Gap opening first Gap flagship in Rome

Rome -- Gap said Friday that it will debut its first Gap flagship store in Rome on Via del Corso, the city’s premier shopping district, on July 30.



The opening in Rome is part of Gap’s ongoing international growth strategy; it opened its first Gap and Banana Republic stores in Milan in November 2010.



Four additional Gap and Banana Republic stores are slated to open in Italy this year. The company also recently introduced its outlet concept to the country and said it expects to open additional stores in Italian outlet centers.



The new flagship store is a two-story, 14,111-sq.-ft. space that was originally a bank and most recently a book store. To celebrate this heritage, the store will house a book corner and sell a variety of art and style books. Several of the structure’s original elements have been conserved including a 1940’s mural by Giulio Russo showcasing men on a scaffold wearing white T-shirts and denim. Gap has also reinterpreted and localized Gap’s American store design through the use of premium materials such as marble and warm toned woods. At the heart of each store is a floating white staircase composed of stone and white glass and a sky light positioned directly above.