USA TODAY International Edition
Walmart goes for the gold
Olympian helping to select swim gear
Walmart and other retailers are going for the gold against online giant Amazon by tapping experts to make sure they are stocking the best merchandise.
The world’s largest retailer is only the latest to drill down into categories by hiring hundreds of “category specialists” to sort through its offerings.
For swimming, for example, Walmart just named Nathan Adrian, an American who won gold in the 2012 Olympic Games and bronze last year, to offer advice on everything from swim caps to goggles.
Adrian comes aboard at a time when Walmart has been aggressively buying up niche websites that specialize in shoes, outdoor gear and other products to corner the market on specific segments of the online shopping public.
“We want to be that place where the shopper can find anything that they need,’’ says Scott Hilton, chief revenue officer for Walmart U. S. eCommerce, “and that means we need to have specialty experience in every single shopping category.’’
Several retailers have taken steps to boost their expertise at a time when many store chains are struggling to woo shoppers amid increased competition from Amazon and other online sellers:
Target. The mass merchandiser found its own group of experts — children between the ages of 7 and 14 — to help shape its Art Class clothing collection, which debuted in January and was tailored to the 86 million teens and tweens of Generation Z.
Toys R Us. The toy- selling giant, in revamping its website, will soon feature pages that not only sell car seats and strollers but will educate new parents about which model or style best fits their needs.
Lowe’s. The nation’s secondlargest home improvement chain purchased online furniture and knick- knack seller ATG Stores in 2011.
Walmart says that it will be hiring hundreds of specialists over the next two months in categories ranging from fishing gear to shoes. They will not only help select items but have a say in the way they are priced and displayed online. “The first step is all about the basics,’’ Adrian said in a statement. “I plan to review and expand the products we offer to make sure we have the right items for every type of swimmer, from the toddler learning how to swim ... to the high school competitive swimmer needing a suit and equipment for training and meets.”
Bringing in outsiders who understand a market niche could be a smart move, says Neil Saunders, managing director of retail analysis firm, Global Data.
“People brought in often have a good external perspective which helps them to identify opportunities that those more involved in the business may not be able to do,” he says.
But Farla Efros, president of retail strategic firm HRC Retail Advisory, says a chain can specialize in only so many categories. “You cannot be experts in everything,” Efros says.