Dive Brief:
- Men's natural soap and personal care brand Dr. Squatch announced Thursday that it will be entering Walmart aisles — a move similar to many of its DTC peers.
- Walmart shoppers will now be able to purchase Dr. Squatch's Soap Gripper, shampoo and conditioner, as well as bar soaps in Pine Tar, Fresh Falls, Wood Barrel Bourbon and Cedar Citrus scents.
- Dr. Squatch's products will be in the natural products section at over 1,600 Walmart locations.
Dive Insight:
To many DTC brands looking to scale, entering physical retail by way of industry giants like Target and Walmart seems to be the go-to method to gain more sales and exposure to consumers.
In Target stores, shoppers will find a plethora of DTC brands such as men's grooming brand Harry's, sustainable cleaning brand Grove Collaborative and self-care brand Native. Walmart, on the other hand, has teamed up with digitally native brands like skincare brand Bubble, feminine hygiene brand Lola and healthcare DTC startup Ro.
Dr. Squatch founder and CEO Jack Haldrup said joining Walmart's personal care lineup would "elevate" the company's omnichannel strategy after seeing "immense growth" in recent years.
"As the largest retailer in the world, Walmart is uniquely positioned to help us achieve our goals of continued growth and empowering men to lead healthier and happier lives," Haldrup said in a statement.
Haldrup founded the natural men's personal care company in 2013. Since then, the company has developed creative ad content on platforms like Youtube, TikTok and, just this year, the Super Bowl to capture new audiences and gain market share. In 2020, the company grew fourfold and achieved about $100 million in revenue.
For big-box retailers, teaming up with DTC brands allows them to offer trendy products and tap into new, sometimes younger, consumer demographics that typically might not shop with them.
"Over the past year, our customers have expressed a need for more natural personal care products as part of a heightened focus on self-care," Shawn Townzen, vice president of merchandising and personal care at Walmart, said in a statement.
