Appealing to everyone doesn't work (fill in The Gap)

aarongerdes@gmail.com (Aaron Gerdes) — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 10:04:00 -0800

Speaking of niche marketing, the New York Times ran an article about three weeks ago on how The Gap is struggling without a niche:

Gap has served up a steady diet of simple, unobjectionable casual clothing designed to appeal to everyone. [..] In an era of niches, when exclusion is as vital as inclusion, Gap has become an anachronism: a single chain, selling only its own brand, with one point of view, chasing shoppers from birth to death. [..] Indeed, consumers are abandoning the chain in staggering numbers. Sales at stores open at least a year, a standard measure of a retailer’s health, have fallen or remained stagnant for 28 of the last 30 months.

I found the article through Duct Tape Marketing, which has some great commentary:

Attempting, intentionally or accidentally, to appeal to all is a sure way to kill sales and buzz. Find a way to narrow your market focus to the smallest niche possible and you will no longer need to worry about competing on price.

Aaron Gerdes: Tag nice

Appealing to everyone doesn't work (fill in The Gap)