GAP and OLD NAVY: creating the ultimate Times Square flagship destination

Located in the former Toys-R-Us Times Square flagship (complete with five-story Ferris Wheel!), the new GAP and Old Navy flagship stores are 77,000 square feet of retail, developed to create a forward-thinking retail experience focused on customer service and engagement. Chipman Design Architecture partnered with Gap Inc.'s Global Creative Services and Store Design and Architecture, Engineering and Construction Teams as well as Schimenti Construction on this astonishing endeavor.

GAP

To help the Gap brand establish its presence and stand out as a retail beacon in one of the world's busiest pedestrian urban centers, the Chipman Design Architecture and Gap Inc. Global Creative Services and Store Development Team collaborated to create the forward-looking store of the future. Creating a visually interesting and transparent space in Times Square, the design and store layout stands as an inviting presence to the 50-million annual Times Square visitors. Integration of a new perimeter fixture system for the brand supports the ability to display hanging or folded merchandise, as well as provide marketing backdrops along the windows and store perimeter. In addition to a whole new fixture package, the 30 foot logo structure in the middle of the store allows for breathtaking visual merchandising opportunities of the brand’s latest story and product. 

To integrate technology and flexibility into the retail experience, the team designed mobile POS stations, which enable employees to complete transactions directly from the fitting rooms as well as serve the high-volume sales surges from 11pm – 2am. Taking future customer needs into consideration, the team designed the ‘traditional’ cash wrap counter as a number of smaller stations positioned together, allowing for agility as the one-on-one customer experience becomes ever more crucial.

Playing with material and color selections, the architecture and design team created a cohesive and holistic concept throughout this large-scale store while offering a unique shopping experience within each Gap “shop.” The evolution of the signature white fixture, ceiling and trim details at the entrance and main floor are shifted to oak and steel materials to reflect the rugged nature of the denim offerings at the “Denim Environment”. To differentiate the Gap Kids and Baby Gap shops, the brand’s signature bold blue evolves into a shade of baby blue, featuring a whimsical framed house structure and LED-lit clouds. 

"The internal and external coordination between partners was an incredible experience to make the brand's vision come to life - we were so honored to work with the superstars of the Gap and Old Navy Design, A/E and Construction teams. These flagship stores are an investment in the brands' futures and they deserve to be on the world stage of Times Square." - Mark Scheerhorn, CDA Senior Managing Director

OLD NAVY

Establishing Old Navy’s presence and distinguish the brand in one of the world's busiest pedestrian urban centers, Gap Inc. Global Creative Services, Store Development and Old Navy’s Creative Teams enlisted CDA to create an active and whimsical environment for the entire family. Bringing this brand proud and brands defining store to reality was a true testament of what internal and external cross-functional teams collaboration can achieve.

Each floor has a distinct story to tell, based upon the key tenets of the brand but amplified for the flagship location. With a transparent multi-store storefront fa?ade, the team created an energetic window into the activity of the store to engage the Times Square visitor, least of which is an LED light installation guiding shoppers between the three floors.

With prominent placement near the entrance, moveable platforms featuring horizontal, undermounted video screens and greet the customer, perched atop by mannequins featuring the brand’s latest offerings. Catering to the store’s tourist merchandise opportunity, the team designed a shop experience featuring custom New York products and souvenirs, complete with floor to ceiling subway tile wall and neon Statue of Liberty installation.

Sprinkled through the store are large interactive digital screens that provide numerous digital experiences to customers- from a digital fit and look book at the denim shop, Old Navy Kids interactive games and social website interactions. Tablets are installed in each fitting room lounges to connect the customers to Old Navy.com.

Denim is the star of the show on the second floor, with 15-foot vertical displays inviting customers to explore the brand’s full offerings. Additionally, vintage-styled binocular viewers, similar to those found at the top of the Empire State Building (again a nod to its New York location), give the guest the opportunity to take in the storied Times Square people watching from inside the store!

The cherry on top of the store’s fun quotient is found in the large children’s department located on the top floor. Hopscotch, neon visual merchandising vignettes, a polka-dotted “food truck” with employees giving out balloons and a 10-foot polka-dot dog create an activated environment for children of all ages to enjoy!