Banana Republic and J. Crew are brands from a bygone era when safari cargo dresses and jewel-adorned oxfords were smart, chic office wear.
Today, both brands are in the midst of desperately needed reinventions.
Gap Inc., which owns Banana Republic, has struggled to revive its appeal over the years. Third-quarter net sales were down 7% compared to last year. Banana Republic's third-quarter sales of $460 million were down 11% year-over-year, and its same-store sales were down 8%.
But Gap's new CEO, Richard Dickson, has a strategy to reinvigorate the company's portfolio. For Banana Republic, that means improving clothing quality and elevating its aesthetic to become a quiet luxury brand.
Meanwhile at J. Crew, the brand has never quite been the same since creative director Jenna Lyons left in 2017. But that might be a good thing, as CEO Libby Wadle sees it. "I'm not trying to do much that goes back to what we once were," she told the New York Times.
J. Crew is privately held, so it does not report sales, but the Times reported that the company's average order value is up.
I visited both stores to see how far they've come and find out which is winning its comeback era.