In the beginning, there was the gap. the gap was two words, and was lower case, and it was good. But lo, The Powers That Be decided that Gap (just Gap) was a much better name, and so it stayed. And in the year before the year made famous by George Orwell, Gap did buy a small chain of safari- and travel-outfitters called Banana Republic, and did change it into an upscale clothery, causing all to say, "It is all about the Banana." In the interests of Expanding the Brand, and thus covering the mid and high-end of the fashion-concious budget, Gap did create the Gap Warehouse (this being in the days before the shrine of the Factory Outlet). Soon the Gap Warehouse became known as Old Navy Clothing Company, and it was good.
Soon, The Powers That Be recognized the growth of the great Factory Outlet Mall, and resurrected Gap Warehouse as Gap Outlet, to join the family known as Gap (GapKids, babyGap, GapBody, GapMaterinity, GapBuyFromUsPlease). And then was born Banana Republic Factory Stores, as they were too upper-class to have an "outlet." This left but one in the family, Old Navy, without a State of Outlet. So, forgetting that it began as a Gap Outlet itself, they did begat Old Navy Outlet, which served not to clearance undesirable product, but rather to fill the mindset that every store doth need its own outlet. And thusly were unsuspecting shoppers rushed in to find The Very Best Bargains, only to find that Old Navy Outlet had exactly one T-shirt celebrating Canada Day 2001 that was marked down in the extreme, and that all other products were identical in style, display, and price to a regular, "Full-Price" Old Navy. And the shoppers were confused, went home, and bought nothing.
Here ends the reading.
