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| Credit: Fool and Cool |
In a press release, Stephen Sunnucks, president of International Gap Inc., said “With loyal customers across Europe, both in our stores and online, we are confident that Banana Republic’s proposition of affordable luxury will resonate well with Parisian customers.”
Openings such as these, are part of a trend where affordable American based companies are launching stores in Europe. This summer, Abercrombie &Fitch, another staple in the fashion world, also opened a store on the Champs Elysees.
However, the stores are adapting to their new European homes. Carmel Dooling said of her shopping experience at Abercrombie & Fitch, "The Abercrombie store barely even felt like a store. I had to wait in line to even be allowed to enter the store. Once let past the 'bouncer', I walked by gold tipped fences and a path lined with manicured hedged. There were models from around the world greeting you at the door. Once inside, you could pose and take a photo with a model. The store itself was four stories and the walls were covered with murals. It screamed of the decadence that France is so famous for."
Kelsey Herrold, who also visited the store, said, "Going to the newly opened Abercrombie store, the first in France, was like walking into an experience where you can see American and French fashion combined. While we saw many pieces that were very representative of Abercrombie classics, there was also a distinctly French influence in the layout of the store and in the décor.”
This European influence on American stores is yielding exciting results that will hopefully continue into the future. Here’s hoping that both Gap Inc. and Abercrombie expand and bring more stores from their corporations to Europe and that some of the European influence will be brought back to America.
Jamie Killin
