• I'm a registered dietitian who relies on Trader Joe's for easy and nutritious meal options.
• Some of my favorite breakfast items include the store's Greek yogurt, bread, and frozen fruit.
• Trader Joe's frozen rice medley and steamed lentils help me make quick and easy meals.

As a registered dietitian, my happy place is wandering the aisles of a grocery store — especially Trader Joe's.

It's been one of my favorite stores since I was a child, and it's still one of the first places I go when I want to pick up items that make nutritious eating feel more realistic.

Here are some of the many items I always add to my cart.

Trader Joe's roasted-garlic hummus is satisfying on its own or when paired with veggies.

Hummus is one of my favorite foods for rounding out snacks and meals.

Since it's made primarily from chickpeas, it adds fiber, plant-based protein, and iron in a form that's easy to eat.

I use the roasted-garlic version as a dip, sandwich spread, salad dressing, or addition to a snack plate, and I especially love pairing it with Trader Joe's mini cucumbers for the perfect no-prep snack.

Plain, nonfat Greek yogurt is one of the most versatile items in my fridge.

The combination of protein and live probiotic cultures makes Trader Joe's Greek yogurt one of my most-used staples.

I use it as a breakfast base with fruit and chia seeds, as a smoothie thickener, or in savory meals as a sour-cream substitute.

I usually buy the plain version with no added sugar, so I can add my own fruit or chia jam, and control the sweetness myself.

Strawberry kefir is easy to drink on my way out the door.

As a fermented dairy product, kefir contains a wider variety of probiotic strains than yogurt and can help support healthy digestion.

The strawberry version from Trader Joe's is drinkable and lightly sweet, without the pronounced tartness plain kefir can have.

On mornings when I don't have time to put breakfast together, I'll pour a glass alongside a piece of seeded toast or fruit for a quick, gut-health-boosting breakfast.

One thing to note: Trader Joe's flavored kefirs contain added sugars, so if you're looking to avoid that, I suggest going for the plain version.

Trader Joe's frozen rice medley is a major time-saver.

I love having Trader Joe's rice medley in my freezer because it provides a more interesting base for dinner.

The mix of whole grains adds more fiber than white rice alone and pairs well with curries, stir-fries, and roasted vegetables. I just microwave it in the pouch for three minutes.

Garbanzo beans provide protein, fiber, and so many options.

Each half-cup serving of Trader Joe's garbanzo beans contains both fiber and plant-based protein, making this a must-have item in my pantry.

There are so many ways to prepare these beans. I air fry them for a crunchy snack, toss them into salads and grain bowls, stir them into soups, add them to dense bean salads, or blend them into sauces.

Since they're shelf-stable, I always have a can (or three) on hand to make a filling meal with minimal prep.

The sesame-crunch salad kit is a low-effort meal that's ready in under 5 minutes.

I love salad kits that taste good because they make me far more likely to prepare lunch instead of defaulting to takeout.

Trader Joe's sesame-crunch chopped salad kit has pre-shredded vegetables, a flavorful sesame dressing, and crunchy toppings that make it feel like a real meal instead of a side salad.

To make it more substantial, I like to add grilled chicken and edamame.

Trader Joe's steamed lentils make it easy to add fiber and protein to my diet.

Lentils are one of my favorite foods for adding plant-based protein and fiber to a meal. I especially like Trader Joe's precooked version because it saves me a lot of time.

I use them in a shortcut for lentil soup, as the base of bowls, and even in tacos when I want a plant-forward meal. They're also a good source of iron, which is another reason they're a staple in my fridge.

Frozen turkey burgers are a lean protein source that can be served with or without a bun.

Trader Joe's turkey burgers are one of the freezer staples I rely on most when I need dinner ready quickly.

Turkey is a complete protein and provides a good source of B vitamins like B6 and B12, which support energy production, mood, and cognitive function.

These burgers cook quickly in the air fryer or on the stove, and I use them in burger bowls, on salads, or with a whole-grain bun and sweet-potato fries for a quick weeknight meal.

The frozen fire-roasted bell peppers and onions make taco night easy.

Bell peppers are a great source of vitamin C, and the fire-roasting process gives them a depth of flavor you wouldn't expect from a frozen vegetable.

I add these to tacos, fajitas, and grain bowls when I want a vegetable that's already chopped, cooked, and ready to eat. This product saves me time, adds color and flavor, and makes it easier to eat my servings of vegetables.

Edamame is a great source of fiber.

Edamame is one of the few plant-based foods that contains all nine essential amino acids — AKA the ones the body can't make on its own and, therefore, has to get from food.

The legume is also an excellent source of fiber, which supports digestion, helps stabilize blood sugar, and sustains fullness.

I keep a bag in the freezer at all times, and like to steam a bowl for a mid-afternoon snack.

Frozen fruit is just as nutritious as fresh, and this berry blend never goes to waste.

Frozen fruit is one of the easiest ways to keep a healthy option on hand without worrying about it going bad.

Plus, since frozen fruit is picked and processed at peak ripeness, its vitamin and antioxidant content is comparable to that of fresh versions.

I especially like picking up Trader Joe's Very Cherry Berry blend, which provides a nice variety of cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. It's perfect for smoothies or as an oatmeal topping.

I always grab a loaf of Trader Joe's organic seeded bread.

Trader Joe's organic seeded bread makes toast or a sandwich feel more substantial. The seeds are a great source of healthy fats, magnesium, and fiber.

I especially like using this bread for turkey and avocado sandwiches at lunch, and I'll have it with peanut butter and banana before a workout.

Keep reading our Trader Joe's diaries here.

• Gap launched a collaboration clothing line with Victoria Beckham on Friday.
• The line includes basic T-shirts, a trench coat, denim jeans, a bomber jacket, and more.
• The pieces are chic and high-quality, but there were some sizing issues.

I arrived early at my local Gap expecting a crowd for the Victoria Beckham collaboration. Instead, I found mall walkers — and later, clothes that were as cute as they were hard to wear.

It wasn't until nearly 10 a.m. at my New Jersey mall that five shoppers (myself included) formed a makeshift line and gazed through the store's windows for an early look.

"They don't have everything in stock," I heard a few say.

Still, these fashion fans were ready. T-shirts, trench coats, and denim jeans were quickly pulled off racks once we got inside.

After snagging a few to try on myself, I was left feeling equally impressed and disappointed. Everything was cute, but nothing fit on me.

Victoria Beckham makes her mark on Gap

The former Spice Girl might be known for her high-fashion style and namesake designer brand, but she still embraces casual apparel brands.

Speaking with Vogue, she said Gap felt "distinctly American, fresh, and unlike anything else available at the time" after discovering it in the early 90s.

So a collaboration with Gap — a brand that's recently partnered with trendy designers like Dôen and Sandy Liang — made sense.

Beckham's line features jackets, branded sweatshirts, cargo pants, dresses, and more, with prices ranging from $34 to $328 per item.

The store I visited had about a third of the collection in stock. Among the missing items were the capris, pleated shorts, a denim shirt, and a tan minidress.

High quality, chic designs, and frustrating sizing

There wasn't time to be choosy. Customers were calm, but grabbed multiple sizes of the same garments so they could try different fits.

I wear a medium in most things, but that size seemed to disappear the fastest. I was mostly left to choose between extra small and extra large clothes by the time I got through the crowd.

The $38 branded T-shirts, available in gray and white, were among the most popular items at the store I visited. Initially, there was only an extra large left, which had too much fabric at the sleeves and back for me.

An employee later handed me a medium that another shopper had put back. Unfortunately, that one was too tight for my liking.

I've been on the hunt for the perfect white T-shirt, so this was disappointing. I loved the boxy cut and its thick fabric. I probably would have bought one if the store had my size.

I had similar issues with the $158 bomber jacket and $98 maxi dress. I loved the fresh styles of both pieces, but I couldn't make either work in the available sizes.

I also tried three pairs of pants: $128 cargo pants, $118 denim jeans, and $118 white jeans.

Though they all fit my waist nicely, they were far too long for my 5'2 frame. I was upset, but not surprised. I usually have to buy short-cut jeans online. Still, shorter options aren't available with this line.

Then I heard other shoppers struggling with sizing in the dressing room next to mine. "This is hideous," one woman said about a dress. "I'm 5'10 and I'm drowning in it."

Others seemed torn on which size coats and T-shirts they should choose.

Again, this was unfortunate. I would have loved to buy the blue jeans I tried on. They were the ideal wash and cut I'm looking for, and they felt expensive — not overly stretchy or tight.

Now, I don't know how to feel about the Victoria Beckham x Gap collection.

On one hand, I'm impressed. Every piece I tried felt heavy and high quality. They truly looked and felt like elevated Gap pieces, embellished with Beckham's stylish flair.

I just can't look past the sizing. I couldn't justify a $34 T-shirt that didn't fit perfectly, and I wouldn't want to spend extra money to get any of the pants tailored.

So while I applaud her designs, I'm not sure I'm the target body type for this line. Beckham seems to have designed her Gap collection with taller people in mind.

As I prepared to leave the store empty-handed, I saw excited customers checking out at the registers with arms full of Victoria Beckham pieces. Many seemed particularly excited about buying the $168 parka, which is sold out online.

Business Insider reached out to Gap on the line's sizing, but didn't hear back.

• I buy some great products at Dollar Tree, but there are things I don't like to get at the chain.
• The trash bags and plastic storage bags at the chain have not impressed me much.
• I'd rather spend a little more to get higher-quality tools, kitchen gadgets, and candles.

As a mom of two teenagers, I try to stress to my kids that it's never a bad idea to save money where you can.

One way I've done so is by shopping at the discount chain Dollar Tree for the past two decades. It's been my favorite place to grab household essentials at low prices.

I've been happy with spices, batteries, face masks, and other basics I've purchased there for $1.25 or $1.50 — way less than I've paid at other big-box stores.

However, there are a few Dollar Tree items I've found to be not worth my time or money. As a frequent shopper, here are a few things I don't buy from the discount chain.

I'd rather get my candles elsewhere.

I enjoy burning scented candles in my home, but I've found that the ones sold at Dollar Tree are just OK.

In my experience, Dollar Tree's candles smell great in the store but don't seem to emit much fragrance when lit at home. They can also burn very quickly.

I'd rather spend a few more dollars to get a better-quality candle from somewhere else, like Target or Aldi.

Although I skip the chain's plastic toys, Dollar Tree has some great activity options for kids.

My kids may be teenagers now, but I remember all too well when they were small, and they'd ask to get a toy on our Dollar Tree shopping trips.

My answer was no if they were looking at the toy section filled with flimsy plastic items that didn't seem designed to last more than a few weeks.

Instead, I'd direct my kids to pick out something else from the discount chain, like craft supplies, sidewalk chalk, modeling clay, or coloring books.

Dollar Tree has a great selection of these items, which encourage kids to use their creativity and are less likely to end up in the donation bin after a week.

In my experience, tools are worth investing in.

Over the years, I've purchased screwdrivers, pliers, and other tools at Dollar Tree that broke after a few uses or in the middle of a DIY project.

Although the prices here are tempting upfront, I'd rather invest in more expensive, built-to-last tools I can use for years to come.

Still, some of the chain's hardware section is worth checking out. I've been happy with the nails, screws, and stick-on wall hooks I've bought at Dollar Tree.

The garbage bags have not impressed me.

With a house full of teenagers and pets, I need durable garbage bags that'll make it from our kitchen to our outdoor trash area without making a mess.

Sadly, the trash bags I've purchased at Dollar Tree have not held up as well as pricier ones from more recognizable brands. I'd rather spend a few more dollars on trash bags so I can worry less about potential rips and holes.

The disposable plastic storage bags aren't for me, either.

Whether we're packing snacks for a trip or storing dinner leftovers, our family needs our plastic bags to be sturdy and really reliable. So, I skip the ones at Dollar Tree.

Despite the tempting price, I find they can rip quite easily, and, if they have seals, they don't hold very well.

I'll skip most of the kitchen gadgets and utensils.

I've stopped buying knives, flatware, and kitchen tools at Dollar Tree. Many of the ones I've tried have been more flimsy than I'd prefer, and some have bent or broken during use.

That said, these budget-friendly options can be great if you're looking for somewhat disposable kitchen items that can be tossed after a few uses — maybe basics for an outdoor cooking area or to keep by the grill.

The food-storage containers haven't lived up to my expectations.

I'm a big fan of buying food storage containers that are inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to replace if they get lost. After all, I have two teens and a husband who use these to take meals out into the world almost daily.

Unfortunately, the ones I've tried from Dollar Tree haven't met my expectations. In my opinion, they crack pretty easily and just don't feel as high-quality as low-cost options I've bought at stores like Target or Walmart.

I'd rather purchase my paper goods elsewhere.

Paper goods are essential in any household, from sturdy paper towels to clean up kitchen messes to soft tissues for cold and flu season.

Dollar Tree has many options, but offerings I've tried from the chain have let me down so far, from too-thin toilet paper to tissues that feel scratchy on the nose.

I prefer to purchase my paper goods elsewhere and stick with my family's tried-and-true labels. By buying in bulk or looking for sales, I can often find paper towels and other basics at comparable prices anyway.

• Target used to have one of retail's top mobile apps, but competitors are catching up.
• Over the past year, the company has quietly rolled out several AI-powered shopper-friendly features.
• I tried them out and found three ways the refreshed app makes shopping easier.

Target's mobile app has long been one of the company's not-so-secret weapons.

The retailer was an early mover among its brick-and-mortar peers to seriously invest in its digital business. The app drove Target's early success in curbside pickup and continues to serve as a hub for its membership programs.

I started shopping at Target much more often when my first daughter was born during the pandemic, and I often wished more retailers had apps as useful as the one with the Bullseye logo. The store map was a particular timesaver for me during a very busy time in my family's life.

In recent years, the competition has stepped up to narrow Target's lead, or in some cases, surpass it.

From scan-and-go self-checkout in the Walmart and Sam's Club apps, to Lowe's and Home Depot helping shoppers find and learn more about products in their stores, mobile apps have evolved into much more than a pocket-sized version of the company's website.

Not every store's app needs the same features, but it was starting to look like Target was losing its advantage.

Roughly one-fifth of Target's merchandise sales last year were made via web or app, or more than $21 billion. Beyond the e-commerce factor, good apps matter because shoppers are still very much going into stores, only now they're more likely to have a phone in hand while they fill their carts.

"About a third of our guests are using their app in the store," Target's chief revenue and digital officer, Sarah Travis, said at a meeting with investors and media at the company's Minneapolis headquarters earlier this month, which I attended.

Travis showed how Target has responded to this shift with several new, user-friendly features intended to make shopping easier. I was surprised to see these upgrades had been rolled out so quietly.

Unlike Target's flashy partnerships with Google or OpenAI, these new features involve more subtle integrations of artificial intelligence to supercharge common tasks.

"Target's unique opportunity is to think holistically about guest experience," Travis said, referring to this blended digital and physical approach to shopping. "The experience that you get today is vastly different than the experience that you would have gotten six months ago."

Once I got home, I decided to try them for myself. The features aren't all exclusive to Target, but three struck me as much-needed additions to the app experience — especially if Target wants to get shoppers to come back.

A handwritten list scanner

Like physical stores, the paper (or whiteboard) grocery list is still very much a reality for many US households.

I can't speak for everyone, but my family rarely makes grocery lists with detailed branding or package info — we list items in general terms like "milk" rather than "Fairlife 2% Organic Lactose Free Milk — 52 fl oz."

Now, in the My Target tab in the app, there's an option to "scan a paper list," which uses the phone's camera to capture handwritten text.

Once the app processes the image, it pulls up to 20 relevant product listings per list item to either add to an in-app basket or shopping list, turning your handwritten notes into an order that you or someone else can fulfill with precision.

It worked pretty well when I tried it, except when the app assumed I was looking for a women's or children's shirt and didn't show any men's options. My paper list just said "T-shirt," so I could have been more specific.

The buy it again tab

Another more prominent tool enhances a preexisting app feature and gives it prominent placement as a tab on the main screen.

Target's app has long made it easy to find past orders and add selected items to your cart. That's still an option, but now the app highlights frequently purchased items, items with active discounts, and stuff you bought a while ago that might be running low.

The tailored experience means that no two shoppers have the same experience, Travis said, adding that the feature "has essentially become a speed run for weekly essentials."

In a few taps, you can be restocked and ready to go.

A more helpful map

In my experience, one of the Target app's most useful features — by far — is its mapping tool that shows where to find a product in a sprawling store. This is especially helpful when traveling or when I have to go to a location across town.

When Home Depot rolled out its own version, called Store Mode, I found myself wishing Target had something to match. Now it does, thanks to the same geolocation startup, which says it also provides the service for Dick's Sporting Goods.

With the recent upgrade (and location sharing turned on), the app now prompts in-store customers to enter "Store mode," which enables a batch of map-based features, including where to find current deals and promotions.

In the "List" tab, rather than having to hunt for items one-by-one, everything on your in-app list (that you scanned earlier) shows up as a pin on the store map, helping plan a path to get what you came in for without bouncing all over the place.

It's a win for Target as well. "When guests use store mode, their baskets grow by more than 7%," Travis said.

These upgrades show that Target's app is still in the game with one of the most useful shopping apps around, and I can see it saving time and money on my next Target run.

• Michael Buckley revitalized True Religion, doubling the brand's sales to $500 billion over three years.
• The Y2K denim brand shifted its focus to younger, diverse shoppers and became more accessible.
• Partnerships with artists like Megan Thee Stallion also highlighted the brand's roots in hip-hop culture.

True Religion had to recognize some hard truths in order to turn its brand around.

When Michael Buckley returned to True Religion as CEO in 2019, he inherited a company that was struggling to emerge from bankruptcy. Since then, he's helped turn things around — doubling sales to $500 million from 2022 to 2025 — and now aims to reach $1 billion in revenue within five years.

He said the company didn't reach an annual revenue growth rate of 20% last year by sticking to the strategies from its heyday in the early 2000s, when it was selling $300 jeans at stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. It needed some serious reevaluation to get True Religion back on the path to a comeback, with its iconic horseshoe logo on the back pockets of stars like Kylie Jenner.

While the brand is still dwarfed by denim giants like Gap and American Eagle, True Religion has been building its comeback among a new generation of shoppers drawn to its Y2K heritage.

It started with getting to know its customers. The old True Religion shopper was niche, Buckley said. They shopped at Saks, Bloomingdale's, and Nordstrom, and they came from households earning over $250,000.

"That's not the consumer anymore," Buckley told Business Insider.

The new True Religion customer

Buckley used consumer surveys to learn the ages, genders, and ethnicities of True Religion's customers in the post-Y2K era. Today, he said the brand's average shoppers are 15 to 45-year-olds from households earning about $65,000 a year.

True Religion needed to make the brand more accessible and inclusive to a wider audience without lowering prices, Buckley said. However, he said, the team understood that promotions are a key component.

"We know that the customer always expects to buy us on sale," Buckley said.

It also struck new deals with stores like Dillard's, Macy's, and Urban Outfitters, where Buckley said True Religion's customers like to shop both the sales rack and full-price items. In those stores, Buckley said the silhouettes of the early 2000s have come back stronger than ever in apparel. From baggy jeans to low-rise waists, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are getting on the trends of their parents and older siblings.

"We don't create trends, we follow the trends," Buckley said. "We make sure that we have our version of it because we know what the consumer wants."

Staying true to its roots with a twist

Buckley highlighted True Religion's "big affiliation" with hip-hop, dating back to its early years. More than two decades later, the brand is tapping into that relationship through its social media partnerships with celebrities and influencers.

Its most recent advertising campaign stars rappers Megan Thee Stallion and Key Glock. A 2024 Instagram post featuring Megan Thee Stallion is still True Religion's best-performing in its history, the company said.

"We know what our consumer likes," Buckley said. "We know what artists they like, who they aspire to be, and who moved the needle for us."

Buckley also expanded True Religion beyond jeans. From 2006 to 2010, 80% of its sales came from denim jeans, the company said. Today, 60% of the business comes from other apparel, such as T-shirts, hoodies, and joggers.

Its biggest opportunity is also a challenge

The Y2K-revivial led by Gen Z is a major opportunity for True Religion, Amy Leverton, CEO of denim-focused consultancy Denim Dudes, said.

"It's a return to more expressive, identity-driven denim after this decade of minimalism," Leverton said.

Brands like Von Dutch, Baby Phat, Juicy Couture, and Ed Hardy have had their own resurgences as the trend continues to capture young people.

Leverton said True Religion will have to figure out how to ride the wave of relevance into a profitable future. Fashion trendsetters are already pondering what the next big trend will be after Y2K.

"When things quiet down. because they're going to, it's like a pendulum that goes from side to side," Leverton said. "It's going to move away from this Y2K thing."

Buckley said True Religion is spending 10% of its annual sales on marketing, and it will have to keep leaning into that marketing investment to keep up with powerhouses like Gap, which has had a slew of viral partnerships in the last six months.

The key, Leverton said, is staying true to its brand identity and tapping into its DNA.

The signature thick stitching, the horseshoe logo, and its presence in hip-hop are all elements that thrust True Religion back into the cultural conversation in 2026.

• After years of decline, the Gap brand recently posted its ninth straight quarter of growth.
• Gap brand CEO Mark Breitbard said he's shifted the company's focus back to basics.
• Gap has regained relevance with millennials while building appeal with Gen Z via viral partnerships.

Danielle Shaw, a 31-year-old living in Los Angeles, said her mom used to dress her in Gap clothes as a kid — and that was her only memory of wearing the brand until about two years ago.

"I went into Gap, and I honestly became obsessed with everything that I tried on," Shaw told Business Insider.

Shaw said she stocked up on basics like sweatsuits and T-shirts. She left with three or four pairs of denim because the fit and price point were "amazing." The brand is now a staple in her wardrobe, and she said her friends have bought in, too.

Shaw isn't the only zillennial embracing the 57-year old brand for the first time. A new wave of shoppers is discovering Gap after years of declining relevance. TikTok is full of influencers showing off their Gap hauls, while buzzy partnerships with artists like Katseye and Young Miko have breathed new life into the brand, once known to be the epitome of American basics.

Founded in 1969 with a simple idea to help customers find a pair of jeans that fit, Gap is leaning back into its roots: affordable, well-fitting essentials.

Gap's focus on younger customers — its target shopper is 25 to 35 — appears to be paying off. Sales rose 5% last year to $3.5 billion, cementing its comeback after years of flat or declining growth. Comparable sales were up 7% in the fourth quarter, marking Gap's ninth straight quarterly increase. Parent company Gap Inc. is riding the momentum too, posting its second year in a row of revenue growth and one of its highest gross margins in 25 years.

Gap's global brand CEO Mark Breitbard returned to the brand in 2020 and has been on a mission to return to basics, reconnect with once-loyal millennials, and simultaneously win over Gen Z.

Now he wants everyone to know: Gap is back.

"It's been a full return to relevance of the brand," said Breitbard, who's been in leadership roles at Gap Inc. — the parent company of Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta — on and off since 2009.

Back to the basics

After its '90s peak, Gap Inc. shares hit roughly $52 in 2000, a level it hasn't reached since. Gap's namesake brand started to falter in the 2010s and entered a roughly decadeslong slump in revenue.

As Zara and H&M pushed further into trendy fast fashion and others doubled down on athleisure or premium denim in the mid-aughts, Gap landed in the awkward middle and lost its selling point. Many industry insiders thought that Gap Inc.'s brands couldn't be turned around, UBS analyst Jay Sole said.

Breitbard said the brand used to have awareness and affinity — and people missed the old Gap.

"We moved into this period where we were over corporate and too many products in the store, and too many ideas, and too much discounting — and not enough of our playbook," said Breitbard.

Breitbard said his 2020 tenure began with a major cleanup from the inside out: rounds of layoffs to reduce bureaucracy and reset leadership, store closures in unprofitable markets, a narrower assortment of styles, and a dramatic upgrade in product quality.

The sweats and jeans that once made the brand famous are now "central" to its comeback, Breitbard said.

That renewed focus on classic American style is a major reason the strategy is resonating, Bill Kenney, CEO of brand agency Focus Lab, told Business Insider. Rather than trying to reinvent itself — like when it briefly changed its logo in 2010 — Gap is leaning into what worked all along.

"They're not trying to tell 17 different stories," Kenney said.

The power of viral partnerships

Breitbard said that the brand grounds its purpose in "great storytelling" around big product ideas every season. That includes partnerships with popular artists, which have had a strong impact, especially with younger consumers.

Breitbard said that 2023, Gap's first year returning to positive revenue after its slump, marked the true turning point.

From there, the momentum built with a LoveShackFancy collaboration. By 2024, Breitbard said, a steady "drumbeat" of moves followed.

Lily Comba, founder and CEO of creator marketing agency Superbloom, told Business Insider that she noticed a change when Fabiola Torres was hired as the brand's chief marketing officer that year.

It began with Gap's spring 2024 linen campaign featuring Tyla. In August 2025, the brand followed up with its "Better in Denim" partnership with Katseye — a TikTok-ready moment that featured the girl group performing to 2003 hit "Milkshake." It arrived on the heels of Sydney Sweeney's controversial American Eagle ad, and it positioned Gap as a lighter, more inclusive voice in the denim category.

The Katseye campaign appeared to pay off in store visits, as Gap saw positive visit growth across most of the six-month period from August to January, according to data from analytics platform Placer.ai.

Part of what makes Gap distinct, Breitbard said, is that "we bridge gaps" (no pun intended). Some of its best-selling styles are worn by both mothers and daughters, he said.

For the holidays, the multi-generational choir featured in the "Give Your Gift" campaign reinforced the message that Gap is an American brand, Comba said.

Most recently, its partnership with Puerto Rican Gen Z artist Young Miko felt especially well-timed, Comba said, tapping into the cultural momentum sparked by Bad Bunny's halftime show. She said the choice to team up with Young Miko was "exactly what Gen Z wants."

"That's the beauty of Gap," Comba said, adding that, "they've always made denim; they've always made sweats; they've always made linen; but it's just how they're communicating is evolving."

Although Gap's turnaround is in full swing, Sole, the UBS analyst, said it has to meet the moment in more ways than its marketing. Shoppers want to know they're getting good value for their money, he said.

Gap will have to deliver items that match the price point and identity it has built if it wants to retain the customers it's attracted.

"They have money in their pocket, they're willing to pay, but they want to have real value," Sole said.