Gap
Gap launches "The Lab" on ConcretePlatform to drive growth in international business
Gap is the world’s largest fashion retailer and one of the most iconic brands. The Company’s world headquarters are located in the San Francisco Bay Area with over 3,400 store locations worldwide. Gap’s franchise business is growing rapidly as it continues its international store roll-out program.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Gap’s HQ , effectively connected through “The Lab” on ConcretePlatform™ to franchisees worldwide
- Created a one-stop-shop for all international needs
- Reduced time to market of projects and collateral
- Lower expenditure
- Provides a fully audited and analytical view of partners, suppliers and internal personnel movements and behaviours
- Delivers atreamlined communication and co-ordination of the new store roll-out program
- Investment in ConcretePlatform helped Gap meet, and exceed their global franchise requirements
“We have been impressed by ConcretePlatform™ from the very first meeting. ConcretePlatform was the only solution on the market to demonstrate expertise in international franchise retail process”
THE BUSINESS NEED
Gap’s Europe and Strategic Alliances team (ESA), based in London, works with the global network of Franchisee partners, providing support in the execution of international store roll-out. To support its rapid growth, ESA required a method of working more effectively with its new markets, with a real need for a collaborative file sharing and approval, document management, project management, marketing management and merchandise guidelines environsment. It also wanted to nurture a growing business community to better enhance and protect the valuable commodity that is The Gap and Banana Republic Brands.
Gap’s vision for “The Lab” was to create a central place for international partners to collaborate on how The Gap and Banana Republic brands could be effectively executed to market. In addition, support was necessary for the operations of all functions at Gap ESA: Marketing, Sales, Learning & Development, Visual Merchandising, Merchandising, Planning, Sales Administration, Store Design and Finance. A secure Enterprise Collaboration Platform, accessible by Gap and authorised, third party users was required. The capabilities within this environment would include Web Authoring and Publishing, Content Management, Digital Asset Management, Project Management, Approval Workflow and Web Forms and Alerts and Notifications. All of this needed to be wrapped up in an easy to use cloud based platform that met Gap’s strictest security policy.
THE SOLUTION
Gap went to market to find a vendor capable of providing this “one-stop-shop”. Having carried out a rigorous RFP process, a short list of companies were chosen to present to the business. Gap selected ConcretePlatform as the only Enterprise Collaboration Platform truly built for the retail community and capable of fulfilling Gap’s complex needs. ConcretePlatform is used by some of the world's leading retail brands, including M&S and Levi's, which has lead to the platform delivering value from day one for new customers coming on board. ConcretePlatform is built to manage a brand on the global stage.
Gap have taken ConcretePlatform and have given their retail executives access to powerful organisational and management tools that are both easy to access and easy to use, wherever they are in the world. This is why ConcretePlatform is the one-stop-shop for retailers looking to connect their enterprise, whether internal staff, international suppliers and distributors or franchise partners.
THE RESULTS
By creating a secure, Enterprise Collaboration Platform, "The Lab" gives users, regardless of location, ease of access to a platform that underpins the successful management and deployment of brand and merchandise projects. ConcretePlatform supports Gap with its international store roll-out program, creating an effective franchise collaboration portal for Gap’s continued global success.
