March 3, 2026
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Gap Brings ‘Fashiontainment ‘to Loyalty with Experiential Focus
Building on its “Fashiontainment” strategy, Gap Inc. has introduced a new loyalty program, “Encore,” that moves “beyond points and discounts by introducing new fashion, entertainment, and cultural moments for members.”
The rewards program – which applies to four of all Gap Inc’s banners – features traditional rewards such as birthday bonuses, free shipping and extended returns depending on member spending levels but adds early access to product and opportunities to exchange rewards points for never-before-sold items and limited-run products, along with chances to win experiences in conjunction with partners Disney, NBCUniversal, Live Nation, AMC Theatres and others.
The focus follows the January hiring of Pam Kaufman, a former Paramount and Nickelodeon executive, as its first chief entertainment officer and the push by Richard Dickson, Gap Inc.’s president and CEO and former Mattel president, to elevate the “cultural conversation” of each of Gap Inc’s banners – Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta – via experiences.
“Fashion is entertainment, and today’s customers aren’t just buying apparel, they’re buying into brands that shape culture and tell compelling stories,” said Dickson in a press release. “Encore connects our brands and partnerships in new ways to meet that demand and change how customers engage with our brands.”
The program features three tiers:
· Core: Members earn five points per $1 spent, free shipping on orders over $50, and a birthday bonus.
· Premier: Available to shoppers who spend $350 annually across Gap Inc. brands, members likewise earn five points per $1 spent and free shipping on orders over $50, plus a birthday bonus for themselves and a family member, access to an extended return window, and the opportunity to create their own sale day with 15% off purchases.
· All-Access: Available to Encore credit cardholders, members earn 25 points per $1 spent at Gap Inc. brands and 15 points per $1 at partner apparel brands, a birthday bonus for themselves and three family members, free shipping on orders over $35, a 25%-off special sales day, as well as priority access to select experiences and enhanced benefits.
In the “Encore Market” section of the program’s online page, members are currently able exchange their points for several trending products Gap Inc. doesn’t sell, including a BabyBjorn Woven Melange Baby Carrier (125,000 pts), TheraFace Depuffing Wand (85,000 pts) and a Little Words Project Mama and Mini Bracelet Set (23,000 pts).
Also available on the product side is an Athleta Everyday Cap Signed by three-time Olympian Simone Biles (43,000 pts), an Old Navy Magic the Dog Plush (7,500 pts) and Gap Logo Tote Keychain Charm (5,000 pts.)
On the experiential side, points can be redeemed for a Disney+ Disney Gift Card (75,000 pts.) and AMC Theatres Exchange Ticket (8,000 pts). Through NBCUniversal, members can earn a chance to win a trip for two to Japan to witness the “Super Mario Galaxy” movie premiere and Gap’s Super Mario Galaxy Movie Collection that includes a visit to Universal Studios Japan, a Gap Japan shopping spree and movie tickets (500 pts).
Encore members are also promised “curated content that brings customers closer to the brands, from behind-the-scenes views into how products are designed and made to styling advice and original storytelling tied to real moments in culture.”
Towards that end, members currently can earn a chance to win a four-day trip to New York City to visit with Zac Posen, EVP and creative director of Gap Inc., at his studio, and receive a styling session with a Gap stylist, and a $2,500 shopping spree (2,500 pts).
Points in the future will also be redeemed for collaborations. At Paramount, Kaufman was responsible for orchestrating “Dance Moms” star JoJo Siwa’s collaboration with Target as well on collaborations with Crocs, Supreme, Nike and other brands.
“Encore is a powerful new tool to bring our Fashiontainment platform to life,” said Kaufman. “Through partners like Disney, NBCUniversal and AMC Theatres, we can translate what people love on screens and stages into experiences they can actually access – from early drops and exclusives to cultural moments you can’t get anywhere else. It’s a new way to participate in entertainment through style, and to feel closer to our brands.”
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Discussion Questions
Discussion questions: What do you think of Gap Inc.’s new Encore rewards program that places a major focus on early access, exclusives and experiences?
Does the program appear the right mix of transactional and more emotional and relationship-driven perks?
Poll
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Gap needed some energy in the brand, so their new leadership hires should help, while the relaunch of the loyalty program should draw attention from past customers and a younger generation. Experiences are the key and what they describe will happen in-store and with partners will help tie the Gap brand to more of a lifestyle (like it was last Century). The points will also help in measuring results and levels of customer engagement, but they should not become the primary mechanic is building closer relationships with their customers.
Gap’s energetic new leadership is focused on both efficiency and excitement. Let’s hope the client base responds.
What do I think of it?
I think it’s quite complicated….perhaps overly so.
Part of Gap’s playbook is to reestablish the cultural relevance of its brands. While this sounds a bit wishy-washy, what it means in practice is showing up in places where its consumers are, and creating connections to things that matter to them – like music or entertainment. That’s necessary as prior to Richard Dickson, our own data show that almost 95% of consumers felt Gap (the brand, not the corporation) had no real point of view. That’s an indictment. Gradually this is shifting as Gap increases its relevance and exposure. The new loyalty app is part of that journey, although the destination has to end in great products that people want to buy.
First question: does this program come with a decoder ring? I’ve read it several times, and I’m still sorting out the deets. If a retail veteran needs multiple passes, I’m not sure how store teams are supposed to explain it at the register.
Mark me “not a fan” of ‘chance to win’ sweepstakes — that might work in a passive rewards program where customers are already engaged and earning just by paying their bills or using their card, like Verizon or AmEx. But Gap needs to re-recruit lapsed customers and earn new ones, pronto. A sweepstakes entry isn’t going to close that gap (no pun intended) in my opinion.
The deeper issue is the Barbie problem in reverse. Richard Dickson helped make the Barbie moment work at Mattel, but that was because the product had genuine cultural resonance first. Gap doesn’t enjoy that brand panache anymore. At Mattel, the experiential layer amplified something real. At Gap, it seems to be betting that programming and partnerships can create relevance for the brand that its products haven’t yet earned. That’s a much harder trick.
This feels like some adjustments and treatments on a brand that needs structural renovation. Encore is clever, but ‘the new Gap’ has to show up in the assortments and collections before it shows up in the loyalty app.
Many loyalty programs eventually turn into discount machines. When most programs rely on the same points and promotions, it becomes harder to stand out. Gap’s move toward experiential rewards creates a different kind of value that’s harder for competitors to replicate.
Gap Inc.’s Encore program smartly blends transactional perks with cultural experiences, aligning loyalty with identity rather than just discounts. Partnerships with Disney, NBCUniversal and AMC Theatres reinforce its “Fashiontainment” strategy at Gap Inc.. The foundation (points, shipping, bonuses) is solid, but the experiential layer can add aspiration.
Success of such program hinges on effective use of personalization. If executed well by using cross-brand data to tailor exclusives and content, Encore can become a relationship engine, not just another rewards program.
This all sounds a little complicated, but I actually like the fact that the new loyalty program has a lot of moving parts. The new program sounds like it could be a real differentiator. The prizes, and the redeemables, and the drawings are going to make it interesting, a true incentive to shop at the Gap. If they curate the drawings and the prizes in clever manner, they may be on to something.
Gap has a difficult assignment. The job of making everyday apparel fun and new and fresh is hard. They’ve learned that the hard way over the years. Their success has always been as much great marketing as it was great product. Maybe even more marketing than product. This new loyalty program is an opportunity to weave fun storytelling into the marketing. I like the possibilities this presents. The new program sounds like it has social media applications that last century’s programs couldn’t touch.
Encore isn’t exactly plug-and-play. It’s complicated. The magic is in the extras, like never-before-sold and limited run items, and a shot at winning experiences. That “something you can’t get anywhere else” is the hook.
I think this is exciting new territory for how mass specialty retailers engage and build relevance with their customers. It remind me of American Express …”membership has it’s privileges”. I am curious to see how customers respond and how the program will be assessed.
It is an interesting move. Loyalty programs have traditionally been built on incentives and value exchange, and Gap’s volume still leans heavily on outlet and value driven shopping. Bringing entertainment, experiences, and cultural moments into that equation is a different play. I appreciate the ambition because loyalty has felt very transactional for a long time.
The real question will be whether the engagement translates into behavior. Experiences can build brand energy, but the core customer still expects clear value. If Gap can balance inspiration with the incentives that drive their volume, the program could evolve loyalty into something more meaningful. If not, it becomes an expensive marketing layer that customers enjoy but do not necessarily reward with more spend.
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Gap needed some energy in the brand, so their new leadership hires should help, while the relaunch of the loyalty program should draw attention from past customers and a younger generation. Experiences are the key and what they describe will happen in-store and with partners will help tie the Gap brand to more of a lifestyle (like it was last Century). The points will also help in measuring results and levels of customer engagement, but they should not become the primary mechanic is building closer relationships with their customers.
Gap’s energetic new leadership is focused on both efficiency and excitement. Let’s hope the client base responds.
What do I think of it?
I think it’s quite complicated….perhaps overly so.
Part of Gap’s playbook is to reestablish the cultural relevance of its brands. While this sounds a bit wishy-washy, what it means in practice is showing up in places where its consumers are, and creating connections to things that matter to them – like music or entertainment. That’s necessary as prior to Richard Dickson, our own data show that almost 95% of consumers felt Gap (the brand, not the corporation) had no real point of view. That’s an indictment. Gradually this is shifting as Gap increases its relevance and exposure. The new loyalty app is part of that journey, although the destination has to end in great products that people want to buy.
First question: does this program come with a decoder ring? I’ve read it several times, and I’m still sorting out the deets. If a retail veteran needs multiple passes, I’m not sure how store teams are supposed to explain it at the register.
Mark me “not a fan” of ‘chance to win’ sweepstakes — that might work in a passive rewards program where customers are already engaged and earning just by paying their bills or using their card, like Verizon or AmEx. But Gap needs to re-recruit lapsed customers and earn new ones, pronto. A sweepstakes entry isn’t going to close that gap (no pun intended) in my opinion.
The deeper issue is the Barbie problem in reverse. Richard Dickson helped make the Barbie moment work at Mattel, but that was because the product had genuine cultural resonance first. Gap doesn’t enjoy that brand panache anymore. At Mattel, the experiential layer amplified something real. At Gap, it seems to be betting that programming and partnerships can create relevance for the brand that its products haven’t yet earned. That’s a much harder trick.
This feels like some adjustments and treatments on a brand that needs structural renovation. Encore is clever, but ‘the new Gap’ has to show up in the assortments and collections before it shows up in the loyalty app.
Many loyalty programs eventually turn into discount machines. When most programs rely on the same points and promotions, it becomes harder to stand out. Gap’s move toward experiential rewards creates a different kind of value that’s harder for competitors to replicate.
Gap Inc.’s Encore program smartly blends transactional perks with cultural experiences, aligning loyalty with identity rather than just discounts. Partnerships with Disney, NBCUniversal and AMC Theatres reinforce its “Fashiontainment” strategy at Gap Inc.. The foundation (points, shipping, bonuses) is solid, but the experiential layer can add aspiration.
Success of such program hinges on effective use of personalization. If executed well by using cross-brand data to tailor exclusives and content, Encore can become a relationship engine, not just another rewards program.
This all sounds a little complicated, but I actually like the fact that the new loyalty program has a lot of moving parts. The new program sounds like it could be a real differentiator. The prizes, and the redeemables, and the drawings are going to make it interesting, a true incentive to shop at the Gap. If they curate the drawings and the prizes in clever manner, they may be on to something.
Gap has a difficult assignment. The job of making everyday apparel fun and new and fresh is hard. They’ve learned that the hard way over the years. Their success has always been as much great marketing as it was great product. Maybe even more marketing than product. This new loyalty program is an opportunity to weave fun storytelling into the marketing. I like the possibilities this presents. The new program sounds like it has social media applications that last century’s programs couldn’t touch.
Encore isn’t exactly plug-and-play. It’s complicated. The magic is in the extras, like never-before-sold and limited run items, and a shot at winning experiences. That “something you can’t get anywhere else” is the hook.
I think this is exciting new territory for how mass specialty retailers engage and build relevance with their customers. It remind me of American Express …”membership has it’s privileges”. I am curious to see how customers respond and how the program will be assessed.
It is an interesting move. Loyalty programs have traditionally been built on incentives and value exchange, and Gap’s volume still leans heavily on outlet and value driven shopping. Bringing entertainment, experiences, and cultural moments into that equation is a different play. I appreciate the ambition because loyalty has felt very transactional for a long time.
The real question will be whether the engagement translates into behavior. Experiences can build brand energy, but the core customer still expects clear value. If Gap can balance inspiration with the incentives that drive their volume, the program could evolve loyalty into something more meaningful. If not, it becomes an expensive marketing layer that customers enjoy but do not necessarily reward with more spend.