Talk:Gap (clothing retailer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WHAT DOES GAP STAND FOR??? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.176.105.40 (talk) 14:36, 28 October 2007 (UTC)


This article is within the scope of the following WikiProjects:

Perhaps something should be posted to this page about Gap Inc. and its use of facilities that are know to employ small children to do the dirty work.

here here

Feel free to do so, or at least list your sources for these allegations. --fvw 05:41, 2004 Oct 11 (UTC)
Placed some information up regarding that. A little concerned with sounding biased by using the phrase "sweatshop workers" but I think that it fits the definition pretty well. Feel free to remove it if need be. -Wolfrider

Contents

[edit] G.A.P.

i heard that GAP stands for Gay Apparel Something. I forget what the last word was. Is there any truth to this? -Lethe | Talk

Yes, that's right. The person who replied to this before basically just confirmed it, so I decided to consolidate.

This is nonsense and should be removed as it is homophobic.

You're thinking of this. Yes, it's nonsense; that's why those of us who watch this page revert it every time it gets added to the page. --Tkynerd 18:55, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

The guy that sets our pub quiz said it was Gay And Proud, though it's probably just hearsay 195.22.151.244 09:17, 14 June 2007 (UTC)Robert, Cambridge

Please visit the Snopes link I posted just above for the real story. --Tkynerd 12:04, 14 June 2007 (UTC)

Though I agree it certainly isn't true, It's not homophobic in the slightest. 86.149.4.191 (talk) 17:41, 9 May 2008 (UTC)Ryan1711

[edit] Unsustainable Logging?

There is a common meme on the internet and amongst some environmental activists that the Fisher family, which is documented to own hundreds of thousands of acres of Mendicino County, has engaged in unsustainable logging--clearcutting--of old growth redwood forests. It's very difficult to find sources for these allegations and, while I don't doubt them, I wonder if anyone has authoritative sources. If so, the article would benefit from some discussion of this practice (or at least the Fisher family articles may). -Jonathan Feinberg

[edit] Why "The" Gap?

Sure, the company was originally known as The Gap, but when it introduced its current corporate image in (I think) 1990, it began referring to itself as Gap, not The Gap. While many or most people in the US probably still call it The Gap out of habit, it's not what the company calls itself. I would suggest we move the page. --ProhibitOnions 14:24, 2005 May 31 (UTC)


[edit] Celebrity commercials

The article was written as if celebrites were only appearing in Gap commercials since 2004. They've been around sine around 2001 at least, with the Gap Jeans TV commercial with Orlando Bloom and Kate Beckinsale. And celebs like Rachel Weisz were on print ads (at bus stops and subways) a bit after that. I remember an early 2000-ish commercial with Juliette Lewis and Daft Punk too.

Reply to above: You are not alone. There was also one with Shannyn Sossamon in it, showcasing her talent as a DJ. Now if GAP would only hire Jill Hennessy or Mariska Hargitay as one of their spokespeople--that'll bring Crossing Jordan and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit fans to their stores...

--D.F. Williams 17:02, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Gap (disambiguation)

Not everybody who uses Wikipedia is an American. A request for information about "The Gap" should not go by default to a clothing retailer only, as a good many of the people asking about "The Gap" would be asking about something completely different (for instance, "The Gap" is also the name of a suburb), and I feel that people should not be constrained to the one option for the topic. Wikipedia is supposed to be an encyclopedia, and not an advertisement for a clothing retailer. The peremptorily given command from the uncivil Chris Ruvolo to change all the links to "The Gap", leads me to request help in this insurmountable task, as I feel that it is important that people asking about "The Gap" should be given the option of choosing which one they are actually interested in.

Seven hours after the previous paragraph I have now fixed up the more than 100 links that needed to be fixed. Four of the links that needed fixing were not for the clothing store at all and should never have been directed to the clothing store (two of the links were actually for the suburb, The Gap, which I have mentioned in the paragraph above). There are two pages left which supposedly still require fixing so that there will be links to The Gap (for the clothing retailer). One such page is for Wikipedia:Votes for deletion/Log/2005 February 7 (which
I have tried several times to fix - where the link has then been correctly fixed up on the 'Preview' page, but which somehow loses the editing which I have done as soon as the page is saved, and then reverts back to the way it was before I changed the link). The other page is for Wikipedia:Reference desk/all which, although being listed as having a link to 'The Gap' that needs fixing, does not, in fact, contain any link to 'The Gap' with *can* be fixed - in other words, the so-called link is non-existent on that particular page). Therefore these two pages present an impossible situation - I can't fix either of them, no matter how much I try to do so, and believe me, I have tried to do just that. Can somebody else please help with these two particular pages. Thank you.

Excuse me, how was I being uncivil? --ChrisRuvolo (t) 22:48, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] GAP

Wasn't it called GAP during the free love and, GAY AND PROUD movement.

No. --Funkmistress 17:03, 13 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Changed to Gap (clothing retailer), see details

I had suggested merging with "Gap Inc" because we couldn't get just "Gap" for this article. However, I felt it necessary to get rid of "The Gap" which hasn't been the offical term for the store or company for 15 years. So, I moved the article to "Gap (clothing retailer)" and rerouted to the moved page from many other pages that were either linked to the old page or ones I just found out there.

Another thing I did was to move the location of "Gap", the French town, to "Gap, France" instead. So now, when any user searches either "Gap" or "The Gap" they are routed to the "Gap (disambiguation)" page. I think that's fairer considering how many meanings the terms are sharing. Lucky bunni 04:38, 18 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] "Product Red" is PR

Am I the only person that, seeing the edit history, thinks the Product Red crap was put up by some PR stooge?? It was all done in less than a day by one guy, basically. Sounds totally canned. Beyond fishy.

I totally agree. it should be at best a link to it's own article.


I agree too. It almost appears that Gap reps have fondled with this page, due to its constantly positive representation of the company. When I finally added something negative to the article (Bootleg Gap section), an unknown user removed it on the basis of "vandalism." I wouldn't be surprised if Gap corporate has visited this article a few times... In regards to Product Red, it should be removed, or at least reduced. Right now it sits as a blatant ad for Gap. - Spudst3r

[edit] Gap Jessalyn

Googled for "Gap Jessalyn" with quotes, and the only result that came up was this article. Does it really exist? -- Dandelions 20:17, 5 July 2006 (UTC)

It was removed some time ago. Google's cache obviously hasn't updated. Iolakana•T 14:50, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Music on Commercials

Where to research the artist in the commercials? How to find or download any of the musicians featured?

Please add comments if you have useful info.

For other uses, see GAP.

[edit] Sweatshops

Should it not be noted in this article the companies use of sweatshops, or their public efforts to restrict them? along with Nike they are commonly associated with them? Adamshappy 09:53, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

SHHHHhhhhhhh... America needs to keep being ignorant. But seriously, that is not important in an encyclopedia article (i know i sound fascist)... Ian Lee 05:55, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] New Brand: Piperlime

Gap has launched an online-only shoe store: Piperlime. While the launch is recent, I couldn't find specifics about it on my two-second search of their websites. --Jaybeeunix 14:57, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

I have added a preliminary page for Piperlime but it is missing a lot of information.Smd 6710 22:53, 3 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Celebrities in Gap Ad Campaigns

Who cares? Does this really belong? Should it be a separate article? I'm deleting it, hope nobody minds. Stephen Thompson 23:28, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

In general I don't like lists, though I think that the massive use of celebrities in Gap ads is notable and deserves at least mention in this article. I am adding the mention back, but not the whole list. --Mattarata 02:56, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Statement removed

I have removed the following statement and link from the article because they don't seem to have anything to do with Gap (and yes, I followed the link):

However, the company has continued to draw negative attention for its labor practices. In May 2006, it was discovered that employees (including children) of Western, a company that makes clothes for Walmart in Jordan, had been working 109 hours per week and had gone six months without being paid. Some employees also claimed that they had been raped by managers. [1]

--Tkynerd 22:07, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

Sorry the link was indirect (and is now dead, apparently). Here is a better one: http://www.nlcnet.org/documents/Jordan_PDF_Web/04_Western.pdf I am adding the statement back to the article, with the new link. Okay? Stephen Thompson 18:49, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

Also, I changed 'Walmart' back to 'Gap' in the statement (but forgot to sign in first - hope that doesn't look shady). Stephen Thompson 21:08, 21 January 2007 (UTC)

Someone has been removing those allegations again, even though they are well supported by the reference. I am consistently restoring them when they are removed. Just FYI. --Tkynerd 19:02, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

They are not well supported by the reference which makes clear that the allegation is 'sexual abuse'. Note in law this is not necessarily rape, which is only mentioned in the title. Furthermore it is a cheap attempt to blame GAP for something which is not necessarily their fault. Furthermore the statement is without evidence libel, this is not provided in the reference. Thus reference alone is not reason enough for publication on wikipedia. I am currently querying these allegations. My compromise was more than acceptable, quoting directly from the reference. I will continue to update the article if incorrect, hopefully you will review the compromise and comment on this. Furthermore companies can apply to the courts for defamation and make a claim for libel. No such attempt has been made to update the Wal-mart article with the same allegations, suggesting you have some particular reason for picking on GAP.

If you just wanted to change the text from "rape" to "sexual abuse," I would not object. If Gap is purchasing goods from a manufacturing facility where workers are being abused (not just sexually, but in other ways as well), is that Gap's fault? For the purposes of this article, it doesn't matter -- what is important is that this is information about Gap that is encyclopedic, relevant to the article, well-sourced, and presented in a neutral fashion (despite your claims to the contrary). As to whether or not the statement in the article is adequately supported by the reference, please review Wikipedia's guideline on reliable sources. This guideline is considered an aspect of the policy on verifiability, which is the standard by which content on Wikipedia is judged. Finally, my understanding of US libel law (which is what applies to Wikipedia, since all the Wikimedia servers are in Florida) is that only people, not companies, may sue for defamation; see also the information about US law at Slander and libel. --Tkynerd 23:18, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Suspicious Random Deletes

I've been watching this article evolve for sometime now. When this page first came up, it began as a blatant ad for Gap until we edited it. After seeing both 'Control Over the Word "Gap" ' and the labour practices section continually removed by random users, I am beginning to suspect Gap Corporate is tinkering with this article. Call me paranoid if you want.

I would like to remind users to take it to the talk page if they have a problem with any of the content. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Spudst3r (talk • contribs) 09:59, 29 March 2007 (UTC). Spudst3r 09:59, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

"I didnt realise wikipedia was only limited to those who dont work for GAP Corporate, however I don't think sections should be removed. However wikipedias purpose is not just to company bash, therefore balance needs to be considered. GAP is an example of a company who has responded to labour practices and the reputation it gained, recognition of that is as useful as still highlighting the issues that continue to exist in the apparel market today." -- the following was posted under my text from a GAP corporate staff member (confirmed by IP Address) Spudster 20:59, 21 May 2007 (UTC)

A contribution I added a while back (00:24, 10 February 2005) is no longer there. This is the text of that contribution:
Despite this, The Gap has received mounting criticism over working conditions in its factories. During the spring of 2003 The Gap, along with 21 other companies, was involved in a class action lawsuit filed by sweatshop workers in Saipan. The allegations included "off the clock" hours, where workers were not paid for working overtime, unsafe working conditions, and forced abortion policies. A settlement of 20 million dollars was reached but The Gap contends that the allegations were without merit, saying that lumping the companies together in one lawsuit was unfair.
Perhaps this one such edit. Considering that there is no longer any criticism section on the page. --Wolfrider 15:35, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

Gap is indeed participating in the editing of this article. Additional information was placed in the Labor section of the article, with the author referring to Gap as "our". I edited the addition, keeping relevant information and reformatting the grammar so it sounded like an encyclopedia article. Still, I urge people to watch this page and prevent Gap from deleting information. I'll be posting something to the editors user page warning him to watch his step. --Wolfrider 19:28, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

An interesting threat, but as previously pointed out GAP employees are entitled to update Wikipedia as much as anyone else. I have never deleted anything, without clearly pointing out the reasons (which of course on wiki are debatable in this forum). Furthermore it is the interest of the wikipedia that everyone has the opportunity to add and where necessary correct information or as you have done to ensure its independence from bias (whether supportive or critical). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.7.225.135 (talk • contribs)

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. was accused of whitewashing its own article on Wikipedia about a year ago, and the media made quite a big deal about it. Now we know that Gap edits its article because the ip address is registered to the organization. Tuxide 08:59, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

I don't live my life based on what the media do or do not make a fuss about. However I do update the GAP article as I want it to be accurate, is that not what we are all after? As long as the guidelines are followed (which I do), then there is no issue. GAP employs 160,000, are they all suddenly not allowed to update this article? Wikipedia is about accuracy not a focus for attacks on the GAP organisation that are unfounded, or as the previous author suggests whitewashing. 62.7.225.135 14:27, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

GAP employs 160,000, are they all suddenly not allowed to update this article? WP:COI. --Tkynerd 21:53, 18 June 2007 (UTC)
Not when they're paid to. There are many people here who edit the articles of the companies they work for when they're off the clock, and I see nothing wrong with it that way. Wikipedia editors are paid with respect, not money, for voluntarily contributing their time here. Tuxide 23:37, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

That's nonsense, I am not paid by GAP to update this page. It is not in my job description, not a part of my role. It is updated in my own time and I occasionally use a work computer (which I also have at home). So I am as much a volunteer as you, with an interest in the article being accurate. So as you suggest I am off the clock.

[edit] Advert

After going over this article some more, I have decided to mark it as {{advert}}. My dispute is over the overall structure of the document: It more or less resembles something you'd see on Gap's website than you would in an encyclopedia. It looks nothing like Target Corporation or Wal-Mart. Where is the History section? It talks about "brands" and store count, but these should be combined into a Subsidiaries section and be in prose. The corporate governance should be in prose and include history of directors as well. Much of the marketing strategy section is true with about any other major retailer. There is also Wikipedia:WikiProject Retailing/Company page structure to go off of. Regards, Tuxide 03:28, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

Oops. I did not see this comment before I wrote mine, below. I stand by my position that the problem is cleanup and possibly conflict of interest. You should see the real advert violations. They look like bad press releases! Wikidemo 07:12, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Marketing Strategy

This entire section is under developed and poorly written, it also seems biased toward the company. I suggest a deletion of this section and perhaps a re-write to focus simply on previous marketing campaigns, successes and failures, etc. --Generic14 01:35, 9 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] History

In an attempt to make the article more compliant to the Retailing company page structure I have created a more focused history section. I will continue expansion as time allows me to. --Generic14 02:59, 9 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Removing "advert" tag

I am removing the template:advert tag from the article because it does not seem to apply. As a neutral observer who has never read the article before now, it does not in any way read like an advertisement for the company. It contains a lot of derogatory information, true or not, and most but not all is fully referenced and in encyclopedic tone. There are some things that need to be cleaned up for sure. I see some partisanship and activism here, and allegations that someone with an interest in the company is editing the article. If so that deserves more appropriate tags like the "COI" ones or the Cleanup tags. Better yet, why not deal with the issue of conflcit or cleanup and get the article in good shape? It's a pretty important company so Wikipedia deserves a good article about it. Wikidemo 07:10, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] WikiProject class rating

This article was automatically assessed because at least one WikiProject had rated the article as start, and the rating on other projects was brought up to start class. BetacommandBot 14:54, 9 November 2007 (UTC)