Old Navy has overhauled its plus-size strategy in an attempt to win more of the $32 billion US market. As per a Business of Fashion report, the brand closed down divisions that often made the category an afterthought. It has retained only one team for creating all women’s apparel and henceforth will offer all design in plus sizes also. Old Navy is Gap’s largest division and is still vibrant, with sales surging this year. The brand aims to reach its goal of $10 billion in sales by 2023 —from $7.5 billion in 2020.

According to Brian Ehrig, Partner-Global strategy and Management Consulting, Kearney the plus-size women’s market in the US is expected to grow between 4 to 8 per cent annually through 2023. Before the pandemic, it was gaining at a faster rate than the rest of the apparel market. While retailers like Target Corp. and Nordstrom have expanded their plus-size offerings, many chains have been hesitant to invest in the category. Higher costs are often cited as a hurdle, including the increased expense of making apparel with more fabric.

In 2014, Old Navy defended its practice of charging higher prices for plus-size women’s clothing after a shopper started a petition calling the retailer out for not doing the same for men’s clothing. At the time, Old Navy said it used certain stretch materials and design elements that weren’t found in men’s garments to justify the higher price point. Making matters worse is that the company only sold plus-size women’s apparel online. It returned to stores in

Now Old Navy customers will all pay the same price. Other changes include using a wider variety of models on its website, including size 18. In stores, there will be a broader range of mannequins. The retailer is also educating store associates on how plus-size shoppers have often felt ostracized.