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Tue, 05 May 2026

Tue, 05 May 2026 Gap co-founder Doris Fisher dies aged 94

She opened the first store with her husband Don in 1969, with the company calling her "a pioneering force in American retail".

* Doris Fisher, co-founder of Gap with her husband Don, has died at the age of 94.
* She helped come up with the name "Gap" as a reference to the generation gap and hoped to appeal to younger shoppers.
* The couple opened the first Gap store in San Francisco in 1969 after Don couldn't find a pair of jeans that fit.
* Over the years, Gap expanded to include Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Athleta brands, with annual sales of around $15bn (£11bn) and 3,570 stores worldwide.
* Doris served as Gap's merchandiser until 2003, establishing the brand's style and image.
* She was a devoted advocate for the arts and education, and had a net worth of $1.7bn at the time of her death.
* Don Fisher died in 2009, and their three sons remain involved in the family business.
* Gap is famous for its casual, easy-to-wear clothing and pioneered an approach to organizing clothes by size and style.
* The company has been looking for a turnaround after closing all its UK and Ireland shops in 2021 due to struggling sales.