GAP opened the first store in 1969 with a simple idea — to make it easier to find a pair of jeans and a commitment to do more. Over the last 46 years, the company has grown from a single store to a global fashion business with five brands — Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta and Intermix. GAP’s clothes are available in 90 countries worldwide through 3,300 company-operated stores, almost 400 franchise stores, and e-commerce sites and is still growing.

In 2017, GAP published a policy that is in line with Canopy Style, on sustainable procurement of wood-derived fabrics, such as rayon, viscose, modal and lyocell, to eliminate the sourcing of woodpulp from ancient and endangered forests. For over a year, GAP has been incorporating TENCEL™ brand in their collections which are sold in retail stores and online. They have also been including TENCEL™ Denim cellulosic fibers in their Womens and Children’s collections, in various apparel pieces like chambray tops, dress, pants and jackets.

However, given the complexity of the supply chain, sometimes it could be challenging for GAP to trace sources of tier 3 suppliers as most fibers are bought and sold as commodities, and GAP does not have direct financial relationships with the original suppliers. Therefore, GAP has joined multi-stakeholder partnerships, or certified initiatives such as organic, recycled, Fair Trade and others, to help verify the origin of certain commodities and fibers or ensure that these fibers are sustainably sourced.

Today, GAP is working harder than ever to make their business more sustainable by setting bold goals, designing new programs and partnering with others to change the industry for the better. To raise the awareness of sustainable garments further, GAP has also been promoting the TENCEL™ brand through email marketing campaigns, as well as their retail website and sustainability website.

If you are interested in more information, please visit: http://www.gap.com/browse/home.do?ssiteID=GAP