Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic Close Online Stores for Relaunch
Thursday September 1, 2005
Gap Inc. closed three of its online stores for a relaunch before the holiday season. Gap.com, OldNavy.com and BananaRepublic.com are undergoing a facelift to upgrade each site's operations.
However, shoppers have been frustrated to visit their favorite online store and find it closed. They've been turning to competitors to purchase clothes.
Banana Republic and Old Navy have re-opened but Gap.com remains closed. The move will definitely affect Gap Inc's profits and even the temporary closure can turn shoppers off from coming back in the future.
Bottom line: If you're planning on relaunching your Web site, rebuild it offline or on another server so you can be completely finished. You want minimal downtime so make the switch from your old site to your new site in the overnight hours when Web site traffic is low.
Every person who visits your site when it's been shutdown is not only a lost sale but is also at risk of not being a customer ever again.
However, shoppers have been frustrated to visit their favorite online store and find it closed. They've been turning to competitors to purchase clothes.
Banana Republic and Old Navy have re-opened but Gap.com remains closed. The move will definitely affect Gap Inc's profits and even the temporary closure can turn shoppers off from coming back in the future.
Bottom line: If you're planning on relaunching your Web site, rebuild it offline or on another server so you can be completely finished. You want minimal downtime so make the switch from your old site to your new site in the overnight hours when Web site traffic is low.
Every person who visits your site when it's been shutdown is not only a lost sale but is also at risk of not being a customer ever again.
Comments
Well GAP must not have heard you, at the height of back to school season they shut down their Old Navy website to relaunch it? I need shorts for uniforms and can’t find them at my Old Navy, ordering online is the only option, I go to place my urgent back to school order and their website is down. What kind of IT shop are they running, I don’t understand. If there financials are so bad, why would they take this chance of losing revenue and customers?
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thank you