The New York Times Approves of Gap at The Grove

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

"THIS can't be a Gap: the mannequins look kind of happy" begins a New York Times article about the comeback of the American retailer. Writer Stephanie Clifford visited the brand's store at The Grove, one of Gap's most up-to-date, clean and consumer-friendly locations out there.

The store is a test model for future Gaps, from its layout (dressing rooms are located at the center of the space) to its staffing (there's an on-site stylist). The Grove experiment isn't the only way that Gap has invested in Los Angeles. The company moved its denim operations to DTLA two years ago and now promotes its jeans as being "LA-designed."
· A Humbled Gap Tries a Fresh Coat of Pep [NYT]