Old Navy at Downtown Center?

Auryn

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The Gap which owns Old Navy is more expensive but arguably better quality but both are IMO mostly "disposable", "fast fashion".

I own some from each but prefer to buy better quality and have fewer items. But, for those looking for price point only may find Old Navy to be a good option.
There’s Banana Republic which is at the top, then Gap, then Old Navy. I like Banana Republic a lot but their clothing isn’t a huge difference in quality from the lower tiers.
 

Auryn

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H & M is comparable with Old Navy. Forever 21 has done well in Agora. Zara tends to be a step up in price and reputation from those places, but it’s not much better by quality.

They all rapidly mass produce cheap quality clothing using sweatshops and child labour and have since their beginnings decades ago.

It’s always been a huge and shady industry. It’s just been called “fast fashion” recently and is getting more attention.

Chinese brands like Shein take it to the next level yet, as their products are so poorly made and so cheap to purchase.

Fast Fashion, Explained
 

PJT

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Let's hope Old Navy does well at the location. The good thing is its locationIt has some hurtles to overcome to do well.
Amen.

There are probably at least a dozen that have come and gone fairly quickly…….many in the food space.

It appears GAP which owns Old Navy is counting on the brand to save the company……as they are on the bubble and in not very good financial shape.

It certainly does not help that the CEO of Old Navy recently abruptly resigned…….usually a signal things are not going well.

Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
There was an article in the CNN online site "Old Navy was supposed to save Gap. Now it's struggling" on April 22, 2022. It voices the concerns about it is "weighing on its parent company in a big way". Hope whoever bought the franchise for this DR location was/is aware of the cloud hovering over it. Wish it well, foreign chains doing business in the DR is risky business.

Regards,

PJT
 

Auryn

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True. Looks like in Agora? I didn’t see it when I was there a few months ago but it’s not a store I’d look for.
 
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NALs

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Zara in Santo Domingo always seems to have a nice range of warm clothing like sweaters. I have no idea who buys these, given that Zara prices in Santo Domingo are way higher than buying in other countries.
If you compare many warm clothings sold in stores in the DR vs what is sold in stores in the USA, there tends to be a difference. Take jackets as an example. The typical new jacket for sale in Dominican stores such as Zara tend to be lighter that doesn't hold as much warmth as a similar jacket for sale in a Zara in New York. A fashion savvy person in Santo Domingo can wear the Zara jacket limiting his meltdown in the tropical heat, almost guaranteed to be a heat stroke if the jacket was designed for the types of winters that everybody loves to hate of North America.

With that said, truly warm clothes are to be found for sale in the DR. I assume this is true of most jackets sold through the "pacas" given they are imported mostly from the USA.
 
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MariaRubia

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H & M is comparable with Old Navy. Forever 21 has done well in Agora. Zara tends to be a step up in price and reputation from those places, but it’s not much better by quality.

They all rapidly mass produce cheap quality clothing using sweatshops and child labour and have since their beginnings decades ago.

It’s always been a huge and shady industry. It’s just been called “fast fashion” recently and is getting more attention.

Chinese brands like Shein take it to the next level yet, as their products are so poorly made and so cheap to purchase.

Fast Fashion, Explained

Zara is a bit different and this is the reason they are so successful compared to the likes of Gap, at least that's what is said. From Wikipedia...

Zara set up its own factory in La Coruña (a city known for its textile industry) in 1980 and upgraded to reverse milk-run-type production and distribution facilities in 1990. This approach, designed by Toyota Motor Corp., was called the just-in-time (JIT) system. It enabled the company to establish a business model that allows self-containment throughout the stages of materials, manufacture, product completion, and distribution to stores worldwide within just a few days.[49]

Most of the products Zara sells are manufactured in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Morocco, Bangladesh [6][50] and more recently - Armenia . While some competitors outsource all production to Asia, Zara manufactures its most fashionable items – half of all its merchandise – at a dozen company-owned factories in Spain (particularly in Galicia), Portugal (northern part) and Turkey. Clothes with a longer shelf life, such as basic T-shirts, are outsourced to low-cost suppliers, mainly in Asia.
[51]
 
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Auryn

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Zara one of the biggest names in fast fashion at present. This article not only mentions Zara etc., but also Primark and Topshop, which I can see. But Espírit is included as well which is a bit surprising considering how expensive they are.

Fast Fashion

I remember my sister in law talking about how she wished Old Navy would go to the DR. She orders online but there will definitely be a market if prices aren’t inflated.
 
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NanSanPedro

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Boca Chica
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Zara one of the biggest names in fast fashion at present. This article not only mentions Zara etc., but also Primark and Topshop, which I can see. But Espírit is included as well which is a bit surprising considering how expensive they are.

Fast Fashion

I remember my sister in law talking about how she wished Old Navy would go to the DR. She orders online but there will definitely be a market if prices aren’t inflated.

I'm so up on fashion, I've never heard of any of them. Walmart in the USA and Jumbo or PriceSmart here. If in the USA and feeling extravagant, Tarjay (Target).
 

JD Jones

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NALs

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Apparently, the other three stores of The Gap Group will open in the DR during the next two years. That comes straight from the mouth of Antonio Burgos (he sounds Colombian), the representative of Old Navy DR.
 
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Apparently, the other three stores of The Gap Group will open in the DR during the next two years. That comes straight from the mouth of Antonio Burgos (he sounds Colombian), the representative of Old Navy DR.

As GAP closes company stores and abandons malls worldwide, it will be interesting to see how the mall stores survive in the DR.

Of note, GAP has moved from a company owned store model to a franchisee owned concept.

When Walmart actually buys La Sirena, etc., then that will be the signal to other retailers to enter the DR en masse.

So many come and gone foreign retail concepts in the DR…….time will tell.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
 

JD Jones

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That thought has been tossed around for ages.
 

NALs

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The rumor that Sirena and Walmart were in negotiations was because one of the sons or grandsons of Walton was seen in Santo Domingo hanging out with several people from the owners of Sirena. Many people don’t equate that if you are like Sirena owners who do attend supermarket trade shows in the USA, you will run into American owners of top American supermarkets and companies like Walmart which devotes a section to selling foods. It’s also a given that you will befriend some of them and others you know who they are but remain distant.

It also didn’t help that Sirena began to adopt certain practices of Walmart, but that was more copying Walmart than Walmart actually buying Sirena. The value of Grupo Ramos at that time was used as the potential amount it was sold for (US$700 million).

There gave been many rumors of major Dominican companies being bought by foreign ones. In some cases it was true (CODETEL, now Claro) and in other cases it wasn’t (Banco Popular).
 
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