Banana Republic Review : Is Legit or Scam? 2024

Banana Republic advertises as a fashion brand that is “focused on delivering modern, versatile classics”. This will mean that Banana Republic is the go-to destination for your wardrobe essentials. However, the big question is whether all this is just talking the talk, or whether Banana Republic actually provides top quality fashion styles and accessories.

What about the services of the fashion brand? Does Banana Republic provide the services that we’ll expect of the go-to fashion destination (such as fast delivery, easy returns, effective customer support service, etc)? In the first place, is Banana Republic genuine? This review will examine Banana Republic in order to provide the information that will help you answer these questions and more.

Yes, Banana Republic is legit. It is not a scam fashion store because they will never take your money without you receiving your products. And you will get exactly what you ordered for without a problem.

This Banana Republic review will examine the store to provide you with enough information about Banana Republic.

Banana Republic review at a glance

• A San Francisco based fashion brand founded in 1978
• Provides clothing and fashion accessories for both men and women
• Owned and operated by Gap Inc since 1983
• Operates over 700 (company operated and franchised) retail outlets, as well as a host of websites
• Ships merchandise to worldwide locations using its websites as well as third parties
• Free shipping is offered when items ships directly via its websites (albeit with a minimum order requirement of £/€/$ 50)
• Return window offered is 30 days from purchase date
• Free returns are offered for items shipping directly via its websites
• Customer support is available via postal mail, email, telephone, and live chat

What is Banana Republic?– Overview

Banana Republic is a fashion store that was founded by Mel and Patricia Ziegler as far back as 1978. At the time, the brand was named “Banana Republic Travel & Safari Clothing Company”. The founders were travellers who were able to come in contact with different exotic clothing items on the road; so when their first store opened in California, it was tourist-oriented and safari-themed, and it held a lot of items with printed travellers’ stories.

The brand was acquired by Gap Inc in 1983, after which it underwent major surgery. First, there was a facelift that threw away the “Travel & Safari Company” in its name, thereby shortening the brand’s name to “Banana Republic”. With “Travel and Safari Company” gone, the whole safari theme and travel-speaking merchandise also had to go. The rebranding saw Banana Republic emerge with a more luxurious image with a more classy product offering.

Operating Model

Over the years, Gap Inc (parent company of Banana Republic) brought in another brand under its wing, which includes Gap (the clothing brand going by the parent’s name), Old Navy, Athleta, Hill City and Intermix. Though these companies operate independently, they bear many similarities.

From that first store in the Mill Valley area of Northern California, Banana Republic has grown to be a global apparel and accessories brand. The company currently has about 700 company-operated and franchise retail locations worldwide in every region of the world, from the Americas to Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

With its global store network, Banana Republic is primarily a brick and mortar fashion store. However, like any serious company in the modern age, the company has launched e-commerce sites, which allows customers to place orders for products without having to leave their [the customers] comfort zone. To make for better service, instead of having one e-commerce site that serves the global market, Banana Republic decentralizes its operation. That is, the company divides the global market into segments, and design different websites, with each website serving a particular market segment.

For example, there is www.bananarepublic.gap.com to serve the domestic US (and US territories) market, www.bananarepublic.ca to serve the Canadian market, www.bananarepublic.eu to serve some European countries and more.

With this operating model, Banana Republic is able to provide tailored service. For example, in each website, you’ll find that prices and other charges are displayed in the applicable currency, so customers will not have to go through currency conversions; also, information about accepted payment methods and other services will not be generic, but specific to the market.

Product

Product Range

The ideal store should offer a wide product range. Even if there is a focus on a particular niche, the store should offer a variety of products within the niche. Thus, you’ll want a fashion store to provide a variety of clothing products and accessories.

When shopping in any Banana Republic websites, the departments you can shop from are Men, Women, Petite and Shoes & Accessories. The varieties of products you can expect to find in each department include:

• Men

You’ll find men clothing for every hour (whether office hours or relaxation hours). Items include: Dress Shirts, Casual Shirts, Polos, Tees, Suiting, Sweaters, Jackets & Coats, Blazers, Trousers, Chinos, Jeans, and Shorts

• Women

Dresses, Blouses & Shirts, Button-Up Shirts, Tees, Sweaters, Jackets & Coats, Blazers, Suiting, Skirts, Trousers, Jeans, Shorts, Swim, Sleep wears and Intimates, and more

• Shoes & Accessories

Shoes (High Heels, Flats, Sneakers, and Boots), Jewelry (Earrings, Rings, Bracelets, Necklaces, etc), Handbags, Scarves, Hats, Belts, Socks & Tights

Banana Republic Websites also hold a petite section where you can shop all apparel in petite size. However, there is no plus size section. Thus, if you want clothing to grace your curves, you’ll have to look at another online store.

As can be seen, Banana Republic, as a brand, offers a vast range of products. You’ll find clothing products for every time and occasion for both men and women. However, the full range of Banana Republic products are not available in every of their website. For example, you’ll not find Sleep wears and Intimates in the European website (www.bananarepublic.eu) but it’s offered in the US website (www.bananarepublic.gap.com).

Inventory Size

The ideal online store should not only provide a variety of products, but should also provide a large stock of each product. There’s no question that you’ll rather have a large selection to choose from when making a purchase than having only a few items to choose from. With a large selection, you’re more likely to find items that you like or that fit your budget.

Banana republic does relatively okay in this regards. Across their websites, you’ll find hundreds of items in most of the product sections. For example, at the time of writing this review, the women department of www.bananarepublic.gap.com held 288 styles of dresses, 146 blouses, and 399 shoes.

Granted, the numbers of Banana Republic does not compare with the inventory leaders in the industry (that easily hold thousands of merchandise in various product sections). However, with Banana Republic providing hundreds of styles of particular products, the selection needs of many shoppers will be served by the store.

Quality

You’ll want a store that provides top quality merchandise so that you’ll not have to worry about the quality of any item you purchase from the store at any time. Though quality is largely subjective; customers can converge that top quality items will feature excellent material and excellent tailoring/ craftsmanship.

Banana Republic promises to provide a wardrobe of favourites, all made for a life of motion, “with the finest materials and fabrics innovations”. True to this, items from Banana Republic largely hit the mark. You’ll find that many reviews in independent online platforms rate Banana Republic as providing durable articles that are made well and from good materials.

Prices Promotions and Related Policies

Prices

The ideal online store should feature prices that are low and affordable. Even when some perceived quality is being offered, the merchandise should not come out as unreasonably priced.

In this regard, Banana Republic comes out in the middles of the pack. The does not come out as cheap but is not by any means overly expensive. Since Banana Republic assumed its more luxurious branding, it’s pricing has moved up a notch to suit the upscale status.

To exemplify this; at the time of writing this review, almost all the women dress listed in www.bananarepublic.gap.com had full prices in three figures; for dresses under $100, you’ll find that the price is knocked down by a coupon. Also, you’ll be hard pressed to find a blouse with a full price under $50. To put this in perspective, the stores generally regarded as cheap and affordable provide a lot of items well under $50.

However, Banana Republic cannot be regarded as high-priced because the very expensive stores have items in the high hundreds, and also in four figures. That said; Banana Republic comes out as a quasi-luxury store with merchandise that is a little overpriced.

Promotions

Everyone shopper wants to get the best deal possible; retailers respond by offering promotions, and in a bid to outdo the competition, retailers get innovative with their promotional offering. Since promotions are cost-saving opportunities, you’ll want the ideal store to have very attractive promotional offers.

Banana Republic comes out as a store with attractive promotional offerings. At the time of writing this review, the landing page of their various websites announced various huge cost saving offers that included: 20% off online purchases, up to 40% off must have styles, “two styles, one deal” offer which gives you one chino plus one polo for only $75, and more. You can also get 10% every purchase you made if you are a holder of (and use) the Banana Republic credit card.

The promotions are time-limited and only apply for specific pre-determined timeframes. So you’ll need to check the websites regularly to know promotion is running at any particular time. Alternatively, you may join the Email list of Banana Republic, and you’ll get exclusive access to special offers and new arrivals. Joining the email list is incentivized; so you’ll be rewarded with 25% off your first purchase after you join.

Loyalty Program

Banana Republic does not offer “buy now pay later” financing plans to help customers who need an item from the store but cannot currently cover the full costs of the item. However, there is a loyalty program in place to reward loyal customers.

However, the program is only for customers that have and use the Banana Republic Card. Apart from the 25%, you get off your first purchase when you use the card; you’ll earn points for every purchase you make using the card, and these points can later be redeemed for cash rewards. What is more, you are not restricted to using the cards only in Banana Republic. You can use the card for purchases in the sister companies of Banana Republic (other brands operated by Gap Inc) such as Gap, Old Navy, Athleta, and Hill City; you can also use the card in any other store that Visa is accepted. You’ll earn 5 points for every $1.00 spent in Banana Republic and its sister brands; while you’ll earn 1 point for every $1.00 spent in any other store accepting Visa cards. When you’ve accumulated enough points, you can redeem them at the rate of $5 for every 500 points. That means the reward is $5.00 for every $100 spent in the Gap brands and $5.00 for every $500 spent in a third party store.

Thus, with the Banana Republic Card, without even shopping in the store, you can earn cash rewards which you can then use to buy its products. However, to earn such rewards quicker, you’ll have to shop in the store or its sister brands.

However, the benefit of the Banana Republic Card is not limited to the loyalty program. As a cardholder, you’ll get 10% off every day you make a purchase in Banana Republic; you’ll also get surprised birthday gifts, and more.

Shipping

Online orders will be moved from the retailer’s fulfilment centre to the shipping address of the buyer. Thus, shipping is an important consideration in online purchases. The most important elements to consider are shipping destinations, shipping times, and shipping costs.

Shipping Destinations

To make any online purchase, the retailer has to ship to your location. Where you somehow succeed in placing an order with a retailer that does not ship to your location, it’ll be difficult to receive delivery of the package. Thus, one of the very first considerations when considering an online purchase is the shipping destination of the retailer. You’ll want a store that ships to many worldwide locations so that your location is more likely to be served.

Banana Republic does excellently well in this regards. Not only does the company ship to many worldwide locations, but it does so using location-specific websites.

That is, instead of having a central fulfilment centre from where merchandise is shipped worldwide; Banana republic decentralizes their operations and uses different websites (and fulfilment centres) to serve the several markets.

For example, www.bananarepublic.gap.com ships directly to only locations in the US and the US territories; www.bananarepublic.ca ships directly to only locations in Canada; and www.bananarepublic.eu ships directly to some European countries (which are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia., Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden).

However, Banana Republic also ships internationally using third parties such as Borderfree. Thus, where the site www.bananarepublic.gap.com ships directly to only the US, customers outside the US can still place orders in the site, but the transaction will be with Borderfree.

Shipping Times and Costs

Delivery times make or break fashion brands in the online retailing business. Customers do not like waiting for too long to receive delivery of their online orders. Thus, the ideal online fashion retailer should offer fast delivery. Also, shipping costs and purchase price both determine the total cost of acquiring an online order. Thus, when shipping costs are high, even an item that is reasonably priced can become too expensive to acquire. That said; the ideal online fashion retailer will also have shipping costs that are as low as possible.

Banana Republic does excellently both in terms of shipping times and shipping costs. Because operations in Banana Republic is decentralized, the store is closer to the customer. Thus, Banana Republic is able to provide better shipping services (relatively shorter times and lower costs) than many other online fashion retailers.

To exemplify this, let’s look at some of their shipping times and costs at the time of writing this review. When shipping to the US (from www.bananarepublic.gap.com), the different delivery options are: “free every day” which takes 5 – 7 business days, and cost $0.00; Standard delivery which takes 3 – 5 business days, and cost $7.00; Expedited delivery which takes 2 – 3 business days, and cost $17; and Next Day delivery which takes 1 business day, and cost $22.00. However, orders shipping to the US Territories will take 14 business days on the standard fee; and expedited shipping or Next Day delivery is not available for such orders.

When shipping to Canada (from www.bananarepublic.ca) the different delivery options are: “free every Day” which takes 7 – 12 business days, and cost $0.00; Standard delivery which takes 4 – 5 business days, and cost $8.00; Two Day Delivery which takes 2 business days, and cost $17; and Next Day delivery which takes 1 business day, and cost $22.

When shipping to the European locations served by www.bananarepublic.eu, only two delivery options are available. There is the Standard delivery which takes 4 – 7 business days and cost €4.00, and there’s the Express Delivery which takes 2 – 3 business days and cost €9.00.

When shipping internationally via third parties like border-free, you’ll find applicable shipping charges at checkout; the shipping charges will vary depending on factors such as where the order is travelling to, and where (the banana Republic site) you are ordering from.

You’ll find that Banana Republic is able to offer expedited shipping (such as Next day delivery and Two days delivery) in various markets. While this might not sound much; know that many fashion stores in the industry only offer these expedited shipping options in their domestic markets, while all international locations are served by the standard delivery option.

Also, you’ll find that Banana Republic has fulfilment centres in many of their different markets; thus, when you order from the appropriate website, you’ll find that your order ships from a centre closer to you to afford you relatively shorter shipping times and relatively smaller shipping costs. Most fashion stores in the industry serve the world from their one fulfilment centre usually in their domestic market; and the farther from that place your order ships, the longer shipping times and higher shipping costs it sees.

That said; it’s also good that Banana Republic offers free shipping. What is more; free shipping is available in every location that Banana Republic ships to directly. Thus, many international customers shopping from Banana Republic can have their items shipped free of charge. Also, this beats stores that offer free shipping in only their domestic market and charge every international customer for shipping.

Also, though there is a minimum order requirement, it is one of the lowest in the whole industry. Banana Republic (just as its sister companies) only require you to spend 50 monetary units (£/€/$ 50) to have the order shipped for free. In most fashion stores that also offer free shipping, you may be required to spend up to three figures to get free shipping.

Returns

You’ll want to love what you order; but sadly, that is not always the case. For reasons ranging from the retailer’s fault to buyer’s remorse, you just might not be satisfied with the item that is delivered to you. Instead of having to keep unwanted, you’ll want a fashion store that allows you to return it [the unwanted item], and get a replacement or a refund.

In this regards, Banana Republic says they want you to love what you ordered; and as a result, if you are anything but “loving the item”, you can return the item. However, return policies are not always as free and fair as they seem; thus, what follows is a review of the return policy of Banana Republic.

Items that can be returned

Generally, retailers do not accept returns of every item, and for good reason. However, some tend to have tight policies that restrict as many returns as possible; while others are a bit lax to make relatively more item eligible for returns. Banana Republic comes out as among the latter.

For example, for hygiene reasons (and understandably so), most retailers do not allow returns of intimates, swimwear, and pierced jewelry. However, Banana Republic allows the return of these items if the hygiene seals are still intact.

Every other thing follows the norm. All defective/ damaged items can be returned; also you can return items for buyer remorse. However, items to be returned must be unworn, unwashed, and unaltered, and must have all tags and labels in place.

Return Process

Having reasons to return an item is frustrating enough; you won’t want the added frustration of a cumbersome return process. Thus, the ideal store should offer a hassle-free return process.

Banana Republic does relatively well in this regards. There are two ways to return an item purchased from the store-in-store (by taking the order to a Banana Republic store), or online (by mailing the item to the store warehouse). All items bought from a Banana Republic store must be returned in-store, while online purchases can be returned by mail or in-store. However, not all online purchases can be returned in-store. Items available for in-store return will be clearly marked in the product information page. Because the in-store return is very convenient; it’s a good thing that Banana Republic offers it for online purchases. This is especially so since many stores require an online return for all online purchases.

The online return of Banana Republic orders is also relatively easy. First, you’ll generate and print a return label from the Banana Republic site. You’ll also have to state the reason for each return. You can then package the unwanted item appropriately, attach the return label, and then mail it to the return shipping address.

While the return process of Banana Republic is relatively easy, it is not the easiest because of having to visit the website to generate a return label or having to explain yourself (the reason for return). There are stores that offer “no questions asked” returns, where you don’t have to state the reason for return; while many others offer very friendly returns by including a return label in your package.

Return Window

Unwanted items returned to a retailer are only accepted if the items are received within a pre-determined timeframe usually from the delivery date. That said; you’ll want an extended period so that there’ll be no risk of your returned item being rejected for getting to the store late.

Banana Republic accepts returns if the returned item gets to the store within 30 days of purchase. This means that the return window starts closing even before you receive delivery of the purchase. Thus, the return window is relatively smaller in Banana Republic because the standard return window (which many of the other fashion stores offer) is 30 days from the delivery date.

Cost of Returns

If you have an unwanted item in your hands, you’ll not want the prohibitive cost of return to prevent you from returning it. Thus, the ideal online store should have a cost of returns that are as low as possible

Banana Republic does very well in this regard. If you make a purchase from a Banana Republic website serving your location, any unwanted item in the order can be returned free of charge. The return label you’ll use for the returns is not only prepaid, but also free (meaning that nothing will be deducted from your refund as cost of return shipping).

Return Processing and Refunds

How and when you’ll be refunded after returning an unwanted item to a retailer are an important consideration. In terms of “how”, Banana Republic allows you to choose whether you’ll want cash refunds via the original method or whether you should be issued store credits. It’s good that customers are given this choice, unlike stores that exclusively issue store credits for returns. With cash refunds, you can choose to go to another fashion store for your future purchases.

In terms of “when”, Banana Republic has a relatively fast returns processing time. Refunds are issued within 2 weeks of receiving the unwanted item in their fulfilment centre. Factoring in the time it’ll take your financial institution for its own processing; you’ll have the funds in your account in less than a month.

Customer Support Service

An effective customer support service is a critical part of an ideal online platform. Some customers will have questions while others will have issues with their orders; thus, the ideal online retailer should effectively answer customers’ questions and resolve customers’ issues. Banana Republic comes out strong in this regard.

Their “customer service” page holds articles grouped under various subjects such as Purchasing and ordering; order status, shipping and handling; changes, returns & exchanges, and more. The self-help articles will answer many of the questions customers will have about Banana Republic, and its product and service offering.

For direct contact with a support agent, Banana republic supports various options which include postal mail, email, telephone, and live chat. Decentralized operations also mean that Banana Republic is able to offer tailored customer support service. Each market has a support department that can be reached through the supported channels. You’ll find the particular contact addresses or numbers in the Banana Republic website that serves your market.

For example, for the US market, letters should be sent to Banana Republic Customer Service, 6007 Green Pointe Drive, Groveport, OH 43125; the email address to send your submissions is: custserv@bananarepublic.com; the telephone numbers to call are: 888-277-8953 (from within the US) and 888-906-1345 (from outside the US); while the live chat is accessible from the www.bananarepublic.gap.com website.

Also, for the European market, letters should be sent to Gap EHQ, Freepost WD 3719, Castle Mound Way, Rugby Warwickshire, CV23 0BR, United Kingdom; the email address to send your submission is: custserv@bananarepublic.eu; using the telephone service, there are various toll free numbers to call depending on the European country you are calling from; while the live chat is accessible from the www.bananarepublic.eu website.

Is Banana Republic legit?

Banana Republic is a legitimate fashion store. Using a legit online store is a no-brainer. With the number of online fraudsters only increasing, using legit stores is the only way to not getting ripped off. However, with the websites of the scam stores styled as the legit stores, identifying the legit online stores from the scams may not be as easy as it should. We’ll start by saying it; Banana Republic is a legit fashion brand.

Our first check of legitimacy is usually legality. This is because, most often than not, the legit stores are 100% legal. Banana Republic ticks the legality box. First, the company is a fully registered American Company; secondly, it is owned by the equally registered corporation Gap Inc.  In the very least, this makes Banana Republic 100% legal. Suffice it to say that scam stores do not seek company registrations.

Another check of legitimacy is visibility. This is because, most often than not, the scam stores only operate virtually with no physical trace. Banana Republic ticks the visibility box. First, the company has a very public ownership and management status. Who owns the company and the key people that run the company is public information. Secondly, there are about 700 stores (including franchises) across the world. Franchises for scam stores are unheard of.

Another check of legitimacy is the fulfilment of orders. This is because only legit stores will process the order and deliver the item; while the scams are designed to just collect the payment and go off. Banana Republic also ticks the box in this regards. Its hundreds of stores hold millions of individual articles; that and a robust distribution mechanism means that the Company has the capacity to fulfil orders. Also, Banana Republic has been operating for about 41 years (36 under its current ownership) and started an online business since the turn of the century. Suffice it to say that only a company that fulfil orders can continue operation from that time to date.

That said; with Banana Republic being a 100% legal company, having a robust store network, and having a decades-long record of fulfilling orders, there’s really no doubt that the brand is legit.

Is Banana Republic Safe?

Banana Republic is safe. Safety in this regard is the ability of a platform to protect the sensitive information that you share with it. When an online store allows sensitive information like personal data or credit card details to leak out to third parties, you’ll be left exposed to all the cyber criminals out there, and getting ripped off may be the least of your worries. Thus, the ideal store should be both legit and safe.

Banana Republic comes out as a safe store. In its privacy policy, the Company says that the sensitive information you enter in any of their websites is protected with encryption technology as it is transmitted. This will mean that even if the data is intercepted by third parties, it cannot be read by the hackers.

Summary

Banana Republic is not just a legitimate store but also one of the top and robust fashion brands owned and operated by Gap Inc. You’ll find a variety of apparel and fashion accessories for both men and women. The only time you’ll be disappointed when shopping in Banana Republic is when you are in the market for plus sizes. For other sizes, you’ll find that Banana Republic has exquisite styles that are well made and made with quality materials.

Prices in the store are a bit on the high side, but you’ll find a lot of promotions and coupons to significantly knock down price. When you buy from Banana Republic, you’ll also find that the store offers tailored services. With decentralized operations, Banana Republic has fulfilment centres in various markets. As a result, the store is able to provide relatively fast delivery, free shipping and free returns to many locations, as well as effective customer support service.

Pros:

• Provides a variety of products for both men and women
• Worldwide operation is separated into different markets to be better served using different websites
• Ships to many worldwide locations using different websites and third parties
• A lot of promotions are offered
• Offers relatively fast shipping times
• Free shipping is offered when shipping domestically as well as to many international locations
• Minimum order requirement to get free shipping is low (£/€/$ 50)
• Online purchases can be returned to a store
• There is a loyalty program that rewards customers (card holders) with $5.00 for every $100 spent in Banana Republic and its sister brands, and $5.00 for every $500 spent in a third party store.

Cons:

• You’ll not find some product group is some of the Banana Republic websites
• Plus sizes are not provided