Gymboree

{{Infobox company

| name = Gymboree Group, Inc.

| logo = Gymboree logo.svg

| image = A Gymboree retail store.tif

| image_caption = A Modern Gymboree location

| type = Subsidiary

| industry = Retail (original), eCommerce Franchising

| foundation = {{start date and age|1976}}

| defunct =

| fate =

| location =

| locations =

| key_people =

| products = Children's clothes & Toys

| revenue =

| operating_income =

| net_income =

| assets =

| equity =

| num_employees =

| parent = The Children's Place (2019–present)

| homepage = {{url|http://www.gymboree.com}}

}}

Gymboree is a sub brand of The Children's Place. Gymboree began with operating retail stores between the early 1970s and the later 2010s. It was founded by Joan Barnes.{{cite web |url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/gymboree-corporation-history/ |title=History of Gymboree Corporation – FundingUniverse |website=www.fundinguniverse.com |access-date=September 23, 2019}}

History

=Early years=

File:Crazy8 Children's Store Southern Park Mall.jpg (Closed 2019)]]

In 1986, the company opened a chain of clothing stores named Gymboree. Gymboree stores offered coordinating children's clothing. The sizes ranged from newborn to size ten. As of January 2019, it operated 380 Gymboree stores, 154 Gymboree outlets, 147 Janie & Jack stores, 253 Crazy 8 stores, and 11 Crazy 8 outlets in the U.S. and Canada.{{cite web|url=https://m.cnn.com/en/article/h_8fa75e95284abed28c78f1c9931f011e|title=Gymboree's second bankruptcy will kill the brand|website=CNN|access-date=September 22, 2019|archive-date=September 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923030144/https://m.cnn.com/en/article/h_8fa75e95284abed28c78f1c9931f011e|url-status=dead}}

Crazy 8 was started in August 2007. It featured lower-priced clothing and was Gymboree's direct competitor for The Children's Place and Old Navy.

In 2010, Bain Capital acquired the company for US$1.8 billion.{{cite web |url=http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/bain-buys-gymboree-for-1-8-billion/ |title=Bain Buys Gymboree for $1.8 Billion |website=dealbook.nytimes.com |date=October 11, 2010 |access-date=September 23, 2019}}

=Bankruptcy and liquidation=

In June 2017, Gymboree announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.{{Cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2017/06/12/gymboree-bankruptcy-debt/|title=Gymboree Will Close More Than 375 Stores After Filing for Bankruptcy|last=Fu|first=Lisa|website=Fortune|access-date=June 12, 2017}} In September 2017, the company emerged from bankruptcy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chainstoreage.com/news/gymboree-emerges-bankruptcy/|title=Gymboree emerges from bankruptcy|date=September 29, 2017|website=Chain Store Age|language=en-US|access-date=December 6, 2018}}{{cite web |url=http://finance.yahoo.com/news/gymboree-closing-350-stores-heres-151841580.html |title=Gymboree is closing 350 stores – here's the full list |website=finance.yahoo.com |date=July 12, 2017 |access-date=September 22, 2019}}

In November 2018, it was reported that Gymboree would file for bankruptcy for the second time in 14 months, and as a result, Gymboree announced plans to discontinue the Crazy 8 brand after the holiday season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chainstoreage.com/store-spaces/gymboree-to-close-crazy-8-stores-and-cut-back-namesake-stores-names-ceo/|title=Gymboree to close Crazy 8 stores and cut back namesake stores; names CEO|date=December 5, 2018|website=Chain Store Age|language=en-US|access-date=December 6, 2018}}

On January 17, 2019, Gymboree filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and eliminated all Gymboree, Gymboree Outlet, and Crazy 8 brick-and-mortar formats as a result. The company sold its Janie & Jack brand to Gap, Inc.{{cite news |url=https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Gymboree-begins-winding-down-operations-after-2nd-13541248.php |title=SF-based Gymboree plans to shut down after second bankruptcy filing |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=January 17, 2019 }}

=Play & Music Centers=

File:Gymboree, Putney Exchange 01.jpg|alt=]]

In July 2016, The Gymboree Corporation sold the Gymboree Play & Music business to Zeavion Holding, a private company with a focus on the education and entertainment sectors. Gymboree Play & Music is now completely separate from the Gymboree Corporation and is operating parent-child play classes for ages 0–5. As of 2023, Play & Music operates in over 40 countries and has more than 733 centers internationally.{{cite press release|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gymboree-agrees-to-sell-play--music-business-to-zeavion-300291667.html|title=Gymboree Agrees To Sell Play & Music Business To ZEAVION|type=press release |website=www.prnewswire.com|access-date=January 3, 2018}}

=Subbrand=

On June 24, 2019, Gymboree and Crazy 8's assets were acquired by The Children's Place, who announced that the former would become a digitally native sub brand with store-within-a-store locations at The Children's Place stores.{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Gymboree/status/1143238338922647554|title=Help us bring back the Gymboree you loved!|last=Gymboree|date=June 24, 2019|website=Twitter|language=en|access-date=November 27, 2019}} It was announced on January 30, 2020, that The Children's Place would debut Gymboree in February that year, featuring an "early access" program that would allow early access to the first 10,000 customers who register a spot.{{Cite journal|last=Wilson|first=Marianne|date=January 30, 2020|title=Gymboree makes its retail comeback|url=https://chainstoreage.com/gymboree-makes-its-retail-comeback|journal=Chain Store Age}}

Lawsuits

In November 2005, Gymboree settled a lawsuit relating to overtime compensation in Riverside, California for $2.3 million. The lawsuit alleged that Gymboree did not pay mandatory overtime or provide required meal breaks.{{cite news|title=Gymboree settles overtime suit for $2.3M |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2005/11/21/daily12.html?jst=b_ln_hl|access-date=April 3, 2012|newspaper=San Francisco Business Times|date=November 21, 2005}}