The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
NEW YORK, United States — Walmart said on Wednesday that it would tie up with comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres to launch a women's fashion line, its latest attempt to make deeper inroads into the apparel space and gain market share in the category.
The line, dubbed EV1, will feature nearly 60 items, ranging from denim, T-shirts bearing Ellen quotes, accessories and footwear, all priced at $30 or less, with new items seasonally, Denise Incandela, head of fashion, Walmart US e-commerce, said in a blog post.
The partnership is likely to help Walmart recover lost ground against Amazon.com Inc and others in the rapidly growing fashion category. If Walmart succeeds, the move could advance its effort to access more affluent, younger, millennial customers who usually do not shop with the retailer.
The retailer said that the multi-year fashion partnership with DeGeneres would kick off on September 10 when the women's line debuts on Walmart.com and in more than 2,300 stores.
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Walmart, the largest clothing retailer in the United States, has been upgrading the apparel section in its stores with improved displays, open floor plans and better fitting rooms.
In February, Walmart launched four private label clothing brands to boost sales in the category. In November, the retailer tied up with department store operator Lord & Taylor by offering it dedicated space on Walmart.com.
Walmart also acquired several small online brands like Shoebuy, Modcloth and Bonobos last year to boost growth in the clothing and accessories business.
By Nandita Bose.
The company has continued to struggle with growing “at scale” and issued a warning in February that revenue may not start increasing again until the fourth quarter.
The British musician will collaborate with the Swiss brand on a collection of training apparel, and will serve as the face of their first collection to be released in August.
Designer brands including Gucci and Anya Hindmarch have been left millions of pounds out of pocket and some customers will not get refunds after the online fashion site collapsed owing more than £210m last month.
Antitrust enforcers said Tapestry’s acquisition of Capri would raise prices on handbags and accessories in the affordable luxury sector, harming consumers.