Yesterday, Walmart launched a new online “Premium Outdoor Store” curated by Moosejaw, the outdoor retailer that the mega-chain purchased last February.
Moosejaw is the first of Walmart’s many recent acquisitions to get its own designated storefront on the Walmart website, offering a glimpse of the discount retailer’s long-term strategy to take on Amazon.
Letting the cool brands stay cool
At first glance, Moosejaw (acquired for $51m) may seem like a small part of Walmart’s digital strategy compared to other big acquisitions like Jet.com ($3B) or Flipkart ($16B).
But Walmart needs to move past its reputation for discount products — and to do that it must attract up-market shoppers, like those who buy $1.5k jackets at brand-name subsidiaries like Moosejaw.
As Walmart continues to scale its other trendy small acquisitions, like Bonobos and ModCloth, it will work hard to preserve their brand value.
A little Moose on a big mission
The ‘Mart has countered Amazon’s move into the brick and mortar space with a digital affront of its own.
Aside from its acquisition spree, the company has started prioritizing partnerships, joining forces with Lord & Taylor to offer the department store’s premium fashion and accessory brands.
But copying Amazon’s online marketplace isn’t enough. Walmart is also trying to replicate Bezos’ bread and butter: books. Last month, they launched an online eBook store with Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten. Its new service is cheaper than Amazon’s.
