Gap’s Latest Attempt to Stay Relevant: Selling Home Goods at Walmart

Michael Beausoleil
Marker
Published in
6 min readSep 20, 2021

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Two decades ago, you would need to go to the mall if you wanted to chase trends. All of the most popular fashion brands had their own stores and the department stores tended to have the latest trends in home goods. In 2020, this experience has drastically changed. Malls are closing, and customers have more options when it comes to making purchases.

During this time period, the name Gap was synonymous with cool. While the brand doesn’t have the same “cool” factor it had decades ago, it was still considered more fashionable than many big-box stores. Now, the brand is expanding. They’re leaving the mall, and they’re hoping to fill parts of your home outside of the closets.

In 2021 Gap collaborated with Walmart to release “Gap Home,” its first home goods line. The decision seems like a surprise for people who were familiar with the brand when it was at its most popular. Anyone who has followed the brand into the 2020s shouldn’t be overly shocked. Gap has publicly stated that it’s changing directions and the Walmart collaboration is a culmination of multiple initiatives coming to fruition.

Why Work With Walmart?

Admittedly, Walmart is not a high fashion brand. While it does sell perfectly wearable clothing, customers are going to need to get a little creative if they want to spruce up their style in a Walmart store. However, Walmart is no stranger to successful collaborations. They were a home for the Olsen…

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Michael Beausoleil
Marker

User Analytics | Digital & Brand Marketing | Productivity … hoping to explore topics that interest me and find others with similar passions