Gap to open three new UK stores in time for Christmas after high street exit

Gap has announced three new store launches , featuring Covent Garden (November 6), Westfield London (December 4) and Wembley Park (December 12), as part of its ambitious strategy to keep "growing and elevating" its UK retail presence. The inaugural opening signals the comeback of a flagship UK destination for Gap, with its Covent Garden store set to swing open its doors once again at 30-31 Long Acre next month. Gap's revamped UK flagship will showcase its legendary essentials including denim, tees and hoodies, while serving as a hub to honour the brand's "iconic heritage" by weaving together music, vinyl and cultural elements throughout the retail space. The American retailer will also launch a branch at Westfield London on December 4, before unveiling a fresh outlet at Wembley Park's London Designer Outlet on December 12, reports DrapersOnline. Each of these new locations is expected to feature Gap's complete range spanning womenswear, menswear and kidswear lines. These developments arrive during a "global brand reinvigoration" for Gap as it strives to "connect with customers through meaningful shopping experiences" in the current marketplace. Originally established in San Francisco back in 1969, before making its UK debut in 1987, Gap has built its reputation on American-inspired style and wardrobe essentials including logo tees, knitwear and denim. Currently, Gap operates four shop-in-shop formats within Next outlets, spanning Oxford Street, London, Braehead, Glasgow and Manchester's Trafford and Arndale retail parks. Additionally, Gap maintains over 40 concessions across selected Next branches throughout England and Ireland. The announcement follows Gap's decision to shut all 81 of its stores across the UK and Republic of Ireland in 2021, citing "market dynamics" and a shift towards becoming a "digital first business". After these closures, Gap entered into a joint venture with Next, which led to the retail behemoth managing Gap's ecommerce operations via Total Platform. Next holds a 51% stake in the joint venture, while Gap retains 49%. As part of this partnership, Next began opening Gap shop-in-shops from March 2022.