The Gap had a humble beginning in 1969 when Robert Fisher and his wife Doris Fisher opened the first gap clothing store in San Francisco with a choice of merchandise comprising Levi’s and LPs a volatile combination as the Fishers learned after one year reaching an unprecedented $2 million in sales. The Gap rapidly expanded it’s locations reaching 25 by 1973 and soon there after introduced private label merchandise. The expansion of The Gap unceasingly escalated not only in the growth of it’s stock and brand but also through various corporate offspring such as The Banana Republic or The Old Navy each tailored to a specific niche in the clothing market.
The Gap began by appealing to young peoples desire for a simple and attractive style, a style symbolised by The Gap’s early, popular ensemble of blue jeans and plain white cotton shirts. However, over the years The Gap has drifted from the original core consumer base that had brought it such rapid success. As The Gap concentrated on minimalistic styles it had slowly obscured the simplistic direction and alienated it’s target consumers in a wave of khaki and fleece.
But recently The Gap has shown strong design sense in clothes that have a classic and simple feel that makes it a versatile wardrobe component for a huge variety of customers, apparently successfully backtracking in order to appease consumers in a brilliantly multifaceted marketing approach that gives something to be appreciated to a variety of subcultures fashion senses. While The Gap has shown it’s prowess in business and fashion design they have drawn criticism for their labor practices.
On several occasions in 2003, 2006 and 2007 The Gap was accused and caught using suppliers operating under deplorable standards, using child labor, imposing forced abortion policies, as well as unpaid workers. In the 2003 instance The Gap was subject to a class action law suit on these charges yet refused to admit liability despite reaching a settlement of $20 million. The Gap has always voiced concern and ignorance in the wake of these accusations, showing a desire to keep a clean public image, in fact, in a confusing decision The Gap was named one of the worlds top 100 most ethical companies by Ethisphere Magazine in 2007 the same year the BBC aired footage of child labor practices in sweatshop suppliers to The Gap.
The Gap has upheld it’s position against such deplorable worker conditions as anyone would expect every single time they were exposed to be using it. But until more recent evidence surfaces it may be that they have corrected the ethical violations in question. In the end The Gap is a quality clothing retailer, who despite graphic design and business ethics issues contributes to the unique styles of many different characters. Although, until they start selling records again they will never reach their ultimate retail potential.
Fabric stores such as Hancock Fabrics are typically generic in supply. The typical corporate fabric store provides the same styles and materials at roughly the same prices.
So perhaps not much can be said for the originality of Hancock Fabrics as a business much can be said for it’s value to Tyler as a supplier of fabrics and fiber accessories. As in any craft a multitude of specialized tools, parts and accessories are required to obtain complete control of the medium. Hancock Fabrics provides to you this control over fiber through it’s comprehensive supply of fabric and fabric related things.
The sewing machine can be a cruel and unpredictable mistress at times, with many small and fragile moving parts sewing machine maintenance is a common and important part to a fabric stores function. Hancock Fabrics can repair your sewing machine and offer you it’s choices in parts for whatever you might venture to fix yourself.
The thread selection is standard and covers most conceivable colors as well as several different varieties of thread strength. The Fabrics of Hancock Fabrics do not stop at the simple cotton patterns you expect, but go further, offering fanciful drape and rug fabrics with velvet tassels and all.
As for the more pragmatic side of the fabric store Hancock’s has any tool you could need, from expensive scissors to pearl snap button appliers. An entire wall of the store is dedicated to displaying in an orderly fashion the many accessories available for your sewing needs. A wall of buttons is also arranged for an efficient selection of the right button for you.
Hancock Fabrics can help you with knitting or crocheting as well with their plethora of yarn and needles for all patterns and methods of knitting or crocheting. The staff at our Tyler Hancock Fabrics are sweet old ladies as one might imagine for a fabric store, they are extremely helpful and courteous to all who have questions or transactions.
At the checkout counter a peculiar quirk of fabric stores I have long enjoyed is kept, a variety of delicious candy for the sweet toothed to help with the monotony that comes with the craft of sewing. In all Hancock Fabrics has what you need, although nothing exceptional it gives Tyler what it needs to sew.
It’s always nice when you can rely on one place for a large need, at Academy Sports and Outdoors you can find nearly any generic sport or outdoor recreation supply. Academy Sports and Outdoor is a wonderful resource for the fitness and sports communities in Tyler. It can be a lot of trouble going from sports supply store to sports supply store just to find the right size or brand of shoes, clothing, or sports equipment.
Academy Sports and Outdoor is one big place with all of these things, eliminating much of the hassle in finding the right store to suit your specific preferences, Academy brings the top names in sport supply together in one easy shopping experience. All of the major sports are covered thoroughly and with ease. Huge selections of basket ball, football and of course baseball equipment eagerly awaits the next season to be snatched up for aspiring and returning athletes old and young.
But Academy goes much further than these three traditional pass times, offering equipment for boxing and mixed martial arts giving Tyler residents an opportunity to train using regulation, league certified equipment, ensuring a safe and legitimate competition. Academy Sports and Outdoor doesn’t neglect sports with less mass appeal either, raquetball, tennis and volleyball equipment is supplied in depth as well as many golf supplies and accessories.
Recreational activities such as bikes, paintball, or trampolines are supplied as well for those with a more independent taste for sport. Academy provides other categories for purchase such as hunting and fishing, although these are not a focus of the store. However, Academy does concentrate on bringing excellent choices when it comes to shoes and clothes to wear while you’re practicing your sport of choice.
You’ll be sure to be comfortable while you play after taking advantage of Academy’s ample selection of sport wear and accessories. Academy is a great source of sporting and outdoor equipment in basically every area one can imagine. Any sporting Tyler resident will be happy they gave Academy Sports and Outdoor a try.
If you are like me and most of my family you are always on the look out for a steep snow sledding hill just in case it happens to snow in Tyler Texas.
Snow is very rare in Tyler Texas and snow that resembles what you see at Breckenridge and Keystone Colorado ski resorts is almost unheard of.
When we do get snow it falls and melts immediately but last night and today we have a thick soft blanket of about 4 – 5 inches of snow.
I have had my eye on this one great hill over at the Walmart Highway 64 parking lot.
If you drive in and look over to your right toward the back there is a very large steep hill.
We climbed up and used a $10 plastic container ironically bought at Walmart last year.
Although our container was not ideal it still worked and was a lot of fun. If you actually had a real sled you could have quite a blast going down this mini ski/snowboard trail.
So for those in Tyler Texas that like to have a little fun in the snow and cold check this hill out sometime while Walmart is still ok with you being on it.
For those like me that may have never heard of Tuesday Morning before it isn’t a big surprise. This store seems to open up when they want to and probably just during those certain shopping days that bring in lots of traffic. So they aren’t like Marshall’s where they are open every day.
I guess Tuesday Morning has a low overhead policy but it must work as I have seen their sign over by Cotton Patch Cafe for several years.
This store always looked closed and abandoned but one Sunday morning we were nearby and I yanked at the door and to my surprise the door opened and there were tons of Christmas gift ideas almost everywhere I looked.
I also found some pretty ridiculous white elephant type gifts to get as well. This store is like a cheaper Marshall’s but with more selection and variety. They aren’t necessarily like Marshall’s in the sense of having lots of clothes but they are like them in their never ending supply of odds and ends.
For instance, last year I was able to purchase from Marshall’s an alarm that would sound if a dog jumped and laid down on a couch or chair in your house. I saw this as both funny and useful for certain people in my family.
Tuesday Morning store has all kinds of weird stuff like this and good stuff too. They have toys, rugs, clothes, sheets, towels, furniture type items, Christmas decorations like big Santa statues and many things you would never buy but they are fun to look at.
I bought a few fun to look at items that will be white elephant gifts this year. So if you are reading this maybe you haven’t come up with any Christmas 2010 gift ideas and maybe your a procrastinator.
Tuesday Morning can come to your rescue and relieve your stress because they have everything for mom, dad, kid, toddler, sister, brother, emo brother, brother in jail, grandmother, granddad, and wife, and husband, I guess cousin too.
For those like me that may have never heard of Tuesday Morning before it isn’t a big surprise. This store seems to open up when they want to and probably just during those certain shopping days that bring in lots of traffic. So they aren’t like Marshall’s where they are open every day.