Retail Giants Test Direct-to-Consumer Wellness Brands

Walk into any mall in the U.S., and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll see a Gap and Express store. It almost feels like without them, it’s not a real mall. So as mall traffic declines across the country, these retail giants are seeking out new revenue streams and consumer trends — such as wellness — to attract customers. Gap was partly ahead of the curve with its 1998 launch of women’s athleisure brand Athleta, which has both an online and brick-and-mortar presence. It's been a true bright spot for the otherwise troubled parent company. Gap debuted its men’s athleisure sibling brand, Hill City, in 2018. It went the online-only, direct-to-consumer route with its launch, however, proving that times have changed in retail. Express is now getting into the wellness game with its own direct-to-consumer brand, UpWest. Like Hill City, it’s bypassing brick-and-mortar and going straight online. Express knows how hard the mall-based business model is, so it makes