Gap

New York City -- Despite low consumer confidence, the volatile economy and a hurricane, many retailers reported better-than-expected sales in August. Hurricane Irene appeared to put a dent in the results of some retailers on the East Coast, but the storm did not appear to do as serious damage as some expected. Total retail sales rose 4.4%, just missing the 4.6% rise that Wall Street analysts had expected, according to Thomson Reuters. Of the 19 out of the 25 retailers that Thomson Reuters tracks, 11 beat expectations. The biggest winners include Costco Wholesale Club, with an 11% rise in

New York City -- While it may take some to fully assess the damage, the impact of Hurricane Irene on retail sales is likely to split among retail sectors: Home-improvement stores selling emergency preparation products and clean-up items are likely to benefit the most from the storm, while apparel retailers and department stores selling non-essential items are likely to take a hit. Industry analysts noted that big-box stores, dollar stores, drug stores and supermarkets all experienced sales surges prior to Irene’s arrival as consumers shopped for water, batteries and other emergency supplies, with the biggest winners are likely to

Gap Inc. has announced plans to bring Banana Republic to France as it continues its drive to become a major force in the European market. Gap Inc opened its first Banana Republic store in Milan last year. It also launched a website to cater for its European shoppers.     “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,” said Stephen Sunnucks , the President of Gap international.   READ OTHER TOP STORIES IN

Retail is pleased welcome Banana Republic as one of its newest brands to join the online shopping portal. Fashion-loving Boots customers can now collect even more Advantage Card points through Treat Street when shopping with Banana Republic. Banana Republic joins other leading fashion brands such as BHS, Burton, Clarks, Coast, Dorothy Perkins, Figleaves, French Connection, Gap, Laura Ashley, Marisota, Miss Selfridge, Monsoon, Mothercare, New Look, Office Shoes, Simply Be, Sweaty Betty, Topman and Wallis but to mention a few. Dave Robinson, Head of Partnership Marketing at Boots, said: "We are excited to welcome Banana Republic onto the Treat Street

As a mom, receipts are just one more thing for me to jam in my wallet and lose at the exact moment I need it. That’s why I was excited to sit down with NPR to talk about the new e-receipts program at our stores - Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Athleta. Now, time crunched customers, like myself, no longer have to worry about keeping their receipts when shopping our brands. Rather, shoppers can get their receipts e-mailed directly to them. For me, this means one less receipt to keep track of. No more digging through an endless

The Gap announced plans to open its first stores in Vietnam and Guam through its franchise channel. In Vietnam, the first Gap stores will open this October followed by the first Banana Republic store in 2012.

Major retailers, including Nordstrom and Gap, have begun offering electronic versions of receipts, either emailed or uploaded to password-protected websites. The retailers report more customers are opting for paperless.

Two Athleta stores will open this week in Manhattan. The openings mark the women’s active wear brand’s entry into the East Coast market and support Athleta’s plan to open up to 50 stores by 2013.

Gap is bolstering its mobile presence by placing mobile barcodes on its static ad in Glamour magazine. It will offer consumers a discount when they scan the tag.

It’s no secret that U.S. retail sales collapsed in 2008 and 2009 because of the recession. But several of the largest retailers consistently performed poorly between 2005 and 2010 for reasons that go beyond the recession.