Walk into an Old Navy lately? If it feels different, that’s because it is. Honestly, for a few years there, the brand felt like it was stuck in a loop of neon flip-flops and flag tees that nobody actually wanted. But things shifted. Fast.
The "Old Navy New Moves" campaign isn't just some catchy slogan for a summer sale. It’s basically the battle cry for a massive, multi-year turnaround that has seen the retailer claw its way back to being the heavy hitter in the Gap Inc. portfolio. You’ve probably seen the ads—Lindsay Lohan doing 80s-inspired aerobics to Devo’s "Whip It." It’s campy, sure, but it’s working.
Why the Old Navy New Moves Strategy Actually Mattered
Retail is brutal. Most brands die because they lose their "why." For a while, Old Navy tried to be everything to everyone and ended up being nothing to nobody. Then came the pivot.
The company stopped guessing and started obsessing over data. We’re talking about a complete reorientation of how they design clothes. They’re using predictive analytics now to figure out that wide-leg pants are going to crush skinny jeans six months before the inventory hits the floor. It sounds like corporate jargon, but it’s the difference between a $2.3 billion quarter and a clearance rack full of duds.
In their Q3 2025 earnings, the results were pretty hard to ignore. While other retailers were sweating, Old Navy’s comparable sales were up 6%. That’s not a fluke. It’s the seventh consecutive quarter of growth. They’ve basically turned the ship around by focusing on what they call the "democracy of style." Basically, making stuff that looks expensive but costs less than a fancy lunch.
The Lindsay Lohan Factor and Nostalgia
Kinda weird to see a millennial icon fronting a brand that usually targets suburban moms, right? Not really. The genius of the "New Moves" campaign was its cross-generational appeal.
- Millennials: They see Lindsay Lohan and get that hit of 2000s nostalgia.
- Gen Z: They love the 80s aesthetic and the ironic, high-energy vibe of the TikTok-ready spots.
- Parents: They just want activewear that doesn't fall apart after three washes.
By casting people like Quenlin Blackwell and Dylan Efron alongside 60s icon Charo, they managed to bridge a gap that most marketing teams fail at. They made Old Navy feel cool again, which is a sentence I didn't think I'd be writing in 2026.
Beyond the Clothes: The Expansion into Beauty
If you thought Old Navy was just for denim and hoodies, you've got another thing coming. One of the biggest "new moves" is the strategic push into beauty and accessories.
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They’ve started rolling out dedicated shop-in-shops in about 150 stores. Think Sephora-lite, but accessible while you’re picking up pajamas for your toddler. This is a smart play. The beauty market is exploding, and Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson is betting that if you’re already in the store for a $20 pair of leggings, you’ll probably grab a $12 lip gloss or a new fragrance.
They even hired new leadership specifically for this—Deb Redmond for beauty and Michele Parsons for accessories. It’s a signal to the market that they aren't just playing around; they want a piece of the prestige-adjacent pie.
What Most People Miss About the Turnaround
Everyone talks about the ads, but the real "new moves" are happening in the back of the house.
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Old Navy partnered with a tech company called Radar to put AI-powered RFID technology in every single U.S. store. If you’ve ever gone to a store looking for a specific size only to find the shelf empty (even though the website says it’s in stock), you know how annoying that is. This tech fixes that. It gives them 99% inventory accuracy.
Basically, they’re using "New Moves" to mean moving product faster and smarter.
Is it all sunshine and rainbows?
Honestly, no. There are real headwinds. Tariffs have been a massive headache for Gap Inc., potentially costing them hundreds of millions in 2025 and 2026. They’re fighting back with "mitigation strategies," which is a fancy way of saying they’re moving production out of certain regions to keep costs down.
Also, while Old Navy is thriving, their sister brand Athleta has been dragging its feet a bit. The pressure is on Old Navy to carry the weight of the entire company while the other brands find their footing. It’s a lot of weight for one brand to handle.
Actionable Insights for the Savvy Shopper
If you’re watching this brand as a consumer or an investor, here is what you actually need to know to stay ahead of the curve.
- Watch the "Drop" Cycles: Old Navy has moved away from the "one big seasonal launch" model. They are dropping smaller, trend-focused collections (like the recent "Once More '94" 30th-anniversary line) much more frequently. If you see something you like, buy it—the inventory cycles are faster than they used to be.
- The Activewear Sweet Spot: Their activewear is currently ranked No. 5 in the entire category. It’s the highest quality-to-price ratio in the store right now. The PowerSoft and PowerChill lines are the ones to hunt for if you want high-end performance without the $100 price tag.
- App Loyalty pays off: Their "Navyist Rewards" program is getting more integrated with the other Gap brands. If you shop at Gap or Banana Republic, you can stack those points. With the new beauty expansion, those points are going to become much more valuable.
- Size Inclusivity is back in focus: After some stumbles with "Bodequality" a few years ago where they over-indexed on sizes they couldn't sell, they’ve finally balanced the inventory. You’ll find a much more consistent range in-store now rather than the chaotic stock issues of 2022.
The "Old Navy New Moves" era isn't just about a commercial with a celebrity. It’s a total rewire of a classic American brand. They’ve embraced the fact that they are a value retailer, but they’ve stopped acting like a "cheap" one. By mixing high-tech inventory management with high-nostalgia marketing, they've managed to do the impossible: make people actually excited to shop at the mall again.