Role Of Family In Medea - 1991 Words

The work Media, by Euripides, allows the readers to see how some of the Greek culture, religion, social norms, family structure, gender roles, and language/literacy shows up in the work. In Medea, the family structure plays into some of the roles of how Ancient Greece families were. Their family consisted of a wife, husband, and children just like the Greeks. They had a house where they lived in Corinth, but that’s where the family structure started to take a turn from Greek families. Jason wasn’t Medea’s master, she had her own voice/opinion in the work unlike in Ancient Greece. For example, Medea tells Jason how he’s not a man, and he’s the worst (pg.540, lines 471-472). Jason leaves Medea and the kids to be with a princess, and Medea†¦show more content†¦534, lines 231-252) This connects to Ancient Greece because the women weren’t allowed to go out but the men could whenever they wanted to and how when the woman got married their husband became their master and controlled them. Jason talks about how he feels men should be able to have kids another way besides from a women and how women shouldn’t â€Å"exist† since they are â€Å"nothing but a nuisance† (pg. 543, lines 592-595). Obviously Jason is upset about his and Medea’s situation even though the men had the bigger voice in Ancient Greece, but they didn’t know of adoption so there’d be no way for the men to get children unless they married a woman. Jason later in the work did state how the women did have a right to get upset if their husband ends up getting a new wife and Medea said how tears are in a woman’s â€Å"nature† (pg. 552, line 953). A couple other examples of the gender roles in the work are, on page 557 lines 1141 to 1142, tells the reader about when the messenger came to tell Medea about how the princess (Jason’s new wife) and her father Creon just died of the poison Medea gave. Also Medea talks about how she’s going to kill her children. These lines that Euripides wrote, shows the total opposite of how women behaved and acted in Ancient Greece. By the end if the work Jason mentioned how Medea left him childless which means that he will not have a son to pass down his inheritanceShow MoreRelatedRelationships Of Men And Women1485 Words   |  6 PagesThe play that Euripides tells of a woman named Medea put forth many views on the relationships of men and women in the Greek society. These relationships are seen as the dominant man with a woman by his side, committed to him fully. Medea sees these relationships not necessarily as a good thing, but as a situation in which a woman may truly be burdened by the expectations of her. Medea states early on that, â€Å"We women are the most unfortunate creatures.† (Line 231) She states this because she feelsRead More Gender Roles in Medea by Euripides Essay1285 Words   |  6 PagesCenturies of traditi ons has enabled men and women to define gender roles in society. Although some critics declare gender roles do not exist today, others believe they do. In society, men and women are defined by gender roles throughout their activities and emotions. A doctor is typically portrayed by a male while women rear the children and cook for the men. However, although still in existence, today these roles are less obvious but tend to have similar meaning when compared to the past. InRead MoreThe Utilization Of Ancient Greek Values1513 Words   |  7 PagesAncient Greek values through the use of characters in Medea Throughout the play Medea written Euripides, an assortment of unique characters are presented to the audience. At first glance, the characters in the play seem to serve as the normal society in Ancient Greece. This is true to a certain degree but Euripides intended it to be more than their standard social roles. Euripides utilizes characters such as the all women choir, King Creon, Medea and others to convey his perception of what is his modernRead MoreRevenge Of An Angry Wife924 Words   |  4 Pagesand what we are capable of. The relationship can either be with a significant other, family member, friend, or co-worker. A person should always try to have a good relationship with someone to avoid hurting themselves or others. If the person does not feel happy or have a positive thought towards another person, then move on to next thing in life that does make you happy. In Euripides’s Medea, the main character Medea is an evil woman who only wants to seek revenge to those who h ave done her wrong.Read MoreMedea Literary Analysis1211 Words   |  5 Pagesto acting the role of the ideal dad. Instead of being there for their children, they are away and play very miniscule roles in their children’s lives; instead of protecting he actually ends up hurting their kids. Thus, the paternal literary lens tries to determine whether or not the work’s father figure fits the â€Å"perfect father† archetype. This lens questions whether or not the father figure is his children’s active example, provider, and protector. When looking at Euripides Medea through a paternalRead MoreAs A Society, We Are Being Continuously Taught Not To Stray1506 Words   |  7 Pagesstereotypical gender roles that existed. Throughout Euripides’ Medea, the audience and readers are shown the consequences that said gender roles create. They are a part of history that may never be overcome, as developed in the play. Gender roles may never be overcome in society, nevertheless it is important to remember that they do not define a person, let alone decide their fortune. Equality should not be perceived as an opinion, but as a right. By performing a feminist reading of Medea, it is evidentRead MoreGender Roles in Lysistrata and Medea1651 Words   |  7 Pagesto the seclusion of their homes where they were allowed only to talk to their family and other women. While Greek men gained their honor and prestige from doing well in battle, and speaking well at the assembly, women seemed to acquire their honor and achieve moral excellence by birthing boys who then become men who could then gain honor in battle. Both Eripides Medea and Aristophanes Lysistrata focus on the role of women in ancient Athens and the struggle for power between the sexes. WhileRead MoreAnalysis of Medea by Euripides Essay748 Words   |  3 Pagestribulations. In the catastrophic Greek play Medea, by Euripides, the liaison between Medea and Jason demonstrates how both males and females assert power in the relationship and how incorrect usage of this supremacy leads to dilemmas. Initially, males direct the lives all members in the relationship by either negatively or positively utilizing their power. The males most often possess a majority of the power in the relationship. At the outset, Jason deceives Medea by having an affair with Creon’s daughterRead MoreThe Gendered Struggle: Comparing and Contrasting between Masculine and Feminine Perceptions of Honor in Two Cultures1597 Words   |  7 PagesThe comparisons between Medea and Hamlet are numerous. Both are stories about revenge that end in the controversial main character sacrificing everything in order to preserve one of the most important markers of identity of their time: honor. Medea was a controversial character in ancient times not only because of her filicide, but because she asserted that women have honor, an idea that was not the norm in Greece. In sharp contrast to her is Hamlet, the tragic hero that was honor-bound by his societyRead MoreMedeas Transformation1270 Words   |  6 Pages Medea’s Transformation Medea is a play featuring a title character who is a very unusual woman. Brad Levett’s essay â€Å"Verbal Autonomy and Verbal Self-Restraint in Euripides’ Medea† exemplifies the thoughts of three authors after discussing how Medea relates to a Greek hero that was invulnerable in all of his body except for one minor spot and/or the play resembling a Greek tragedy that narrated the fate of a warrior after memorable battles. These scholars believed that Medea â€Å"comes into conflict with

Essay on Light and Truth in Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man

Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man tells of one mans realizations of the world. This man, the invisible man, comes to realize through experience what the world is really like. He realizes that there is illusion and there is reality, and reality is seen through light. The Invisible Man says, Nothing, storm or flood, must get in the way of our need for light and ever more and brighter light. The truth is the light and light is the truth (7). Ellison uses light as a symbol for this truth, or reality of the world, along with contrasts between dark/light and black/white to help show the invisible mans evolving understanding of the concept that the people of the world need to be shown their true ways. The invisible man becomes aware of the†¦show more content†¦Once again, Ellison alludes to society, only this time the blacks are not absorbed, but instead mixed evenly. The result is not a white culture, but a mixed, gray culture. The boss, Kimbro, becomes outraged at the mistake telling the invisible man, you trying to sabotage the company? That stuff wouldnt work in a million years (204). Kimbro, one of the leaders of the company, can be compared to a leader of society. He believes that the mixing of black and white, without a result of white can only lead to sabotage. For this crime, Kimbro sends the Invisible Man to work as an assistant in a boiler room. Essentially, Kimbro has placed the Invisible Man back into darkness. With its location in the basement, the boiler room can hide one from the light, or truth, of the real world. The Invisible Mans education continues with his induction in the Brotherhood and his continuing realizations about reality. The Brotherhood makes the Invisible Man believe that he has found a true home, a place where everyone is working for the improvement of all the people, not just specifically blacks or whites. His first task involves giving a speech in Harlem to a charged crowd. He has yet to fully grasp reality, but instead is only beginning to understand the Brotherhoods reality, that of goals aimed only to the bettering of themselves. At this point, however, the invisible man believes that the Brotherhood is theShow MoreRelated The Search for Identity in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man Essay1107 Words   |  5 PagesThe Search for Identity in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man It is through the prologue and epilogue, that we understand the deeper meanings of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. The prologue is essential, laying down a foundation that allows us to understand the meaning and reason behind the symbolism and relevance of events the that follow. The prologue allows us to understand the extent and level of intensity the novel is trying to achieve. Acting in the same way, the epilogue further illustratesRead MoreThe Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison1409 Words   |  6 Pagescome. However, in Ralph Ellison’s novel, The Invisible Man, the prologue serves as the beginning of the end, in preparation for an epilogue that revisits the narrator’s original inner conflict at the end of a personal narrative. Situated in a hidden underground cellar, the main character, the Invisible Man recounts the journey of his naive youth from the American south to the seemingly optimistic north in Harlem, New York. However, through several unjust experi ences, the Invisible Man doubts the possibilityRead MoreCure for Blindness - Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man Essay1061 Words   |  5 Pages Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man was a crucial literary tool in raising awareness of and forwarding the equal rights movement for African Americans when it reached readers of all races in the 1950s. The Cultural Contexts for Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man claims that the novel envisions nothing less than undoing African Americans cultural dispossession. Ellisons words are indeed an eloquent unraveling of social stereotypes and racisms. He employs allegorical conceptions of blindness and invisibilityRead More Ralph Ellisons novel, Invisible Man. Essay746 Words   |  3 PagesRalph Ellisons novel, Invisible Man. The unnamed, main character and narrator of Ralph Ellisons novel, Invisible Man, goes through the story being thrown from one ideology to another in search for a sense of individual truth. The narrator finds that following an ideology does not help him find individualism whatsoever but only confines what he can be. The narrators grandfather gave him his first and most prominent ideology in which he were to follow. Son, after Im gone I want youRead MoreEssay on Use of the Bird Motif in Invisible Man2374 Words   |  10 PagesUse of the Bird Motif in Invisible Man      Ã‚  Ã‚   Abstract: According to A Handbook to Literature, motif refers to a recurrent repetition of some word, phrase, situation, or idea, such as tends to unify a work through its power to recall earlier occurrences (264). One such type of motif which has seemed to receive less critical attention is Ellisons treatment of birds.  Ã‚   Hence, my aim in this essay is to examine the references to birds in Invisible Man, attempting to show how Ellison uses theRead MoreInvisible Man By Ralph Ellison1303 Words   |  6 PagesRalph Ellison’s Invisible Man is a story about an unnamed African American man trying to find a place for himself in white America. Throughout his life, he believes that his whole existence solely depends on recognition and approval of white people, which stems from him being taught to view whites as superior. The Invisible Man strives to correspond to the values and expectations of the dominate social group, but he is continuously unable to merge his soc ially imposed role as a black man with hisRead MoreThemes and Styles of Ralph Ellison3336 Words   |  14 PagesEnglish IV 16 November 2005 The Themes and Styles of Ralph Ellison Ralph Ellison has proven himself through his novel The Invisible Man to be the leading black author of the twentieth century. Although he had written many short stories and essays collected in the book Shadow and Act, The Invisible Man is his only novel. With this one novel, Ellison earned himself the 1953 National Book Award and acclaim by the African American community for so accurately portraying the struggles a black AmericanRead MoreEssay on Invisible Man2644 Words   |  11 PagesEquality between individuals is a primary step to prosperity under a democracy. However, does this moral continue to apply among differences and distinct characters of the total population? In the novel, Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, the protagonists suffers from the lack of acknowledgement guaranteed to African Americans in both the North and South regions of North America during the early 1900s. The Narrator expresses the poignant problems that blacks face as he travels to the North. An anti-he roRead MoreThe Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison2489 Words   |  10 Pagesâ€Å"I AM AN invisible man.† A story of obstacles of durable struggle, but hope, and everlasting search for voice in a narrow-minded society; The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison depicts the dehumanization and feeling of being ostracized in society, of one man. Imagine a time when everyone you encounter have a racial thought or credibility toward your own races, never considering the fact that who you are as a person does not matter worth a dime. You are better determines on shade of your skin which hideRead MoreEssay about Battle Royal, by Ralph Ellison1897 Words   |  8 Pagesrelentless struggles was Ralph Ellison. Ellison, a famous author, depicted racial segregation in the 1940’s through a fictional short story entitled â€Å"Battle Royal.† Battle Royal symbolized the actions of what â€Å"other† people became accustomed to. Blacks were thought to be socially inferior and live i n the shadows of whites. The idea which Ellison uses to paint â€Å"Battle Royal† consists of that when one sex or race treats another as an object or animal, both become dehumanized (174). Ellison’s use of hidden meanings

GAP company information Free Essays

string(25) " fiscal year ended 2009\." It was the year of 1969 when man has taken its first step toward the moon and â€Å"Doris and Don Fisher opened the first Gap store in US in San Francisco. † The fast change in style between teenagers and adult lead to formation of company name called â€Å"GAP†. From Justa single store In 1969. We will write a custom essay sample on GAP company information or any similar topic only for you Order Now our story Doris and Don Fisher opened the first Gap store in 1969. The reason was simple. Don couldnt find a pair of jeans that fit. They never expected to transform retail. But they did. Guided by humility, compassion and a strong desire to win, the Fishers grew their company thoughtfully. ustomers responded. Today, Gap Inc. Is a leading International specialty retailer with six brands – Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, Athleta and INTERMIX – more than 3,500 stores and more than 137. 000 employees. We’re growing globally, and Just within the last few years, we opened our first stores In china and Italy. we’re expanding online shopping to customers, too. Today, customers in about 90 countries can buy our products. While many things have changed since 1969, the principles on which we were founded have stayed the same: creativity, delivering results, doing what’s right and lways thinking of our customers first. Key Facts Founded: 1969, with a single store in San Francisco The original brand that brought American casual style to the world. Founded In 1909 In San Francisco, cap offers Iconic, yet modern clothing and accessories for adults, kids and babies. Gap gives customers the freedom to express their individual sense of style. Brand Includes Gap, GapKids, babyGap, GapMaternity and Gap30dy. Franchise stores: More than 350 stores in locations across Asia, Australia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa Brands: cap Intermix Old Navvy Piperlime Athleta Headquarters World HQ: San Francisco Bay Area Product Design: New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London Store Management, distribution and product manufacturing: Worldwide. Stores Total: More than 3,500 stores worldwide Fun Facts The average cost of a pair of Jeans at Gap in 1969? About $7! Gap’s 1988 Individuals of Style campaign was the first time the company specifically hired celebrities as models. In 2004, Banana Republic was among the first sponsors of the Emmy-nominated sleeper hit â€Å"Project Runway. † Gap has about 10 miles of storefront windows around the world. Old Navvy was named after a bar in Paris! Retired New York Times fashion editor Carrie Donovan was tapped to be the â€Å"Old Navvy Lady† in 1997 after Joking in one of her columns that she’d be great for TV spots for the brand. After a wildly successful pilot, Gap Factory Outlet was founded and opened its first store in August 1994. Glenn Murphy is our fourth CEO since our founding in 1969. (Bob Fisher served as interim CEO in 2007 before Glenn was hired. ) Celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe can be found on Piperlime. com, where she shares her picks on her favorite fashions from the site. ? Athleta, which has served women thletes since 1998, opened its first full-sized store in 2011. How They Do Business: From the start, Gap Inc. ‘s story wasn’t going to be limited to Just selling Jeans. Doris and Don Fisher made certain that integrity would become a hallmark of their business. As they continue to expand their presence internationally, They’re more aware than ever how their decisions affect the communities in which they do business. And their philosophy is simple: They seek to make a positive, lasting impact on the people and in the places where they operate. They listen to their customers around the world, and share their expectations. For hey, that means looking deeper into their supply chain to ensure that they take a responsible path throughout the product lifecycle, from the source to their stores. Financial and Strategic Analysis Company Overview The Gap, Inc. (Gap) is a specialty apparel company. The product line of the company consists of casual apparel care products, accessories and fashion apparel. The company distributes its products through its retail stores, internet and catalog stores. The company is also operates wholesale and franchisee businesses. Gap operates company owned stores in the US, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan and the I-JK. Financial Performance: The company reported revenues of (U. S. Dollars) USD14,549. OO million during the fiscal year ended January2012, a decrease of 0. 78% from 2011. The operatingprofit of the company was USD 1,438. 00 million duringthe fiscal year 2012, a decrease of 26. 93% from 2011. The net profit of the company was USD 833. 00 millionduring the fiscal year 2012, a decrease of 30. 81% from2011 Share Data THE GAP, INC. , Share Data pnce (USD) as on 01-NOV-2012 35. 5 EPS (USD) Book value per share (USD) 1. 56 5. 68 Shares Outstanding (in million) 533 Performance Chart SWOT Analysts THE GAP, INC. , SWOT Analysts Strengths Weaknesses Strong Liquidity Position Strong Product Portfolio and Brand Recognition Wide Geographic Presence Product Recall Dependency on Third Party Manufacturers Decreasing Comparable Store Sales Opportunities Threats Growing Apparel Market Increasing Online Presenc e Expansion into New Markets Competitive Environment Changing Consumer Behavior Decreasing Shopping Trips SWOT Analysis – Overview The Gap, Inc. Gap) is a specialty retailer of apparel, footwear and accessories. The I-JK, France, Ireland and Japan. The company also has online and catalog stores. The company’s broad product portfolio and brand recognition and wide geographic resence provide strong foundation for its future growth . However, intense competition and changing consumer behavior are the major areas of concern for the company. THE GAP, INC. – strengths Strength – Strong Liquidity Position The company’s liquidity position strengthen significantly during the fiscal year 2010. The company recorded current ratio of 2. 19 at the fiscal year ended 2010, as compared to 1. 86 in 2009. Gap had significant increase in its cash and short term investments during the fiscal year 2010. It recorded cash and short term investments of USD 2573. 00 million in 2010, as compared to USD 1715. 0 million during the fiscal year ended 2009. You read "GAP company information" in category "Papers" Moreover the company reported a net change in cash of USD 633. 00 million in 2010, as compared to a negative net change in cash of USD 9 million at the fiscal year ended 2009. This was principally due to increase in cash inflow from operating activities. The company’ cash flow from operating activities increased 36. 54% to USD 1928. 00 during the fiscal year ended 2010. Increasing cash and cash equivalent represents the companys ability to fund its business opportunities, working capital needs, meeting short term obligations and other capital requirements in the future. Strength – Strong Product Portfolio and Brand Recognition The company’s strong product portfolio and brand recognition ensures financial stability through a diversified customer base. Gap through its retail and online stores engaged in providing a wide range of apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The company markets its products under the well known brands, namely Gap, Old Navvy, GapKids, babyGap, GapBody, Banana Republic, and Piperlime. Under the Gap brand, the company provides denim, khakis and T-shirts, fashion apparel, accessories and personal care products. The company also provides a wide collection f apparel and accessories under the brand names GapKids and babyGap. Under the Old Navvy brand, the company offers apparel, shoes and accessories for both children and adults. The company also provides casual and tailored apparel, shoes and accessories for men and women under its Banana Republic brand. In addition, the company also offers its products through its websites. The company, through its multiple store banners, caters to a wide range of customers across the world. Strength – Wide Geographic Presence The company’s wide geographic presence insulates it from the risk of operating in a single economy. Gap operates 3,082 stores across North America, Europe and Asia. In products across several geographies. The company’s franchised stores are located in Bahrain, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Oman, Qatar, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Croatia. The company also operates its online stores through www. gap. com, www. bananarepublic. com, www. oldnavy. com, and www. piperlime. com websites. The company’s global presence enables it to build its brand image and maintain its strong position in the market. THE GAP, INC. – Weaknesses Weakness – Product Recall The company’s various product recalls not only generate substantial negative publicity about its products and business, but also prevent commercialization of other future product candidates. During April 2010, the company recalled its babyGap Marrakesh and Gap Outlet baby one-piece swimsuits . This recall was mainly due to presence of a halter straps that were manufactured too short causing the plastic ring located at the center of the swimsuit to press against the child’s throat and obstruct the airway. This poses a strangulation hazard to the child. Weakness – Dependency on Third Party Manufacturers The company is highly dependent on the vendors outside the US, which may adversely affect its ability to meet any urgent requirements. The company purchases private label merchandise from approximately 650 vendors and non-private label merchandise from approximately 350 vendors having facilities in approximately 60 countries. During the fiscal year 2010, approximately 98% of the merchandise was produced outside the US. These outside vendors require to comply with certain vendor conducts and environmental, labor, health, and safety standards in domestic and international markets. Any noncompliance with the standards might delay the delivery of the goods and significantly affect the company’s reputation. Thus, the company’s high dependence on third party manufacturers may have an adverse affect on its business operations. Weakness – Decreasing Comparable Store Sales The comparable store sales have been decreasing over the past few years, which is adversely affecting the growth of the company. The stores segment accounts for more than 90% of the company’s total revenue. During the fiscal year ended 2010, the company generated USD 13,079 million as compared to USD 13,496 million in the iscal year ending 2009, a decrease of 3. 18%. Over the past three years, the comparable store sales figures have been declining as demonstrated by a decrease of 9. 17% in the fiscal year 2009 and a decrease of 2. 19 % in the fiscal year 2008. As a result, Gap recorded a negative CAGR of 2. 97% during the period 2006-2010. The decrease has been primarily due to a decline in net sales in all the brands due to the weakening retail environment and a shift of consumers from department stores to supermarkets and discount stores. THE GAP, INC. – opportunities The performance of the industry is forecasted to accelerate, with an anticipated CAGR rate of 2. 6% during 2006-2011. According to research, the US apparel retailing industry is expected to drive to a value of USD336. 7 billion by the end of 2011. Gap’s stores and direct segments provide branded apparel, footwear and accessories for men, women and children through their retail and online stores. The company offering state of the art products and solutions through their wide distribution channel is likely to utilize opportunity of the growing apparel industry and thereby boost their top line growth. Opportunity – Increasing Online Presence With the rising trend of e-commerce business, there is huge potential for the ompany to increase its profitability through the direct-to-customer segment. In the fiscal year ending 2009, the direct-to-customer segment accounted for 7. 87% of the total revenue of the company and it increased by 8. 4% as compared to the sales at the end of the fiscal year 2010. The company can increase the contribution of this segment to the revenue by increasing its online presence. According to Forrester, online sales are expected to increase 13% to about USD 176. 9 billion in 2010. The growth is forecast to be 10%, 9% and 8% for 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively. Moreover according to a report published by U. S. Census Bureau the non-store retail sa les for the 10 month period from January to October 2010 increased by 12. 7% from the same period in 2009. Such web-based store concept provides consumers the convenience of shopping from home, doing away with the time consuming Journey and saving on the transportation cost. Thus, web sales are expected to register substantial growth in the coming years as e-commerce continues to capture market share from physical stores. The company stands to benefit from the growth trend of e-retail, which is supported by rising internet penetration and increasing familiarity o online shopping. Opportunity – Expansion into New Markets The company has taken several initiatives to enter new geographies in recent financial years. During November 2010, the company opened its firsh Gap store in Italy. This new store is located on Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Milan’s premier shopping district. It also entered into an agreement with Armin Systems Limited to bring Gap stores in Thailand. Moreover during November 2010, the company announced to open its first store in Latin America during the fiscal year 2011. The store will be located in Santiago, Chile. The company also had taken initiatives to launch its Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navvy online brands in Canada, and Gap and Banana Republic online in the UK and nine other European countries. The company also has renewed interest for a possible foray into India’s specialty clothing market through possible venture with Reliance Retail. The company’s several initiatives to enter new markets may provide significant exposure to more diversified customer base and strengthen its brand image. THE GAP, INC. – Threats Gap operates in a highly competitive specialty apparel retail industry. It faces intense ompetition from local, national, and global department stores, specialty and discount store chains, independent retail stores, and online businesses, which are dealing with similar products. The company also faces significant competition from the local players in European, Japanese, and Canadian markets. The company’s franchisees also faces competition in the respective markets. Increasing global competition in the apparel retailing market may significantly affect the company’s market share in the future financial years. Threat – Changing Consumer Behavior Owing to recession, consumers in the US are left with lesser disposable incomes. It is showing in their purchase attitude Consumers tend to reduce their discretionary shopping. According to a consumer survey conducted in the US by Harris Interactive, more than half of adults (54%) say they would reduce discretionary spending during an economic recession and the majority (63%) of adults said they would not make a purchase if there was no deal attached. It clearly states that during an economic recession, consumers would cut budgets, yet will continue to shop when discounts are available. The scenario is a threat to specialty retailers like the company, which ell discretionary products. They will see a decreased footfalls and reduced revenues. In order to attract customers, these retailers will have to spend more on coupons and discounts, which will reduce their margins. Threat – Decreasing Shopping Trips The business of Gap may significantly affected due to decreasing shopping trips of consumers in the US. The US operations contributed to 82. 1% of the total revenue of the company in the fiscal year ending 2010. According to a study by Nielsen, outlet shopping trips in the US has shown an average monthly decline of 4% from July 2008 o February 2010. The company has already been recording a decline in comparable store sales over the past few years, which accounts for Change Factors: In the beginning Gap was sell only Levi’s products where they have to depend on that particular brand by and large. Later on when they realized depending too much on a particular product may harm the business in the future, they have changed there course of depending on a single particular product . Gradually they have came up with there own product name and different supplier in order to reduce risks. In 1983 Gap purchased Banana Republic How to cite GAP company information, Papers