Old Navy integrates its plus-size women's business
NEW YORK (AP) —
Gap Inc.'s low-price division Old Navy is overhauling its approach to how it designs and markets to plus-size women, a demographic that many analysts say has been underserved.
Starting Friday, Old Navy will be offering every one of its women's styles in all sizes with no price difference. That means sizes 0-28 in stores and up to size 30 online.
The 1,200-store chain will also be displaying its large sizes together with the standard sizes on the floor. The fashions will be displayed on mannequins in sizes four, 12 and 18. Online, the chain is merging its plus size and standard sizes together, with models appearing in all three sizes.
The moves, announced Wednesday, are expected to help Old Navy reach $10 billion in annual sales by 2023, up from $8 billion in 2019, company executives said.
Old Navy joins Target, Nordstrom and others, which over the past few years have been adding more plus-size offerings, and many are integrating them next to standard sizes. They're also adding fuller-size mannequins on the selling floor and showing more plus-size models in their marketing.
Still, the common practice for department stores and other retailers is to have separate areas for plus sizes, but they also devote separate sections for petite sizes, says Neil Saunders, managing director of research firm GlobalData Retail.
Over the years, retailers have expanded their offerings to cater to plus-size women. But analysts believe the commitment vacillated and stores never made this customer base feel part of the shopping experience, often leaving them out of marketing materials.
Analysts believe this time around, the push will be long term as they're under pressure from shoppers to be more inclusive. Clothing retailers are increasingly struggling to attract customers...
