Gap leaves a temporary gap online

Though it’s not providing any more information until it reopens its web stores next week, Gap Inc. is revamping all three of its e-commerce sites, which include Gap.com, Old Navy.com and BananaRepublic.com.

Gap brought down all three sites at the same time on Aug. 24 to make improvements before the holiday shopping season begins, says a Gap spokesman. The spokesman says that when the retooled e-commerce sites are back online they will feature better technology and other enhancements that will improve the shopping experience.

Gap, No. 22 in the Internet Retailer Top 400 Guide to Retail Web Sites, is a major web retailer with estimated annual e-commerce sales of more than $400 million.

While it’s difficult for any major retailing site to go offline for an extended period of time and forgo sales and potentially anger customers, Gap says late August was the best time to implement site upgrades before the holiday shopping season. “There is never an ideal time,” the spokesman says.