Banana Republic and J.Crew both struggled financially during the pandemic.
J.Crew filed for bankruptcy in 2020, and Banana Republic has been closing some store locations.
The two brands are now trying to bounce back, so we visited both stores to see which one is better.
The upscale clothing retailers Banana Republic and J.Crew have both experienced highs and lows over the past few years while struggling to stay relevant with younger consumers.
Ann Matica/Insider
J.Crew went from being one of the most popular clothing brands in the early 2000s to filing for bankruptcy in 2020 as one of the first major retailers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since then, the brand has attempted to revamp its image by appealing to its millennial and Gen Z customer bases. In 2021, the company appointed Brendon Babenzien, the former creative director of Supreme, to take the lead on menswear at J.Crew.
Along with J.Crew, Banana Republic has also run into its own set of financial problems. In 2020, Gap Inc., which owns Banana Republic and Gap, announced it would be closing 350 of the two brands' stores by the end of 2023.
However, things could be looking up for the brand after it reported $539 million in net sales in Q2 of 2022, which is a 9% increase in sales from last year.
To see how the two stores measure up against each other, I visited the J.Crew and Banana Republic locations in Manhattan's Financial District.
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First, I stopped by J.Crew. A sign by the entrance announced a friends and family event that offers 40% off in-store purchases for J.Crew Passport members and 30% off for non-members.
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The J.Crew store was separated into three different sections: the men's shop, the women's shop, and the kid's shop called "crewcuts."
Ann Matica/Insider
In the men's clothing section, there was a wide range of pants, shirts, and sweaters to choose from. The variety of styles offered formal options as well as more casual pieces.
Ann Matica/Insider
Collared shirts were priced between $79.50 and $188, while T-shirts ranged between $32.50 and $118.
Ann Matica/Insider
There was a collection of fall and winter jackets for sale, like these Wallace & Barnes canvas work jackets that were $198.
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Mannequins throughout the store were already dressed in festive holiday outfits featuring cozy knit sweaters and wool coats.
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A shelf with hats, gloves, socks, and scarves was set up next to a rack of puffer vests and thick crewnecks.
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Other accessories, such as a large selection of belts ranging in price from $49.50 to $98 were also available.
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After scoping out the men's section, I wandered over to the women's clothing area and was taken off guard by the stark contrast of the garment colors compared to the men's apparel.
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The women's section was also prepped for the holidays, with wool winter coats and cashmere sweaters hanging from the clothing racks.
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The mannequins in the women's section were dressed formally in bold plaid patterns and tailored blazers.
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Unlike the men's section, there was an area on the women's clothing side of the store for shoppers to sit down and try on shoes.
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On the low-price end, there were slippers for $49.50, while the most expensive shoes were a pair of hiking boots for $449.
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A whole section of the store was strictly for pajamas. The articles of clothing could be bought individually or as a matching set.
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Both the men's and women's sections had fitting rooms tucked away in the back for customers to use.
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At the very back of the store was the "crewcuts" section for children.
Ann Matica/Insider
A store employee informed me that nearly all of the children's clothing was currently 50% off.
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J.Crew had a limited selection of jewelry on display. Some of the earrings available were around $20, while others that were made out of recycled 14-karat gold were a couple hundred.
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There were registers open in the women's and men's sections, which helped prevent long lines from forming inside the store.
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Once I was done at J.Crew, I made my way over to Banana Republic to see what it had to offer.
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The whole bottom half of the store was exclusively men's clothing.
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Large windows and tall modern shelving gave the interior an elevated appearance.
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Jeans were approximately $100 to $130 a pair and came in varying styles and shades.
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There were collared dress shirts folded on shelves around the store. The shirts, priced between $60 and $120, were slightly cheaper than the ones available at J.Crew.
Ann Matica/Insider
Banana Republic also had ties and matching pocket squares available for customers shopping for a sophisticated look.
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For a more casual option, there were cashmere sweaters for $90 and beanies for $75 on display.
Ann Matica/Insider
The winter coats were more expensive than the ones I had seen at J.Crew, like this one, which had a price tag of $500 on it.
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The downstairs had a men's fitting room available, which looked more welcoming than the tiny ones at J.Crew.
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There were registers available in both the men's and women's sections of the store, like at J.Crew.
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I walked up to the second floor to see what the women's clothing area looked like.
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The mannequins on the upper level were rocking flashy pantsuits and large puffer jackets.
Ann Matica/Insider
Banana Republic's women's clothing was in muted colors and subdued patterns, which looked like the opposite of many of the loud styles available at J.Crew.
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There was a marginally bigger jewelry collection at Banana Republic, although the starting prices were slightly more expensive than at J.Crew. The earrings at Banana Republic were priced anywhere from $30 to $200.
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The clothing at Banana Republic appeared high-quality, often made with materials like cashmere and silk.
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Compared to the men's clothing, the women's designs seemed to come in a couple more color options, like white and beige.
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A sales rack for women's clothes was set up and featured many summer styles at highly reduced pricing. While there were sales racks at J.Crew, they seemed to have fewer options to choose from.
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While Banana Republic's shoe selection was nowhere close to what J.Crew had to offer, I did see some home products for sale, like $45 candles and $129 pillows.
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Across from the small home section was the second check-out area, which resembled a hotel lobby.
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While both stores had similar pricing and store layouts, I preferred my shopping experience at J.Crew over Banana Republic. J.Crew offered more variety when it came to clothing styles for different occasions, had a large shoe section, and ultimately had better in-store deals available for adult and children's clothing.
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