Banana Republic to close UK website

Banana Republic has announced it is closing its UK website on the 31 May.

Banana Republic had nine stores across the UK, but made the decision to close them all in 2016 due to falling sales. While its high street presence ended, Banana Republic continued to be available online via its own website in the UK.

The retailer was established in 1978 and acquired by Gap Inc in 1983.

The Gap brand closed all of its stores in the UK and Ireland last year. Since then Next acquired 51% of the shares of Gap UK, and Gap Inc owning the remaining 49%, which will see Next reopen some Gap stores as concessions in existing Next stores. Next will also take over the ecommerce business for Gap via its Total Platform.

Earlier this month Next opened the first Gap concession at its flagship Oxford Street store.

It is not clear if Next’s partnership with Gap to operate Gap UK also included the Banana Republic business, but the decision to close the UK website for the brand will bring an end to its UK business.

The menswear and womenswear retailer has around 650 company-operated stores in the US, Japan and Europe, as well as more than 100 franchise-operated stores in more than 20 countries globally. Its online business serves customers in around 90 countries worldwide.