From business casual to trendy designs, Banana Republic has become one of the most popular clothing brands over the recent years and they appear to have something for everyone.
Being Gap’s most luxurious brand, Banana Republic is targeted at young professionals just like Gap but is often compared to rival retailers such as Brook Brothers and J Crew. The brand lately began selling clothes for babies, though it’s not recognized for selling children’s clothing.
Checking on the Banana Republic Website, the brand offers different discounts for cardmembers and shoppers with discount codes. The website layout is pretty basic with no flashy images like Old Navy. The Banana Republic sells shoes, clothing, jewelry, and accessories for men and women.
It is available for almost anyone, with stores all over the 46 states of the U.S. Their website is designed to serve customers across the world. Shoppers with the Banana Republic credit card may receive discounts and reward points. Moreover, buyers can return any item within 45 days of purchase.
Banana Republic Overview
The Banana Republic was opened in 1978 by Mill Valley Cali. As a shop for people with a passion for expedition wear. It was founded by two progressive entrepreneurs who embodied the pioneering spirit of San Francisco.
These entrepreneurs loved to travel, collecting the surplus clothing that outfitted the stores. They even offered a unique award-winning travel-oriented catalog, which they referred to as travelogue.
Later in 1983, the San Francisco-based Gap Inc, discovered something special in the Banana Republic and introduced it into Gap Inc, and promised to maintain the brand’s unique spirit. Today, Banana Republic serves as a premier destination for contemporary clothing with no boundaries. It is rooted in the explorers’ spirit, making it a global lifestyle brand.
Reading on their website, Banana Republic is committed to making better decisions in regard to products and practices, ensuring sustainability in their designs, and sourcing premium materials from all over the world. It is a bold, curious and innovative brand focused to deliver a better and affordable fashion statement for modern-day people.
Banana Republic Quality
Despite its massive popularity, Banana Republic is a mid-level clothing brand. Aside from being part of the Gap empire Banana Republic is more upscale in comparison to Gap or Old Navy. Nonetheless, it is roughly compared to Polo Ralph Lauren or Tommy Hilfiger, which are strictly mid-level.
Speaking of quality, Banana Republic carries cool styles and offers good sales. The price point range is better than other brand label stores. In summary, the quality is good and you’ll enjoy shopping in the Banana Republic.
For instance, a t-shirt on Banana goes for $19.50 (made from Pima cotton) which is known to be very soft and comfortable. This fancy cotton justifies the premium price and is rather agreeable based on its sophisticated positioning. The same t-shirt happens to be one of the most expensive models out of the other two brands, but the least expensive on the Banana Republic site.
The brand’s target customer is any place 15-65. All customers and repeat customers through the door are potential sales. The target market also includes forward men and men age 20-60 searching for both work and leisure at an affordable price.
The Banana Republic and Gap
A person’s style is sometimes more like body language. For instance, when people feel cheerful and happy, they tend to wear brighter colors to demonstrate that they are happy. Both the Banana Republic and Gap bear some similarities, but the differences between the two are pronounced.
The Banana Republic is largely recognized for high-class business attire while Gap is known for providing those “casual stay at home” and back-to-school designs. Although the Banana Republic offers a casual line of clothing, the styles are always unique and the material is of higher quality.
Gap, meanwhile, are popular for their jeans, which are extremely durable and fit well. Unlike Gap, Banana Republic does not provide such a great selection- though it offers unique textured clothing and accessories. When choosing between Gap and Banana Republic, be sure to put your budget into consideration. Gap is usually more affordable than Banana Republic,
The Bottom Line
Banana Republic has not only made a sale with their excellent customer service but has gained the trust of shoppers and free advertisement from repeat visitors who recommend the Banana Republic to their friends.
Gap demonstrates its power of brand positioning by introducing separate brands for different segments. It shows how different companies position their brands can affect the amount that can be charged for something as simple as a t-shirt. Gap shows that different merchandise approaches for different brands can have direct effects on various factors including price.