Walmart doesn't want to be a house of brands

Author

Stephen Babcock
April 18, 2023

Walmart’s $75 million sale of Bonobos to WHP and Express was a significant rollback from the $310 million that the retailer paid to acquire the digitally native apparel brand in 2017. It’s a sign of how Walmart’s ecommerce strategy has shifted. Instead of creating a lineup of standalone brands across consumer categories, Walmart is now prioritizing growth of its centralized marketplace – and the retail media and logistics businesses that are being built around it.

Lululemon’s investment in biotech company Geno is showing up in the threads of a new shirt that is seeing release just in time for Earth Day. Plant-based materials account for half of the nylon in the shirt, while another 40% is recycled polyester. It’s a step on Lululemon’s journey to make 100% of its goods with sustainable materials by 2030. –CNBC

The athlete empowerment brand founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter is the latest to partner with Tapcart to introduce a mobile shopping app. With a focus on product, content and community, the brand is seeking to boost new user acquisition, sell-through rates and customer retention.

Morning Consult uncovered another dividing line between remote and in-person workers: The WFH bunch is twice as likely to order groceries online as the office crew. It shows that shifts in modes of working can change habits. How does your brand fit into your customer’s routine? – Grocery Dive

Here’s the first significant ecommerce feature release of the year from Google: Merchants can now add shipping and returns info right alongside price in product listings. These details can make or break a sale, so the search giant wants them to be displayed clearly.

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