It can be said that the United States has undergone a redressing. The
             focus over the last twenty to thirty years has gone from technologically
             advanced artificial fabrics such as acrylic and polyester to a resurgence
             of natural fibers such as cotton and wool.
             At the height of the dot-com boom, the San Francisco-based chain [Gap
             Inc.] seemed poised to bury office formalwear in a sandstorm of khaki
             pants, stretch shirts and black turtlenecks, which it helped make de
             rigueur in executive suites across the country. Perhaps more than any
             other clothier, Banana Republic set the definition for "office
             The cyclical changes in professional wear have gone back and forth from
             business dress to casual dress for decades and the retail market has
             answered its call. The changes can largely be associated with retail
             trendsetters such as Gap Inc. and two of the most recognizable brands, are
             Banana Republic and Old Navy, both owned and managed by Gap Inc.
             Though these two brands are competitors for the casual to semi-casual
             market they are marketed and run very differently. Examining the marketing
             plans of both subsidiary companies can help explain the dynamic hold that
             Gap Inc. has upon the market and the household recognition that these more
             casual retailers provide in our society today. This work will first give
             an overview of the two brands followed by a point by point analysis of the
             marketing concepts of globalization, relationship to other brands in the
             parent company, segmentation, environmental issues, purchase decision
             structure, channels of distribution, promotion and advertising, pricing,
             Interestingly enough when Banana Republic and Old Navy are compared
             on the issue of globalization it is clear that in at least in a retail
             distribution sense they are very similar. Both brands have retail outlets
             in only the US and Canada. The fiscal ...