Walmart focuses more on fashion
Walmart has been known for its wide array of basic socks, T-shirts and pull-on pants. Now, the nation’s largest retailer is betting it can change that image and be a destination for affordable stylish fashion for middle America.
The Bentonville, Arkansas-based discounter has been adding mannequins and colorful displays of its clothing, while bolstering its fashion to include casual work wear like cargo pants and trendy dresses. It has also brought in brands like Reebok, Justice, and Champs and partnered with celebrities like Sofia Vergara for a jeans line as well as influencers like Rachel Zoe.
The changes — spearheaded under Denise Incandela, executive vice president of apparel and private label brands — are happening as the discounter faces increasing competition from all fronts as well as still high inflation.
The Associated Press recently interviewed Incandela about her vision.
Your background is in luxury. Why Walmart?
For me, to be able to operate at this scale and impact so much of the country and to be able to bring it to this level that makes everybody feel beautiful at extraordinary price points and an extraordinary value felt like an opportunity of a lifetime.
How are you getting Walmart shoppers to buy more clothing?
We’re not looking to be fancy. We were more opening price point basics. Now, you’ll see a lot more dresses. Things that are hot right now are cargo pants. So it’s making sure that we’re playing in the trends in a way that our customer expects us to.
Where do you source apparel?
We are sourced from all over the globe so we source from South America. We source from Asia. We’re constantly shifting based on where we think we will have the best partnership.
Have you increased testing?
We have brought a lot of testing into our assortment that we haven’t had in the past. We've got anywhere from 25 to 50 stores that we test assortments when we’re making changes.
How do you compete with fast fashion retailers like Shein?
The scale of Walmart enables us to bring a level of quality and fabrication that’s hard to match in the industry. I think 90% of the country is within 10 minutes of driving to our 4,000 stores. And then we’re a grocery store. On top of that is building out our online presence.
How’s fall selling?
It was a slow start to the year (in) discretionary spend categories. But I’m super excited and encouraged and cautiously optimistic about what I’m seeing for fall and back to school.
Isn’t it hard to change perception?
For millennials and Gen Z, there’s more openness to where they buy than there was potentially with boomers and Gen X. And so I think this is our time and other companies have done it.