GAP Is Constantly Exploring New Fields.

The holiday shopping season has not saved the performance of Gap Inc. (GPS.NYSE), the largest apparel fashion group in the United States.

The company recently announced its fourth quarter results in 2015. Its net sales fell to $4 billion 390 million, compared with $4 billion 710 million in the same period in 2014.

The GAP brand was founded in 1969. It was once the world's most popular fast fashion brand, and was once the world's largest apparel retailer.

The name GAP is inspired by the generation gap between the rebellious Hippie young people and the old parents in the United States, casual jeans, the casual clothes everyone can wear, and GAP has built a bridge between the two generations.

During its heyday, the company launched a series of advertisements, implying that artists and creative people like to wear GAP pants. TV advertisements including iconic khaki pants have a strong resonance with consumers.

In the next few decades, all stores in GAP sell everything that suits everyone. Young people go to buy Jeans Shirts, and the old lady buys khaki pants. For a long time, they are successful.

But now everything is gone.

The three main brands of GAP, Banana Republic, Old Navy and the sports brand Athleta acquired in 2008 were in the past year.

Also fell.

So what's wrong with the world's biggest clothing retailer?

The initial crisis was around 2000, when GAP discovered that a large number of young customers no longer liked their clothes.

"GAP realizes that we can't continue to make products that are suitable for everyone --" general consumers "no longer exist.

James Harkin wrote in the book "small crowd behavior".

But the clothing giant company still wants to make clothes for everyone.

In the crisis, GAP first wanted to catch up with the fashionable and capricious young people, and then invested twice in the more loyal middle-aged customers.

"

I once desperately wanted to draw everyone's heart.

In the end, all efforts only strengthened the label of "no merit".

The solution is to pay more attention to customer needs, and every GAP brand is looking for its niche market.

James Harkin pointed out.

The company expects to turn the original brand style into "fit".

Style, such as tailor-made "fit" clothes for senior citizens, and making "self cultivation" clothes for young people.

GAP claims that they aim at "the same needs" for customers as "unique rather than just like everyone else". The company has carried out various reforms and activities, and invited Sarah Jessica Parker, the heroine of the then sex and the city, to wear these clothes for publicity.

Over the next few years, GAP continues to explore new areas.

In 2008, GAP acquired Athleta, a sports brand, as a brand focused on market segmentation. It aimed at light sports and fashion. Its products are priced moderately and quality is reliable, so that they can get a share in the competition with other fast fashion, such as H&M.