Commitment to Planning: Connecting with Customers, Providing Value to Shareholders, and Remaining Socially Responsible

Commitment to Planning: Connecting With Customers, Providing Value to Shareholders, and Remaining Socially Responsible

“Making life easier to find a pair of jeans” is the basic principle Don Fisher along with his wife Doris envisioned when they opened the first Gap store in San Francisco, CA in 1969. (Gapinc, 2006) Since then, Gap Inc. has witnessed the company go from a once a thriving company selling over $30 per share in May 2001, to struggling to maintain almost $18 per share in 2005 which equates to about $16 billion in sells. (Yahoo, 2006) Gap Inc. provides a wide of range of products, including denim, khakis, and T-shirts, fashion apparel, shoes, accessories, intimate apparel, and personal care products for men, women, teens, and children. (Gap Inc., n.d.) With more than 3,000 stores and over 150,000 employees worldwide, Gap Inc. has expanded into a brand builder which offers four different retail lines: Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Forth & Towne. Although Gap Inc. was built on Fisher’s basic principle, the company struggles today to maintain its vision to make life easier for customers to express their personal style throughout their lives. Gap Inc.’s greatest challenges are to continue its commitment to connect with customers, to return increased profits to shareholders, and to remain proactive in its approach to social responsibility. This paper will analyze various factors including SWOTs (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) that influence the strategic level of planning within Gap Inc.

As a once leading international specialty retailer Gap Inc. exemplifies strength through diversity by offering an array of products for a variety of people. Expanding their market to specialize into other subsidiary companies enables the company flexibility to reach more customers. Their competitive edge to appeal to consumers