Last month, timeless retail giant Gap made a bold statement by announcing it would raise its minimum hourly wage to $10 for its 60,000 hourly workers nationwide. The move came as uplifting news to employees of countless Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta stores in the US, but they’re not the only ones impressed: The American brand also caught the attention of the President.
Barack Obama showed his support for Gap’s new salary initiative—which falls right in line with a Democratic effort to raise the federal minimum wage by 2016—by visiting its flagship location in midtown Manhattan this week, cracking jokes with employees and even doing a little shopping. He spent $155 on goodies for his family, including a blue track jacket for Michelle and cotton sweaters for Sasha and Malia. He opted for cardigans for the girls over Gap’s signature V-neck sweaters, joking that he didn’t want the necklines to “slip” while his daughters wore them. “I think they’d be impressed by my style sense,” he said of the picks.
