Boise Banana Republic Store Becomes Factory Outlet
Boise-area retail operators will see a lower-priced line at the same mall address, with returns from the old store not carried over.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Retail
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Gap, Inc. converted the Banana Republic store at Boise Towne Square into a Banana Republic Factory store in October 2026. The original Banana Republic closed permanently and reopened the next morning under the Factory brand, which carries a separate, lower-priced line of clothing.
Why it matters
The conversion shows a retailer using a made-for-outlet format inside a traditional mall location rather than opening a new site. For Boise-area operators, it highlights how a single store can shift price positioning without a full relocation.
The Boise Towne Square store operated as Banana Republic for 27 years, dating to its 1999 opening, before the Factory conversion. The source gives no sales, pricing, or unit-count comparisons for the change.
The players
Gap, Inc.
A multi-brand apparel retailer operating Banana Republic, Gap Factory, and other banners across a large national store footprint.
J. Crew Factory
The outlet-format arm of J. Crew, selling made-for-outlet apparel at lower price points.
The details
Gap, Inc. flipped the lower-level Banana Republic store to the Banana Republic Factory brand, which sells a separate line of lower-quality items at correspondingly lower prices. Factory clothing uses different fabrics and manufacturing processes than regular Banana Republic merchandise, and the Factory store is not an outlet for leftover full-price stock. Gap Factory already operates at the same mall and uses the same made-for-outlet model, as does competitor J. Crew Factory.
Timeline
1999: Banana Republic first opens at Boise Towne Square.
October 2026: The store closes permanently and reopens the next morning as Banana Republic Factory.
Market Landscape
Gap Factory and J. Crew Factory have already built made-for-outlet lines that sell separately from full-price stock. The Boise conversion applies that same format to a Banana Republic location inside the same mall.
Retail operators in Boise should note that a single mall location can shift to a lower price tier, changing what customers expect at the same address. Shoppers should also be aware that purchases made at the former Banana Republic store cannot be returned to the Factory location.
The takeaway
Operators considering a format change should check whether existing return policies will carry over to a new brand under the same roof. Retailers tracking outlet-format moves can watch whether Gap converts additional mall stores to Factory brands in the coming year.
Further reading
For broader context on how store-format changes like this fit into the sector, see the Retail section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by BoiseDev.
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