Story at a glance:
- Old Navy is unveiling a campaign called “BODEQUALITY” to serve its customers women’s products and styles in all sizes 0-30 and XS-4X — at price parity.
- All women sizes 0-30 can try on and buy the exact same brands of clothing without the need for a special section or stylistic change..
- Old Navy is also training its store associates to build customers’ confidence on what to wear.
Old Navy is unveiling a campaign called “BODEQUALITY” to serve its customers women’s products and styles in all sizes 0-30 and XS-4X— at price parity.
Old Navy, the largest retailer under the Gap Inc. umbrella, is expanding its line of women’s clothing to be inclusive, seeing how few women’s apparel brands accommodate the average woman who is between sizes 16-18, according to NPD.
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Starting this Friday, all women sizes 0-30 can try on and buy the exact same brands of clothing without the need for a special section or stylistic change.
“We saw an opportunity to meaningfully change the women’s shopping experience by making it more inclusive regardless of size,” said Nancy Green, President and CEO of Old Navy. “BODEQUALITY is not a one-time campaign, but a full transformation of our business in service to our customers based on years of working closely with them to research their needs. I’m proud of the collaboration across our Old Navy teams to evolve the retail experience for women.”
Plus-size clothing account for 19 percent of the overall retail industry, making the revamp to its women’s clothing line a financially viable and inclusive solution.
“’BODEQUALITY” is not temporary; it is a fully integrated shopping experience in store and online that offers clothing in a democratic, comfortable, and consistent size, an Old Navy spokesperson told Changing America.
Old Navy is also training its store associates to build customers’ confidence on what to wear.
“Leading up to this launch, tens of thousands of our store employees went through our BODEQUALITY Size Inclusivity Training to make sure they were equipped with the right language to serve our customers. It was really important that we use body positivity language to build confidence and self-esteem. We also provided additional training for store leaders who focus on the women’s section of the store to make sure they were fully equipped for the change.” Alison Partridge Stickney, an Old Navy spokesperson, told Changing America.
Using scans of 389 women, the clothing retailer created a digital avatar to pose in the real women’s bodies, as well as provide models in sizes 20-28 on its new fit blocks.
“We took years to do this right: working with scientists, studying 389 different body types, doing hundreds of fittings on live models and 3D avatars, interviewing hundreds of women about body image and related fashion concerns, and launching pilot programs in 30 stores,” the spokesperson said. “We then focused on how to create the same inclusive experience online to make this fully integrated across every sales channel. Now on our site, you’ll find styles modeled on sizes 4, 12, and 18 so that customers can better understand what different products will look like on them.”
Old Navy men’s and children’s lines already have extended sizes for both categories and are size-integrated and have price parity, Stickney told Changing America.
To kick off its “BODEQUALITY” campaign to the public, Old Navy has a new 30 second TV spot featuring “Saturday Night Live” comedian and “Shrill” creator Aidy Bryant where the star is dancing in Old Navy clothing.
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