Walmart.com suits up to bring back apparel
Apparel is coming back to Walmart.com, which is rethinking a category it kicked out in 2001, a spokeswoman tells InternetRetailer.com. "We plan to sell apparel again online," she says.
Walmart.com aborted its online apparel strategy in April 2000 after it was unable to match a profitable merchandising strategy with an effective inventory management system, industry analysts say. The spokeswoman declines to provide details on what types of apparel Walmart.com will sell or when.
Duif Calvin, an independent retail analyst based in San Francisco, says Walmart.com could be successful following a strategy similar to one implemented last year by Sears, Roebuck and Co., which focuses its online as well as its store-based apparel sales around the Lands` End brand.
Calvin, noting that Walmart.com needs to develop or acquire expertise in selling apparel both online and in other channels, suggests that Walmart.com could do well selling apparel from Sara Lee Corp.`s Hanes brand as it is sold on OneHanesPlace.com. She adds that OneHanesPlace.com caters to the same consumer demographics with a selection of classic, high-value products that could appeal to Walmart.com customers.
She adds that Hanes products are already sold in Wal-Mart stores, providing a way for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to leverage Hanes across its store and online channels.
Calvin adds that Walmart.com could also consider following the Amazon.com approach by setting up online storefronts for other apparel specialty retailers.
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