This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

New York • Gap's third-quarter profit fell nearly 18 percent, undercut by costs related to store closures outside North America.

Gap Inc. shares fell nearly 5 percent in after-market trading Thursday as the company said the slump in the number of people visiting its stores continues as it heads into the critical holiday shopping season.

San Francisco-based Gap is facing the same problems as other fashion retailers, with shoppers buying less clothing in general and also favoring off-price chains like T.J. Maxx.

But Gap is also struggling with identity problems, mired in a slump as its fashions just don't stand out in an overcrowded landscape.

The company that operates mainly its namesake, Banana Republic and Old Navy stores reported earlier that revenue at stores opened at least a year fell 3 percent in the quarter.

By brand, Gap and Banana Republic both suffered an 8 percent drop for the quarter. Old Navy has seen improvement and posted a 3 percent increase.

Gap announced in May that it was shuttering 75 Old Navy and Banana Republic stores outside North Americas as it focuses on regions where it sees it has the best potential under CEO Art Peck, who took the helm in 2015.

In August, a fire damaged a building on Gap's Fishkill, New York, distribution center campus, hampering business.

"The retail environment and the apparel environment continues to be challenging," said Peck in a conference call with analysts. "Traffic remains challenging and, as a planning assumption, we believe that will carry forward as well."

One of the company's bright spots is its athletic-inspired Athleta brand, which now has 130 stores as of the end of the quarter. It has done well with innovative products like the launch of Sculptek, a new fiber technology that sculpts and supports.

The retailer earned $204 million, or 51 cents per share, in the three-month period that ended Oct. 29. That compares with $248 million, or 61 cents per share, a year earlier.

Adjusted results were 60 cents per share, which matched estimates from FactSet. Gap posted revenue of $3.8 billion, down 1.5 percent from the year-ago period.

The company reaffirmed its adjusted earnings results to be in the range of $1.87 to $1.92 per share for the fiscal year.

Gap's shares fell $1.48 to $29.23 in after-market trading following the release of the earnings report.