We are continuing to drive towards our five year goal to grow the total number of Gap stores in the country to 40: Oliver Kaye, CEO, Gap, India
We are continuing to drive towards our five year goal to grow the total number of Gap stores in the country to 40: Oliver Kaye, CEO, Gap, India

GAP is operating here for a while so how is the experience so far while working in Indian market? Also, how the brand decided the right time for India foray when many international brands are soliciting their entry to this market?

We’re pleased with Gap’s launch in India with a growing customer base and love for the brand.  The demand for Gap’s iconic logo products and 1969 denim for adults, as well as the GapKids and babygap collections, continues to grow.  We entered the market when the appetite for international brands was growing. In the two years since Gap was introduced in India, we’ve opened eleven stores in six cities, along with launching on NNNow.com and Amazon.in to make Gap available across multiple geographies in the nation.

What is about Indian fashion market that has attracted Gap. How you access this market(Indian fast fashion market) in terms of numbers? What are the major challenges you are facing while working in this market?

An increase in the spending power of the40 and under demographic, along with India’s demand for branded apparel product, means an even greater opportunity to expand.  Gap is a classic, casual American brand with broad appeal, and we aim to become a shopping destination for adults, kids, and baby in the region.Both Arvind and Gap work together to ensure we offer an appealing selection ofproduct from the international range that corresponds withourgeography’s climate and customer preferences, with a strong focus on casual favorites, fashionable elements, and Gap logo must haves.

What percentage of GAP’s international product portfolio is introduced to Indian market? Also throw light upon your store profile in terms of size, design and merchandising strategy.

Gap’s product portfolio in India is aligned with the offering around the world. We ensure that our customers have access to a broad selection of Gap’s top international and seasonal styles.

Our store designs also follow international store formats andare adapted per location. The sizes of our stores range from 6,000-10,000 sq.ft.

Pls throw light on category mix? Have you made any alterations in your product offerings for your Indian patrons specifically?

Gap’s selection in India offers a wide variety of apparel and accessories for men and women, and is also hugely popular in theGapKids and babygap categories. Wefocus on ensuring our customers have access to abroad selection of Gap’s top international stylesas they correspond with India’s specific seasonality.

Who do you see as your closest competition in Indian market?

Gap is a casual American brand with a focus on denim. While we don’t speak to competitors, our collections are on trend, targeting families and millennials.

Talking about in-store innovations, what sort of technologies you have deployed to lure modern age tech-savvy consumers?

In 2016, after launching eleven stores in India, weintroduced the first digital Gap shop in India on NNNOW.com. Thisomni-channel format offersGap India customers a hybrid shopping experience with the option to have online purchases shipped nationally to their destination of choice or delivered same-day to the store location of their choice. Just this month, we’ve also launched Gap on Amazon.in, allowing customers across India to shop the collection with the option for free 1-2 day shipping through Amazon Prime.

What is your strategy to choose the location for your upcoming stores? As of now Gap is operating in malls only. Is 'high street fashion' avoided deliberately?

Mall locations in metropolitan areas continue to be the right strategy for Gap’s store presence in India. These family-friendly destinations are where many of our customers already shop.

How you plan to expand your retail footprint any plans to foray in tier 2 market shortly? How about brand's presence on emerging on-line market in India?

Gap already has a store presence throughout India in cities such as Indore and Pune andwill continue to expand to new cities within the next five years.In October 2016, Gap products also debuted on NNNow.com, an ecommerce optionthatgivesbrand enthusiasts across the countrythe option of having their favorite styles delivered to their doorsteps or to Gap stores for same-day pickup. This month, we’ve also launched Gap on Amazon.in, allowing customers in India to shop the collection with orders eligible for Amazon Prime’s free 1-2 day shipping.

At last, throw light on overall growth plans for brand in India? How you plan to close current fiscal?

Looking forward, we are continuing to drive towards our five year goal to grow the total number of Gap stores in the country to 40.

 What is your take on upcoming GST.

We cannot comment as we don’t have enough information.

 

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