Gapkids & Baby history

In 1971, Gap established its corporate headquarters in Burlingame, California with four employees.

Such dependence on a single supplier had obvious dangers, however, and around 1973 The Gap began marketing several labels of its own, as well as national brands other than Levi's.

In 1974, the company began producing its own clothes.

These proved crucial to the company's short- and long-term health; by 1975 Gap stores generated $100 million in net sales.

By 1976, the Gap had two hundred stores across the United States.

Rather than wage endless litigation, The Gap settled the suits in 1979 for a total of $5.8 million, or 40 cents per share and did its best to mend its frayed relations with Wall Street.

Adding between 50 and 80 stores annually, The Gap pushed its sales to $307 million in 1980 and was close to achieving nationwide representation.

In 1982, Fisher began expanding the size of the typical Gap store, making it up to three times larger.

Drexler accepted the job as president at the end of 1983 (sales $480 million) and was given a block of stock that would make him one of the country's wealthiest retail executives.

Drexler's revolution at The Gap cost a good deal of money, and financial results for 1984 were poor, with profits down 43 percent to $12.2 million.

In 1986, Drexler saw another need the Gap could fill: providing durable clothes for children.

Created in 1987, the same year the company broke $1 billion in sales, Hemisphere offered elegant fashions but soon ran afoul of a severe recession.

In 1988, a series of black-and-white magazine ads featured celebrities wearing Gap clothing along with other items from their wardrobe.

In 1990, as Banana Republic searched for secure footing, GapKids prospered and launched a new venture, babyGap.

To Drexler, the store's old lines were "trendy but not tasteful," as he told the New York Times in 1991.

In 1992, Fisher told Business Week that the first Gap did so well, "you couldn't get into the store."

In 1994, Gap, Inc., added another new division, Old Navy.

The first Japanese store opened in 1995.

Although sales increased each year, the company started having some troubles in 2000.

However, Drexler was removed from his position after 19 years of service in 2002 after over-expansion, a 29-month slump in sales, and tensions with the Fisher family.

In 2007, Ethisphere Magazine chose Gap from among thousands of companies evaluated as one of 100 "World's Most Ethical Companies".

The company announced it would open its first stores in Brazil in the Fall of 2013.

In January 2015, Gap Inc. announced plans to close their subsidiary Piperlime in order to focus on their core brands.

In September 2018, Gap Inc. began publicizing Hill City, a men's athletic apparel brand that launched in October 2018.

In June 2020, Gap Inc. announced its collaboration with Kanye West's Yeezy Brand.

In September 2021, Gap Inc. cut the ribbon for the $41.7 million facility expansion in Gallatin, TN. In addition to hiring 1,100 employees to meet the demands of market share growth and peak season, Gap partnered with AHS to implement an automated order fulfillment system.