Gap investors may feel pretty stoked right now. Shares of the company behind Old Navy, Banana Republic, and its namesake apparel chain have been on fire this year. But look closer and you'll see why this former fashion darling is still fading.
Uniqlo has a simple plan: To revolutionize how people wear clothes. As its next step, the Japanese retailer of utilitarian but sexy fashions with cutting-edge features is making a massive push into the U.S. And if you haven't heard the buzz Uniqlo's generating, you will soon.
Gap executives this week set plans to turnaround its ailing namesake stores, which include jazzing up its concededly drab clothing mix with more colorful items and prints. But is that what shoppers really want from the iconic brand?
