Gap Forms Oddball Partnerships to Boost Sales

Gap is hooking up with some odd bedfellows these days. The struggling apparel chain is piloting co-branded makeup counters with online beauty subscription service Birchbox, and testing a free delivery service with Virgin Hotels Chicago so that guests can have Gap fashions delivered straight to their hotel room. The Gap’s new flirtation with the high-margin beauty and hotel businesses coincides with a tepid apparel market, just as its namesake stores suffer from ongoing fashion missteps and management upheaval.