Old Navy
| File:Old Navy logo.svg Logo used since 2017 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (Clothing and accessories) |
| Founded | March 11, 1994 in San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Founder | Mickey Drexler |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Area served | United States, Canada, Mexico, Philippines (noted cities include New York City, Seattle, Chicago, Manila, Mexico City) |
Key people | Sonia Syngal (CEO) |
| Owner | Gap Inc. |
| Website | oldnavy |
Old Navy is a U.S.-based retailer specializing in clothing and accessories, operating as a subsidiary of the multinational corporation Gap Inc.. Its corporate headquarters are situated in San Francisco, California. The brand’s main stores are positioned in prominent urban centers such as New York City, Seattle, Chicago, Manila, and Mexico City.
History
During the early 1990s, Dayton-Hudson Corporation aimed to introduce a discount apparel brand to rival Gap, which led Gap's CEO Mickey Drexler to establish Gap Warehouse in 1993. On March 11, 1994, Gap Warehouse was rebranded as Old Navy Clothing Co., creating a unique identity within Gap Inc. The name "Old Navy" was conceived during a trip to Paris. The initial outlets were approximately 15,000 square feet, considerably larger than the former Gap Warehouse stores. The first locations launched in northern California towns like Colma and San Leandro. These stores were designed with a grocery store concept featuring wide aisles and shopping carts, combining an industrial warehouse aesthetic with vibrant color schemes and high employee presence to set them apart from other discount retailers.
By the close of 1994, Old Navy experienced rapid expansion by opening 42 more stores and converting most existing Gap Warehouse locations. Early advertising campaigns included playful television commercials starring figures such as Carrie Donovan and Morgan Fairchild.
Old Navy grew swiftly, becoming the first retailer to exceed $1 billion in sales within four years and reaching 500 stores by the year 2000. Its journey into international markets began in 2001 with store openings in Ontario, Canada. The company also trialed concepts like an in-store café and standalone children’s stores but eventually discontinued these experiments.
In 2005, under president Dawn Robertson, Old Navy pursued a rebranding effort aimed at adopting a "high fashion" image to compete with brands like Hollister and American Eagle Outfitters. This initiative involved launching boutique-style outlets costing up to $5 million each and shifting toward more upscale marketing campaigns. However, this approach did not meet expectations, resulting in Robertson’s exit.
A subsequent rebranding initiative commenced in 2011 through Project ONE, which emphasized creating a family-friendly shopping environment focused on Old Navy’s primary demographic—mothers—by enhancing store design, lighting, and convenience features. By mid-2011, this updated layout was implemented in one-third of North American stores.
In 2012, Gap Inc. brought on former H&M executive Stefan Larsson to refresh Old Navy’s product lines by recruiting designers from brands such as Coach and Nike for exclusive collections. By 2015, Old Navy’s annual U.S. sales reached $6 billion, nearly equaling the combined revenues of Gap and Banana Republic divisions. Larsson left in 2015 and was succeeded by current CEO Sonia Syngal.
On October 26, 2017, Old Navy inaugurated two flagship stores including a substantial Times Square location designed for longer operating hours and expanded retail space.
In April 2018, Old Navy became subject to a multi-million dollar lawsuit alleging discriminatory practices at its Abingdon, Maryland store; the manager involved was promptly dismissed.
In 2019, Gap Inc. revealed plans for Old Navy to withdraw from the Chinese market by 2020. That year also saw intentions announced to separate Old Navy into an independent publicly traded company to simplify corporate operations; however, this plan was abandoned in early 2020.
Today, Old Navy continues as an essential division of Gap Inc., utilizing its broad international presence and strong brand equity to sustain a prominent position within the apparel retail sector.
Awards
- In 2013, Gap Inc. was positioned fifth among specialty retailers on the World's Most Admired list.
- Participates as a member of Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP).
- Recognized on FORTUNE's Great Place to Work list consecutively in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Pages with broken file links
- Gap brands
- Clothing brands of the United States
- Fashion accessory brands
- Underwear brands
- Retail companies based in California
- Companies based in San Francisco
- American companies established in 1994
- Clothing companies established in 1994
- Retail companies established in 1994
- 1994 establishments in California
- 1990s fashion
- 2000s fashion
- 5
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment