Gap To Launch Designer Line Of Women's Shoes

The shoes will be sold in about 75 stores. It will be sold primarily in metro markets, as well as online. Gap, which has been fighting to shake off a persistent decline in sales, clearly thinks shoes might be part of its salvation.
I really do not think that a lot of women would want to buy their shoes online. A lot of people rather try on shoes before buying it. It makes logical sense to do that rather than buying it online to later return it.

GAP EXPANDS ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH RENOWNED ACCESSORY DESIGNER PIERRE HARDY TO LAUNCH A COLLECTION OF WOMEN’S SHOES IN THE U.S.

Gap today announced that it has expanded its partnership with accessory designer, Pierre Hardy, to bring a collection of women’s shoes to its U.S. stores. Gap Europe has already been working with the designer, having recently launched his first Gap Design Editions capsule collection for fall in its stores in the UK and France.
Gap Inc is excited to have the opportunity to partner with a world class talent like Pierre Hardy.
This collaboration allows customers to access Pierre Hardy’s signature style in a way that reflects Gap’s easy-to-wear aesthetic.”

Can Oprah help Obama?

Call it the ''O Factor.'' Oprah Winfrey picks a ''favourite book'' or a ''favourite thing'' and poof, it's a best seller. And now Winfrey's ''favourite senator'' Barack Obama hopes the O Factor will work for him, too, as the talk-show host and media icon prepares to campaign for the Democratic presidential candidate in the early nominating states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Oparh is a very powerful women and I believe that she can help Obama.

Gap, Abercrombie surpass estimates

Gap Inc. and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. reported third-quarter earnings Wednesday that beat Wall Street estimates after they cut expenses to cope with slowing sales.Both companies reduced inventory and spending on marketing. Gap eliminated some jobs, and Abercrombie spent less on travel and consulting.
Alot of retail business are worried because consumers have a backdrop of having less discretionary income to spend.

Baby Grace

The toddler whose body washed ashore in Texas last month has been tentatively identified as a 2-year-old girl, and her mother and a man identified as her boyfriend were arrested Saturday, the Galveston County Sheriff's office said Sunday. Police believe two-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers may be "Baby Grace." Investigators believe the child they dubbed "Baby Grace" is actually 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers, the Galveston County Sheriff's office said Sunday.
DNA analysis is still in progress to confirm that identification.
The child's mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, 19, and a man identified as Royce Clyde Zeigler II, 24, were arrested Saturday on charges of injuring a child and tampering with physical evidence, the sheriff's department said. The couple lives in Spring, Texas, a Houston suburb about 75 miles north of Galveston. Their bonds were set at $350,000 each.
The arrests followed searches conducted Saturday after a November 7 tip, the sheriff's department said.
This is a very terrible situation. Crazy people! I don't understand why people have kids if they know that they can't take care of them.

GAP ANNOUNCES TOP 20 CASTING CALL FINALISTS FROM MORE THAN 800,000 ENTRIES

Today Gap announced the top 20 finalists in its nationwide search for the next faces of babyGap and GapKids. Gap is teaming up with KODAK Gallery, the leading online photo service, to find the most adorable, charming and personality-filled children to be the next babyGap and GapKids models.
The finalists -- 10 babies (ages four and under) and 10 kids (ages five to 12) -- were selected from more than 800,000 entries. The 20 finalists will be flown to San Francisco to participate in a Gap photo shoot and will receive additional prizes, including special gifts from babyGap, GapKids, KODAK Gallery and O, The Oprah Magazine.
This is something that is fun and would give lots of people opportunities to start their career.

GAP REDEFINES HOLIDAY GREETINGS WITH LAUNCH OF GAPTIDINGS

Gap Invites You to Create Personalized Holiday Video Greetings at gaptidings.yahoo.com
This season, Gap is redefining the classic holiday greeting by bringing it online. Consumers around the country are invited to record festive, funny and heart warming video greetings and post them online to share with family and friends at gaptidings.yahoo.com. From now until the end of the year, you can record your own video greeting, personalize it and surprise someone special with a fun, new way to say happy holidays.
Gap wanted to help celebrate the season. They wanted to create an entertaining, interactive way for people to share the excitement and spirit of the holidays with their loved ones. It is also a good way to reach out to love ones.

Gap Inc 3Q Net Rises, Helped By Expense Reduction

Gap Inc.'s (GPS) third-quarter earnings rose to $238 million, or 30 cents a share, from $189 million, or 23 cents a share, a year earlier, helped in part by lower marketing expenses and higher sales at its Banana Republic North America unit.
A Thomson Financial survey of analysts, on average, projected earnings of 29 cents a share for the quarter.
The retailer said sales increased slightly to $3.854 billion from $3.851 billion a year ago.
Gap boosted its fiscal year 2007 earnings view to 92 cents to 98 cents a share from its prior forecast of 83 cents to 88 cents share.

Kanye West mother is dead

Kanye West Mother Donda West Dies - Hip-hop star Kanye West's mother, Donda West, has mysteriously died from cosmetic/plastic surgery.
Donda West - who used to work as the rapper's manager - passed away on Saturday (10.11.07) in Los Angeles, aged just 58, after developing complications from an unknown procedure. Donda West was having a breast reduction and a tummy tuck.
This is a very sad situation. People just turn to the knife to make themself look better. No one takes the time to consider the consequences. What ever happen to just exercising? I hope that people start to open their eyes when they consider cosmetic surgery.

Gap's belt-tightening keeps shares in vogue

Sales at the retailer's stores have declined for a staggering 10 consecutive quarters, but shares have spiked on stronger cost-management. Gap Inc.'s fashions are hardly topping consumers' shopping lists this holiday season. But that shouldn't stop investors from taking a closer look at the company's stock, which has been soaring, even as shares of other major retailers hit the skids. Murphy has told analysts that he expects the new design leadership at the helm of the Gap and Old Navy chains to start delivering results as early as this spring. Gap's belt tightening looks set to keep the company in fashion.
Gap is one of the few retailers realizing better merchandise margins by managing inventory to current sales growth rate.

Audit Integrity Top 100

Research firm Audit Integrity included Gap Inc. on its Top 100 list (PDF). The list recognizes companies that demonstrate a high level of integrity in financial reporting and governance, and when dealing with shareholders. Audit Integrity selected the Top 100 from more than 8,000 companies. The rankings are based on a set of rules that monitor transparent accounting, fair and reasonable management compensation, and other qualities that measure the character of a company.
This is good that Gap is recognize for there high level of integrity. It shows that Gap Inc. is being notice for the good that they do.

Holiday Classics Redefined

This is the season! Big sale at the Gap. Gap silver card members get free shipping and handling for online purchases.



http://www.gap.com/

Gap Takes Steps to Stem Child Labor

Gap Inc. is pulling 50 percent of its orders placed with a vendor whose subcontracting led to children sewing some of the retailer's clothes in squalid conditions in India. To help address the problem, Gap said it would make a $200,000 grant aimed at improving the working conditions in India and would try to recruit retailers from around the world to participate in a forum next year to address child labor issues.
Last year, Gap stopped working with 23 factories that didn't live up to the company's standards. I'm very happy that Gap Inc. is backing up what they said and that they are taking the the proper actions.

HEAT UP YOUR WINTER WARDROBE WITH OLD NAVY WOMEN’S PLUS COLLECTION AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE

From fresh silhouettes and luxe fabrics, to figure-flattering dresses and wide-leg trousers, Old Navy Women’s Plus has all the trimmings for a stylish holiday season. The versatile separates in sizes 16-30 are designed specifically for the fashionable, plus-size woman and can be mixed or matched for winter time work, party or play. Old Navy Women’s Plus is available exclusively online at www.oldnavy.com/plus.
It is comforting that Old Navy sells clothes for all shapes and sizes. Old Navy makes the same kind of clothes for big women and small women.

JUNK FOOD LOVES GAPKIDS

GapKids, one of the world’s largest specialty retailers for kids, and Junk Food Clothing, the premier apparel company, today launched a co-branded line of vintage tees in select GapKids stores nationwide. The new apparel line – “Junk Food Loves GapKids” – consists of a variety of popular Junkfood Clothing designs, including Hello Kitty, Peanuts, DC Comics, Star Wars, Twister, Lemon Heads and Little Miss.
Gap Kids Junk Food is just in time for the holidays. Graphic tees are one of the hottest trends in children’s apparel right now, and Junk Food’s vintage designs are something that both kids and their parents connect with. Gap can't wait for their customers to enjoy it.

White's Great Hope? (Barack Obama)

Barack Obama and The Dream of a Color-Blind America
Isaiah Oliver, a 24 year old white social worker, grew up in this overwhelming white city and attended the predominantly white university of Richmond in Virginia. Ask him why he supports Barack Obama and he says its because of the candidates race. Because he's black it makes me want to believe that he will change things. Mr. Oliver said that it feels like he's apart of something that's starting to change American politics. It's a cool factor. Hes a rock star.
This is the kind of people that the world needs today. One person can make a big change.

Gap Names Head of Old Navy Unit

Gap, the clothing chain, named a former department store executive, Dawn Robertson, as head of its biggest division, Old Navy. Ms. Robertson, 51, has about 30 years of retail experience and was most recently managing director of Myer, an Australian department store. Sales at Gap stores open at least a year have declined in 25 of the last 28 months. Old Navy generated $6.8 billion in sales last year, or about two-fifths of Gap’s revenue. Ms. Robertson have a lot of experience and Gap Inc. is hoping that she can help manage the department stores.

Gap's same-store sales fall 8 pct in October

Gap Inc. said on Thursday that sales at stores open at least a year decreased 8 percent in October. Analysts on average had been expecting the San Francisco-based global clothing retailer to post a same-stores sales decrease of 4.5 percent, according to Reuters Estimates. Gap, which also runs the Banana Republic and Old Navy chains, said net sales for the four weeks ended Nov. 3 fell 1 percent to $1.23 billion. Looking ahead, the retailer said it sees third-quarter earnings ranging between 28 cents and 30 cents a share. Analysts, on average, are expecting Gap to earn 22 cents a share for the third-quarter, according to Reuters Estimates.
Gap Inc. keeps a close eye on all their earnings to know what they can and are willing to expect for the coming years.

Cisco Profits From Sales in Serbia Amid U.S. Slump

Cisco, the biggest maker of computer-networking equipment, may say revenue from emerging markets topped $1 billion for the first time last quarter, said Inder Singh, a Lehman Brothers telecommunications analyst in New York.
This is good because the company wins orders in developing countries because of its efforts to improve schools and infrastructure. More than 2 million students across the world have taken computer-networking courses through programs set up by Cisco. "It's good for business, and it's good for society,'' Chambers said.

Recent Financial Results

Monthly sales: On October 11, 2007, we reported net sales of $1.43 billion for September. Comparable store sales decreased 7 percent. Quarterly earnings: On August 23, 2007, we reported second quarter earnings per share of $0.19, or $152 million, compared with $0.15 per share, or $128 million, for the same period last year. Year-to-date net sales of $9.85 billion for the thirty-five weeks ended October 6, 2007, increased 1 percent compared with net sales of $9.76 billion for the thirty-five weeks ended September 30, 2006.
Gap Inc. is comfortable with their inventory levels which they will continue to manage tightly heading into the important holiday season.

Review of the Chapters

Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods, services, organizations and events to create relationships that will satisfy individual and organizational objectives. Utility is the want and satisfying need for goods or service. We talk about culture and how it is defined as the values, beliefs, preferences, and tastes handed down from one generation to the next. Culture is basically what makes us who we are. Marketing Strategies Maslow's Hierarchy of needs: Physiological needs are concern essential requirements for survival. Safety needs are security, protection from physical harm. Social/Belongingness needs are satisfaction of physiological and safety needs a person. Esteem needs a sense of accomplishment and achievements. Self Actualization needs is a persons full potential and to find fulfillment. Attitudes are a persons enduring favorable or unfavorable evaluations, emotions, or action tendencies toward some object or idea. Marketers are interested in determining consumer attitudes toward their offerings. In class we talk about how marketing is use everyday and how important it is in the business world.

TAKE OFF IN COLOR WITH GAP AND VESPA THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

This holiday, for the first time, Gap and Vespa have partnered to design the ultimate gift for that special someone on your list – the 2007 Limited Edition Vespa LX 50 in a custom “Crazy Stripe” design by Gap. This collaboration is a first for Gap and brings together two brands known for classic style, Vespa as a symbol of Italian style and elegance and Gap as the brand known for classic, casual American design.
This is a unique gift for the person on your list who has everything. There is a limited amount. Gap Inc. hopes that they will do extremely well with this product. Starting November 8, 2007. Hurry while supplies last!
www.gap.com/vespa

Getting Closer To The Customer

Gap is doing things much differently today than a year ago. The jury is still out, though, on whether the new strategy will spur sales. ADS: Instead of uniform marketing (“everyone in leather”), Gap now tailors ads to the different buying habits of men and women. DESIGN:What used to be done on gut instinct is now based more on research, including focus groups and staff surveys.PRODUCTS: Having struck out with a wide range of color and style choices, Gap is zeroing in on fewer but more segmented offerings. LEADERSHIP: Micromanagement by former CEO Drexler has been replaced by new boss Pressler's hands-off leadership. By planning and going by their research Gap Inc. is hoping to have more sales.

Gap Red Product

Can 1 year change the world? Since launching last year, Gap Product Red contributed 45 million dollars to help eliminate AIDS in africa.
Gap Inc. introduce more new Red products to their market. This is good because it gives customers more of a vary of clothing.

http://www.gapinc.com/red/

India Activists Decry Gap Child Labor

The Indian children reportedly found making clothes for Gap Inc. should be reunited with their families and compensated by the government, activists said Monday amid a spreading scandal about the use of child labor by the international clothing chain. Child labor remains a widespread problem in India, despite the country's economic boom and its growing wealth. Chandler said Gap requires its suppliers to guarantee that they will not use child labor to produce garments. Gap stopped working with 23 factories last year over violations uncovered by its inspectors. Hopefully, by not working with the factories that use child labor, it will influence India to stop it.