Gap Across the Waters

Gap Inc. (San Francisco) has announced locations for three franchised Gap stores in Singapore and Malaysia.

The stores will be operated by subsidiaries of FJ Benjamin Holdings (Singapore).

These are Gap's first franchise stores and they feature the new Gap store design that is being rolled out in the United States. The stores are expected to open between October and December, in time for the holiday shopping season.

Gap's first flagship store in Southeast Asia will be at Wisma Atria, in the heart of Orchard Road. Occupying about 9,000 square feet on the ground floor with street front and interior mall facades, this store is next to the busiest mass rapid transit station in Singapore. It is scheduled to open in the first week of December, in time for Christmas.

The next store will open in the first week of November at Vivo City, one of Singapore's largest and newest mall developments on the harbor front. Another Gap store is expected to open in the first week of December at Centerpoint Annex along Orchard Road, Singapore's premier shopping district. All three stores in Singapore will feature the full range of Gap adult, GapKids and babyGap products.

In Malaysia, the first store will open in early October in Central Kuala Lumpur at the Lot 10 Shopping Centre, on one of the city's most prestigious shopping streets. A Gap adult store is also expected to open in the first week of October at One Utama Shopping Center, a family-oriented suburban mall in Petaling Jaya. A separate Gapkids/babyGap store will also open in One Utama in the first week of December. A GapKids/babyGap store is expected to open in the third week of October at the Mid Valley Mall on the suburban edge of Kuala Lumpur, a premier destination for shoppers with retail entertainment and dining options.

“We are delighted to bring Gap's style to customers in Southeast Asia,” said Joshua Schulman, Gap's managing director of international strategic alliances and senior vp of Gap international product development and merchandising. “Singapore and Malaysia are regional shopping hubs and FJ Benjamin selected some of the most well-known and prestigious retail destinations in Asia for the franchise stores. As we have a strong following of customers from these markets who shop at Gap while abroad, these markets will be ideal for Gap brand's franchise debut.”