Dive Brief:
- Walmart introduced Free Assembly Kids on Friday, an expansion of its Free Assembly private label into the children's category a little over a year after it launched.
- The initial Free Assembly kids collection offers nearly 50 different styles with prices ranging from $6 to $36, per the release. The collection features "foundational wardrobe staples," such as plaid prints, athleisure wear, coordinated items and faux sherpa items available in sizes from 5 to 18. New Free Assembly Kids collections will appear seasonally.
- J. Crew and Bonobos alum Dwight Fenton developed Free Assembly, which debuted in September last year. Walmart said Free Assembly Kids was designed to complement the adult collection.
Dive Insight:
After adding tween brand Justice to its assortment, Walmart is going deeper into the kids category.
The retailer formed a partnership with Justice in July, just in time for the back-to-school shopping season. The collaboration made over 140 Justice products available at Walmart. Walmart launched another private label for kids size 4 to 18, called Wonder Nation, back in 2018 in an attempt to make "itself a destination for apparel."
The retailer said it received positive feedback from consumers about broadening its selection of kids apparel.
Walmart has been attempting to step up its fashion game in recent years. The retailer has acquired several apparel brands including direct-to-consumer plus-sized brand Eloquii, outdoor brand Moosejaw, Bonobos and ModCloth (which it has since sold off).
The retailer even tapped acclaimed fashion designer Brandon Maxwell as creative director for Free Assembly and Scoop. Maxwell is in charge of collection design and also has a say in which materials to use.
"Free Assembly's fall collection includes styles for everyone," according to the Free Assembly fall lookbook. "Including 99 pieces for women, 21 for men, 28 for girls, and 19 for boys."
Walmart hasn't only been focused on its assortment. The retailer has also acquired technology to make consumers feel more confident about the fit of their purchase. Walmart acquired Zeekit, a virtual fitting room startup, earlier this year for an undisclosed amount.
