On June 1, The Gap clothing retailers will open its long-awaited store on Main Street but without much "fanfare," a spokeswoman at The Gap headquarter said.
The store will occupy the entire first floor of the college-owned property beside the Hanover Inn, formerly occupied by Brewster's clothing store.
The Gap will showcase summer merchandise at the time of its opening, said Babs Kothe, a public relations representative at The Gap.
"No adjustments will be made to the clothing line initially since The Gap caters to the college crowd anyway," Kothe said.
All of The Gap stores carry the same merchandise have the same pricing system and perform the same promotional and sales events, Kothe said.
"After a store has been open for a while, we will look to see if any special desires exist among the customers and will attempt to market those desires," a spokesperson at The Gap said.
One promotion The Gap may offer is a student shopping night, in which the store would open after hours exclusively for student shopping.
The Gap is the third business to lease the space adjacent to the Hanover Inn. But because it will be the first national retailer to occupy that space, some business executives predicted greater success for The Gap.
"The Gap is a very well known company that carries awesome merchandise. The Hanover area is hungry for The Gap," Kothe said.
Dartmouth students have different reactions to the opening of the store.
"When I first heard, I was really excited, but then someone pointed out that everyone would be wearing the same clothes," Abby Klingbeil '97 said. "I still think it will be a great place to go for the basics, but I have a feeling everyone will be wearing the same patterns."
Other students are worried about the temptation of over-spending. "I'm scared I'll spend too much money," Cara Hobbs '97 said.
One student expressed frustration at the standard college look of The Gap's clothing. "It's expensive and they don't sell any urban gear," Kenny Mitchell '97 said.
The College Real Estate Office is presently negotiating with different tenants to lease the remaining space in the basement, which used to be occupied by Brewster's shoe section.
"We are looking at anything from gifts to food to furnishings to fill the remaining space," Paul Olsen, director of College real estate, said.
"We will try to merge the interests of the Hanover community and Dartmouth students," Olsen said.
