称：“我真希望Gap不是眼下这样。”（财富中文网）

    译者：Hunter

    审稿：李翔

    Gap Inc’s GPS 3.05% namesake brand is in a deep funk again. And the company’s CEO says that a much more inspired women’s wear collection is key to restoring the chain’s health.

    Gap’s comparable sales fell 5% last year, compared to a flat performance at sister chain Banana Republic and a 5% jump at value chain Old Navy. Gap has been facing stiff competition from fast fashion stores like H&M and Uniqlo, and basic clothing has become more of a commodity. Add to that mediocre fashion designs and you have an iconic but faltering brand.

    In an effort to find its footing again, Gap recently eliminated the role of creative director that had been held by star design consultant Rebekka Bay, whom it had hired just over 2 years earlier after she successfully launched H&M’s upscale Cos brand. Gap also hired a new brand president. Gap Inc CEO Art Peck, who headed the brand a few years ago himself, said on Thursday that fixing Gap brand was his “No. 1 priority.” And that means focusing on improving its women’s wear in particular.

    “It starts with righting the women’s business. There’s an esthetic issue, which we’re working on today with urgency,” Peck said, speaking on his first earnings call as CEO this week. Peck replaced longtime CEO Glenn Murphy earlier this month. “We need to have the women’s business hitting on all cylinders in order for the business the performances that we expect.”

    Gap also announced on Thursday it had hired former L Brands LB -0.13% executive Wendi Goldman to the newly created role of executive vice president for Gap product design and development. Peck acknowledged she has her work cut out for her.

    While women’s denim is showing a bit of improvement, Peck said that Gap is missing the mark fashion wise on tops, particularly wovens and knits, with poor fits and an unappealing esthetic. “She’s just not responding to the product there right now at all,” Peck said, referring to Gap’s female consumers disinterest in the current merchandise.

    The problem for Gap is that it has already bought for the spring and summer seasons, so it warned its profit for the brand-new fiscal year will be hit by a “slower turnaround at Gap brand.”

    Gap was also the author of its own problems in other ways. Gap was slower than its sister brands to speed up its supply chain, handcuffing it when it comes to responding to fashion hits or misses and reacting to what H&M and Uniqlo do. So Peck is making it a priority to shorten the product calendar at Gap, and is making other changes so it can quickly ramp up production of things are proving to be popular items.

    Peck, who was president of Gap North America and its 700 stores from February 2011 to November 2012, pointed to his own experience to prove the Gap brand can strike again. Gap had struggled for a few years, closed 200 stores, but then had a massive home run in 2013 with bright colored jeans and “on-trend” products. Indeed, Peck promised more color and print and patterns later this year.

    Gap Inc cannot afford to have its $6.2 billion-a-year namesake brand falter for very long. It generates 38% of the parent company’s sales, and the brand is expanding overseas. Its mens, babies, and Fit lines are doing well. But the biggest category in the Gap brand – women- is not. And that has to change.

    “I wish Gap was in a different place,” Peck said.