Old Navy’s first store opened in Colma, California.
Colma, a town just south of San Francisco, hosted the first store designed specifically for the Old Navy brand in 1994. Gap Inc. based the new location on its earlier Gap Warehouse concept, then used the store as a model for the chain’s expansion.
Historical accounts also describe other Old Navy locations opening around the same time in San Leandro and Pittsburg. That wording can create confusion, because several early locations opened during the launch period. Colma is nevertheless the city identified by Gap Inc. as the site of the first Old Navy store.
The location fit the brand’s early strategy: a large, accessible store with warehouse-style fixtures, broad aisles, and affordable clothing for adults and children. Old Navy later expanded across the United States and internationally, but its first-store story remains tied to Colma.