Gap to make Africa debut

San Francisco -- Gap announced Wednesday that it will open its first Gap store in Egypt this July, and its first Gap and Banana Republic stores in Morocco in October.



The move is part of the retailer’s global expansion strategy that calls for doubling its franchise stores to 400 by fiscal year 2014.



Gap started shipping to Egypt, Morocco and South Africa in 2010, but these stores are the first on the continent.



“The rapidly growing consumer base in North Africa provides an ideal environment to introduce both Gap and Banana Republic to the continent,” said Stephen Sunnucks, president of International, Gap.



Over the last five years, Gap has grown its franchise store base to more than 180 and expanded from two to 25 countries throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Australia. This latest announcement brings its brands to 29 countries, including Chile and Serbia in fiscal year 2011.



The debut Egypt store will be located in the Mall of Arabia in Cairo; two additional Gap stores will open at Cairo’s City Stars Mall and Sun City Mall this October. The Moroccan premier for Gap and Banana Republic stores will occur in Casablanca, in the city’s new Morocco Mall, opening simultaneously with the mall’s grand opening in October.