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'{{other uses}} {{Infobox company| | company_name =Russian Hawaiian Justin bieber sucks and Spiderman Republic | company_logo = [[File:Banana Republic.png|300px]] | caption = <small>''Accessible luxury, elevated design.''<small> | company_type = Division of [[The Gap, Inc.]] | foundation = {{nowrap|[[Mill Valley, California]], U.S.}}<br>1978 | founder = [[Mel Ziegler]]<br>[[Patricia Ziegler]] | location = {{nowrap|[[San Francisco]], California, U.S.}} | locations = 642 | key_people = [[Glenn K. Murphy]] <small>([[CEO]] of parent Gap, Inc.)</small><br>Jack Calhoun <small>([[President]])</small><br>[[Simon Kneen]] <small>([[creative director|CD]])</small> | industry = Retail | products = Clothing | homepage = [http://www.bananarepublic.com/ BananaRepublic.com] }} '''Banana Republic''' is a clothing and accessories retailer owned by American [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] corporation [[Gap Inc.]] It was founded in 1978 by [[Mel Ziegler|Mel]] and [[Patricia Ziegler]] with a safari theme; in 1983, Gap purchased the company and was given a more upscale image.<ref name="msnbc">{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24205563/ns/business-retail/t/major-retailers-launch-upscale-collections/#.Tt1xfFYzSRn |title=Major retailers launch upscale collections - Business - Retail &#124; NBC News |publisher=MSNBC |date=2008-04-20 |accessdate=2013-03-03}}</ref> Banana Republic has over 600 stores located internationally. == History == The original Banana Republic was founded by [[Mel Ziegler|Mel]] and [[Patricia Ziegler]] in 1978. It was a two-store [[safari]] and travel themed clothing company. The majority of sales came from its eccentric{{by whom|date=April 2012}}, hand-illustrated [[mail-order catalog|catalog]], which presented high-end and unique items with chatty, usually fictional {{citation needed|date=April 2012}} [[back-story|backstories]] from exotic locations, as well as more pedestrian {{by whom|date=April 2012}} high-volume products deliberately spiced up with a similar treatment. Many of the backstories were written by well-known authors including [[Cyra McFadden]], author also of The Serial and Rain or Shine{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}. As Banana Republic expanded its retail operation, it became known for the themed decoration in its stores, often featuring authentic elements, such as real [[Jeep]]s and foliage, as well as atmospheric elements, such as fog and steam. [[Gap (clothing retailer)|The Gap, Inc.]] acquired Banana Republic in 1983, eventually rebranding it as a mainstream luxury clothing retailer. The literate articles, hand-drawn catalogue, and eccentric tourist-oriented items were phased out and were replaced with more luxurious, but less unique, items for which the brand is currently known (as of 2012). To set itself apart from Gap as a more upmarket brand, Banana Republic occasionally buys and refurbishes historic buildings for its retail locations. ==Locations== [[File:Banana Republic, 107 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, USA - Mar 2013.jpg|thumb|240px|Inside the store]] [[Image:banamtl2.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Banana Republic on Saint Catherine Street in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]].]] The company operates more than 500 Banana Republic stores in the United States (including [[Puerto Rico]]) and 26 stores in Canada. The Gap, Inc. is expanding its international presence with franchise agreements for Gap and Banana Republic in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Banana Republic opened its first store outside North America in 2005 in [[Ginza]], [[Tokyo]]'s most prestigious [[upscale shopping district]]. Banana Republic's presence in [[South Korea]] debuted on August 24, 2007 with a flagship store in the trendy [[Apkujeong]] district of [[Seoul]]. In 2007, the first Banana Republic stores opened at [[The Avenues (Kuwait)|The Avenues shopping mall]] in [[Kuwait City]], Kuwait; [[Senayan City]] in [[Jakarta]], [[Indonesia]]; and [[Pavilion Kuala Lumpur]] in [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Malaysia]]. Banana Republic opened its first store in [[Turkey]] on March 15, 2008 in the [[Kanyon Shopping Mall, Istanbul|Kanyon Shopping Mall]] in [[Istanbul]].<ref>[http://www.fibaholding.com.tr/en/biz.php?bolum=Biz&konu=7 Fiba Grubu<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> By May 2008, [[İstinye]] Park Shopping Mall and [[Nişantaşı]] stores were also opened in Istanbul. More stores are planned to be opened in [[Ankara]] and [[İzmir]] by the end of 2008 to bring the total number of stores in Turkey to six.<ref>[http://www.fibaholding.com.tr/tr/sirketler.php?gid=4&sid=63 Fiba Grubu<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Banana Republic was first introduced in [[Saudi Arabia]] in late 2008, with a first opening in [[Mall of Arabia (Jeddah)|Mall of Arabia]] in [[Jeddah]] and a second opening in Riyadh Gallery Mall in [[Riyadh]] in March 2009. On March 20, 2008, Banana Republic opened its {{convert|17000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} [[flagship]] store on [[Regent Street]] in [[London, England]].<ref>[http://www.regentstreetonline.com/NR/exeres/77E1FDC6-9A0A-4F3E-8B6D-7645BF887A03,frameless.htm?NRMODE=Published Regent Street Online - The Banana Republic<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On May 9, 2008, Banana Republic opened its flagship store on [[Greenbelt (Ayala Center)|Greenbelt 5]] in [[Makati City]], [[Philippines]]. ==Clothing lines== {| |- |valign="top"| ;Collections *BR Monogram<ref name="msnbc" /> *Edition by Banana Republic<ref>{{cite web|author=Featured at SFluxe.com as of |url=http://sfluxe.com/2009/05/23/edition-by-banana-republic/ |title=Edition by Banana Republic &#124; San Francisco Luxury Living |publisher=Sfluxe.com |date=2009-05-23 |accessdate=2013-03-03}}</ref> *Heritage |valign="top"| ;Capsule collections *Anna Karenina® *Luxe Leisure *Mad Men® *Trina Turk |} ==Store count== As of the end of Q1 2011, Banana Republic had 642 company owned or franchised stores in operation across 32 countries, shipped to 20 countries through company owned websites, and had the ability to ship to more than 50 countries through a 3rd party.<ref>http://www.gapinc.com/content/dam/gapincsite/documents/Global_Footprint.pdf</ref> {| style="width:100%;" |- | style="width:15%; vertical-align:top; text-align:left;"| ;North America * {{CAN}} 40 * {{USA}} 536 | style="width:15%; vertical-align:top; text-align:left;"| ;Asia * {{BHR}} 1 * {{IDN}} 3 * {{JPN}} 28 * {{KUW}} 1 * {{MYS}} 2 * {{PHI}} 4 * {{QAT}} 1 * {{RUS}} 2 * {{SAU}} 3 * {{SIN}} 2 * {{KOR}} 9 * {{UAE}} 3 | style="width:15%; vertical-align:top; text-align:left;"| ;Europe * {{ITA}} 1 * {{FRA}} 1 * {{TUR}} 6 * {{UK}} 8 | style="width:15%; vertical-align:top; text-align:left;"| |} ;Africa * {{MAR}} 1 ;Latin America *{{CHL}} 1 *{{COL}} 1 *{{CRI}} Soon 1 *{{PAN}} 2 *{{SLV}} Soon 1<ref>{{cite web|author=EconomĂ­a |url=http://elmundo.com.sv/roble-inicia-cambios-en-multiplaza-y-metrocentro |title=Noticias de El Salvador &#124; Diario El Mundo » Roble inicia cambios en Multiplaza y Metrocentro |publisher=Elmundo.com.sv |date= |accessdate=2013-03-03}}</ref> ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area|Companies}} *[http://www.bananarepublic.com/ Banana Republic] · U.S. official website. *[http://www.bananarepublic.ca/ Banana Republic] · Canadian official website. *[http://www.bananarepublic.co.jp/ Banana Republic] · Japanese official website. *[http://www.bananarepublic.eu/ Banana Republic] . European official website. {{Gap}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Banana Republic (Clothing Retailer)}} [[Category:Clothing brands of the United States]] [[Category:Gap brands]] [[Category:Retail companies established in 1978]] [[Category:Underwear brands]] [[Category:Companies based in San Francisco, California]]'