Gap's new Old Navy store in Shanghai is the first of five stores the retailer will open in in the country in 2014 the retailer reported in a press release Saturday.
Gap is also opening thirty more stores of its own, which will join 81 locations already in place.
"At Old Navy, we're about making current American fashion essentials accessible for every family," Stefan Larsson, global brand president at Old Navy said in a statement. "As we enter our 20th year, we're excited to introduce our brand to more customers around the world and share our fun, energizing and unique shopping environment," Larsson said in the statement/
The Shanghai store is three floors, and is situated in the Jing'an District Reuters reported.
The site has shopping, tourist attractions, and hotels and office buildings for residents, and tourists. There are also the well-known Super Modelquins, and the dog named Magic. Families can also compete in video games with touchscreen capabilities, and tabletop games the press release reported.
"...With our China entry, continued growth in Canada and Japan and the launch of our franchise business in the Philippines next month, we are well positioned to grow our share of the global retail apparel market," Robert Frank, executive vice president of Old Navy International said in a statement.
"Outside North America this is the largest opportunity for us, acknowledged by all the senior leadership in the company. This is the number one growth vehicle for the company, Jeff Kirwan, president for Gap China told Reuters. "We're putting a lot of attention into e-commerce for both brands."
Gap's 81 stores total 50 percent of competitors H&M , Japan's Uniqlo, and Inditex SA's Zara Reuters reported.
"Gap's position in China is not very clear. It's outpaced by Zara on a fashion level and out-competed by Uniqlo on the concept of high-value basics," Cherry Dai a project manager in Shanghai SmithStreetSolutions told Reuters.
