When we think of Walmart, we don’t necessarily think of high fashion, but the retailer just strengthened its position as number one in the US apparel market with plans to acquire plus-size brand Eloquii. Originally, being purchased for an undisclosed amount, Recode now states the department store is forking up $100 million for the startup company.
Haven’t heard of it? Originally part of The Limited, Eloquii was relaunched in 2014 as a digitally native online retailer of trend-driven fast fashion. In an effort to compete with Amazon, the acquisition will bring in a new demographic of consumers, different from the core Walmart shopper; namely a younger consumer with a higher disposable income.
And if you haven’t been paying attention, this isn’t the first trendier brand Walmart has added to their portfolio. Since 2016, the department store has also bought Moosejaw, ModCloth, and Bonobos, the only difference being that Eloquii focuses solely on plus-size clothing. According to Forbes, the women’s plus-size market has been growing faster than any other apparel market in the US with retailers selling $21.4 billion in 2016, so this is undoubtedly a great move.
Not only is Walmart modernizing their offering, but they’re also now reaching a market that has traditionally been underserved. “We got excited about this problem,” Walmart’s Dunn told Recode in an interview. “[The plus-sized market] has been dramatically underserved and there’s an amazing opportunity to go and bring delight to it.”
Whether or not Eloquii will be sold through Walmart.com or it’s millennial-focused subsidiary, Jet.com is still undecided… we’re just going have to wait and see how the new acquisition plays out. For now, take a look at some of our favourite styles from Eloquii below.
View this post on Instagram
London calling! ?? @alexmichaelmay wears our Striped Ottoman Tie Back Midi Dress #XOQ
Posts you might be interested in:
This Might Be The New Plus Size Online Store Every Girl Has Dreamed Of
Plus Size Shopping is Hard: I Tried 6 Stores and Here’s What I Thought
H&M Brings their Plus Sized range to Toronto
9 Plus-Size Activewear Brands That You’ll Absolutely Love on Your Curves
Joe Fresh Just Launched A Stunning New Plus-Size Activewear Line
In a committed effort to lose its image as a ‘basic’ clothing retailer, Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, will launch its most ambitious clothing launch in years on Thursday. Copying rivals Amazon and Target, the Arkansas based chain is determined to become a destination for trendy clothing with its four new private label lines for women, children, and men. Prices will range from $5 to $30 (U.S.).
According to Walmart, this effort aims to respond to their customers’ wishes for smarter and more stylish fashions, such as ruffled items and skinny jeans. One of its new clothing lines, Time and Tru, will focus on women who want to polish their overall look; another line, Terra & Sky will provide clothing for plus-size women; their new Wonder Nation line will cater to children; and its private brand, George, will sell men’s items, but only in the U.S. This spring, Walmart’s revitalized website will focus on fashion and home design, with the goal to increase sales above 9% in 2018. Current Walmart labels, such as White Stag and Faded Glory, and George’s women’s clothing in the U.S., will be discontinued. In addition, other upgrades are being implemented, such as inspiring store displays, upgraded clothing departments, and fitting rooms. Walmart says the move is in response to customer requests for affordable stylish clothing. Essentially Walmart wants to do what Joe Fresh and Loblaws started doing 10 years ago.
Launching new clothing lines can be risky, as discounter Walmart learned in 2005. Their upscale Metro 7 collection, advertised in Vogue, failed with their customers. However, Walmart is more confident this time around as this launch started with the focus on their customers.
Walmart is hoping to emulate their main competitors, Amazon and Target, who greatly boosted their profit margins with their private label clothing brands by eliminating the middleman and keeping exclusive. Amazon is on target to become the largest U.S. clothing retailer, raising its market share from 6.6 % to 16 % by 2021.
In recent years, Walmart has been trying to change their image. They gained a negative reputation as the anti-worker company that valued profits more than anything else, and for putting mom and pop stores out of business. They have spent millions recently to rehabilitate their image, improving customer service, and adding training and education programs, plus higher salaries for their employees. In their attempts to be a good corporate citizen, they now participate in humanitarian efforts, starting with participating in clean up efforts after Hurricane Katrina. It is ironic that e-commerce and online sales sites, such as Amazon, are now being blamed for the retail apocalypse.
What do you think of Walmart’s new line?
Posts you might be interested in:
Walmart is Making the Self Checkout Even Faster With This New Tech
We Are Obsessed With Ugly Fashion – This Is Why
6 Awesome Subscription Boxes that Ship to Canada
The SD Insider Club: Keep Updated On Best Sales and Retail News
10 Things Every Hudson’s Bay Shopper Needs To Know