Good Week/Bad Week in Branding

Good Week: Lowe’s – The home-improvement chain posted strong first-quarter profit numbers, avoiding the funk that’s settled over the rest of the big-box retail industry. According to the company, the unseasonably warm winter led homeowners to take on more projects. In a related story, the use of obscenities by self-described “handy homeowners” spiked during this same period.

Bad Week: Gap – On Thursday, the clothing giant announced plans to close as many as 75 of its Old Navy and Banana Republic stores amid sluggish sales. The lion’s share of the closing will occur overseas, primarily in Japan. So yes: the Emperor has no clothes.

Worse Week: Fiat Chrysler – More than half a million Jeep Wrangler SUVs are being recalled after it was discovered that the impacts from off-road driving may cause the driver-side airbag not to deploy in a crash. In a statement, the automaker said it was not aware of any crashes related to the issue [among the 25 Wrangler owners who actually drive off-road].