Should Gap spin off one of its brands?

Financial problems have been plaguing Gap for some time now, and there have been major changes within the company in order to salvage the brand and to react to decreased sales. According to an article, there have been several measures taken by the company in order to do this. Gap has had leadership changes, has decided to covert Old Navy Outlet stores into Old Navy stores, has closed a distribution facility in Kentucky and it has closed one of its brands, Forth & Towne.

This still leaves Banana Republic—the most profitable of all the Gap brands. The problem is, however, that Banana Republic cannot expand and grow because Gap Inc. is having issues with its other brands and overall sales. So what is the answer? According to the article, it is a possibility for Gap to spin off either Banana Republic or Old Navy and then focus solely on the problems that face the Gap brand.

It is true that Gap Inc. needs to focus on the troubles facing its main brand, Gap. What are the next steps that Gap must take to bring its sales and brand back to the top? Is the answer spinning off one of the other brands in order to focus more attention on the main brand? Right now, Banana Republic is the only brand that is doing well for Gap—would selling it create more problems?