Walmart.com testing women’s clothing line

Walmart.com is testing z.b.d. design, a new women’s fashion apparel line. Parent Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is testing the more stylish apparel only on its e-commerce site.

“We often pilot merchandise in this manner across a variety of categories on our site,” a Walmart.com spokeswoman says. “We’ll continue to evaluate this line of merchandise and gauge customer feedback over the coming months.”

The z.b.d. design line is positioned on Walmart.com’s home page as “smart style” at “smart prices,” and the pitch notes that “our mix-and-match essentials take you from work to evening in effortless style.” The styling is more upscale than the company’s traditional casual clothing and could signal more trendy clothing in its stores.

Wal-Mart, No. 13 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, says it plans to stick to the basics in its store clothing lines in the next few years, with the exception of some exclusive and private label brands. The spokeswoman declined to offer more specifics.