The Gymboree Corporation
Encyclopedia
The Gymboree Corporation is a San Francisco
-based corporation that operates a chain of around 900 specialty retail stores of children's apparel in the United States
, Puerto Rico
, Mexico
and Canada
. It has nearly 500 Play and Music centers worldwide. Bain Capital
acquired the company in 2010.
Gymboree classes include a multi-colored clown named Gymbo. The children interact with Gymbo following his "demonstrations" of activities and usually ending with "good-bye kisses". Other class activities include time playing with parachutes, playing with bubbles, and climbing on cushioned equipment. Classes are run for Infants up to age 6. Music played at Gymborees is often by the children's band Parachute Express
.
There are located across the United States
, Puerto Rico
, Mexico
, and Canada
. It has expanded its franchises in 30 countries including Bogota
, Colombia
; San Paulo, Brazil
; Hangzhou
, China
; Hyderabad, India
, Saudi Arabia
.
Gymboree franchises nearly 300 Gymboree Play & Music centers around the globe. In recent years, Gymboree has competition from The Little Gym
, Romp n' Roll, and My Gym.
Gymboree operated a chain of 17 women's clothing stores called Janeville until all locations closed by January 2007.
Gymboree's employees believe in Legendary Service.
Crazy 8 was started in August, 2007. It features cheaper clothing and is Gymboree's direct competitor for The Children's Place
and Old Navy
.
The music and play centers sell products related to their activities, such as toys, musical instruments, and compact discs.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
-based corporation that operates a chain of around 900 specialty retail stores of children's apparel in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It has nearly 500 Play and Music centers worldwide. Bain Capital
Bain Capital
Bain Capital LLC is a Boston-based private equity firm founded in 1984 by partners from the consulting firm Bain & Company. Originally conceived as an early-stage, growth-oriented investment fund, Bain Capital today manages approximately $65 billion in assets, and its strategies include private...
acquired the company in 2010.
Formation
Joan Barnes created the Gymboree Play and Music Program in 1976 when she couldn't find a safe place for new parents and children to play and exercise together.Play centers
The Play centers' main purpose is to help children stimulate their development through music, exercise, art, and other activities as well as helping parents know how to participate in furthering their children's mental and physical growth.Gymboree classes include a multi-colored clown named Gymbo. The children interact with Gymbo following his "demonstrations" of activities and usually ending with "good-bye kisses". Other class activities include time playing with parachutes, playing with bubbles, and climbing on cushioned equipment. Classes are run for Infants up to age 6. Music played at Gymborees is often by the children's band Parachute Express
Parachute Express
Parachute Express is a group of three California-based entertainers who perform, write and produce music for comedy. Band members are Stephen Michael Schwartz, Janice Hubbard and Donny Becker. Parachute Express gained national prominence as recording artists for Gymboree Play & Music, Walt Disney...
.
There are located across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It has expanded its franchises in 30 countries including Bogota
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
; San Paulo, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
; Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
; Hyderabad, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
Gymboree franchises nearly 300 Gymboree Play & Music centers around the globe. In recent years, Gymboree has competition from The Little Gym
The Little Gym
The Little Gym International is a franchiser of infant and child oriented fitness gyms. It was founded in 1976, by educator Robin Wes.Today The Little Gym International, Inc. is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was incorporated in 1992 to franchise The Little Gym concept...
, Romp n' Roll, and My Gym.
Retail stores
In 1986, the company opened a chain of clothing stores named Gymboree. Gymboree stores offer coordinating children's clothing. The sizes range from birth to age twelve. Gymboree, in its current incarnation (it has reorganized several times) is incorporated under the Gym-Mark, Inc nameplate. It currently operates 580 Gymboree Retail, 80 Gymboree Outlet, 100 Janie & Jack, and 20 Crazy 8 stores in the United States.Gymboree operated a chain of 17 women's clothing stores called Janeville until all locations closed by January 2007.
Gymboree's employees believe in Legendary Service.
Crazy 8 was started in August, 2007. It features cheaper clothing and is Gymboree's direct competitor for The Children's Place
The Children's Place
The Children’s Place is an American specialty retailer of children’s apparel and accessories founded in 1969. They became publicly traded on the NASDAQ exchange in 1997 under the ticker symbol PLCE...
and Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
.
The music and play centers sell products related to their activities, such as toys, musical instruments, and compact discs.