Will Americans turn to Walmart and Target to organize their lives?
Photo: Walmart

Will Americans turn to Walmart and Target to organize their lives?

Americans need some sorting out. It would be difficult to get any other message this week with announcements from both Walmart and Target about new product line launches that their respective customers can use to organize their personal and professional lives.

Walmart introduced a line of home storage products as part of a collaboration with Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, co-founders and stars of the Emmy-nominated Netflix series “Get Organized with The Home Edit.”

The Home Edit Collection includes four organizing starter packs known as “Edits,” which have specific uses in the bathroom, laundry and pantry. A multi-purpose pack can be used in various locations in people’s homes. Other items in the line include an ornament organizer, stackable bins and risers.

Anthony Soohoo, executive vice president, Home, Walmart U.S., said the retailer’s customers have seen their homes get more cluttered over the past year-and-a-half, creating an increased demand for products to bring some order to the chaos. Despite this, he said, “70 percent of Walmart customers say they don’t know where to start when it comes to organizing their homes. And with the New Year being a popular time for people to refresh and de-clutter their spaces, this is the perfect time to bring our customers an exclusive collection from The Home Edit.”

Target debuted its first owned line of storage and home organization products under the Brightroom line.

Will Americans turn to Walmart and Target to organize their lives?
Photo: Target

Samara Tuchband, senior vice president of merchandising, home, Target, said, “Brightroom is all about helping guests easily organize their homes with hundreds of well-designed and functional pieces — all at an incredible value.”

The Brightroom line comprises 450 products at its launch, including baskets, drawer dividers, hampers, pegboards and shelving units. Prices for most goods range from $1 to $25. Products across the portfolio are made to work together to make it “easy” for Target’s customers “to build on storage solutions over time and stay organized.”

The new private label appears aligned with Target’s tradition of combining both form and function in its designs. The Brightroom line uses a variety of materials to achieve this including “breathable mesh for vegetable pantry storage, wood for warmth and durability, natural wovens to add texture and soften spaces, plastics that can be scrubbed clean and fabrics that can be folded and tucked away when not in use.”

BrainTrust

"This is a very strong category, and both retailers have really great credibility in the space already. This is simply building on their strengths."

Gary Sankary

Retail Industry Strategy, Esri


Discussion Questions

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Do you see the home organizing products category heating up in 2022? What is your evaluation of the new lines of home organizing products from Walmart and Target as well as their likely impact on category market share?

Poll

14 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Neil Saunders
Famed Member
2 years ago

Home organization has been strong over the past two years as consumers have spent more time at home and have been receptive to clutter-busting advocates such as Marie Kondo and the “organization” trends on social media. However there is an opportunity for more sophisticated solutions, more professionalized ranges and a greater injection of fashion. Both Target and Walmart’s new lines seem to deliver on these things and reflect some of the aesthetics seen on Instagram and TikTok.

David Spear
Active Member
2 years ago

This strategy will work. During the pandemic, we saw huge spikes in DIY Lowe’s and Home Depot’s businesses, and there were incredible amounts of large- to small-scale home renovation projects as well. Naturally, there will be a strong follow-on play for organizing products. Personally, I’ll be purchasing a few of these items for my home, as I have several projects that fall into this category.

Shep Hyken
Active Member
2 years ago

I would have thought there was already home organizing products in the Walmart and Target (and other major retailers) merchandise. People always look for ways to declutter and organize their lives. And with more people spending more time at home, this makes even more sense. I see the Walmart line as something new and exciting to promote. The fact that these brands are pushing the category will have positive impact for the manufacturers and competitive impact for other retailers pushing similar merchandise.

Dave Wendland
Active Member
2 years ago

The home organization category has been heating up for quite some time. The Container Store benefited greatly during the pandemic and continues to be on a roll. Honestly, The Container Store’s strategy of combining luxury with simplicity and service offerings will continue to successfully cater to a certain echelon of shopper. Furthermore, their partnership with Marie Kondo and, more recently, Cassandra Aarssen of ClutterBug, gives them a competitive head start in this category.

Enter Walmart and Target with strategies to capture their fair share. Target’s Brightroom portfolio appears to have an advantage as far as aesthetics go, but Walmart’s more utilitarian approach will appeal to many. They will both capture a certain portion of category sales – likely at the expense of Container Store, as well as Home Depot, and others who have offered solutions in this space.

Georganne Bender
Noble Member
2 years ago

More stuff to organize your stuff! Who doesn’t swoon in a Container Store? So much possibility!

I never got past the Home Edit recommending books be displayed in “rainbow order.” Where’s the Stephen King? IDK, check under indigo. Let’s hope the recommendations from Walmart and Target help people do more than just make their stuff look pretty. Some of us actually want to use the things we organize again. 🙂

Gary Sankary
Noble Member
2 years ago

This is a very strong category, and both retailers have really great credibility in the space already. This is simply building on their strengths. And, they’re doing it at the right time, January is a big month for exercise equipment and home storage. Home storage actually gets used I bet.

Liza Amlani
Active Member
2 years ago

Home organization is imperative now that we spend most of our days at home. Affordable, delightful, aesthetically pleasing AND at a competitive price point is exactly what consumers need right now. Walmart and Target continuously meet the customer where they are and with what they need. This is not only smart for retail but smart for consumers pockets. I absolutely love this and I can’t wait to see what’s in store!

FYI I am a sucker for organizing and planning so this is speaking to me on more levels than you can imagine!

Jeff Weidauer
Jeff Weidauer
Member
2 years ago

Home organization is hot and there is a gap between the Home Depot and Lowe’s DIY offer and the more upscale Container Store solutions. Target and Walmart will grab share and create an even greater market for these products.

Richard Hernandez
Active Member
2 years ago

The Container Store has been out front for some time in making home organization a trend. Walmart and Target have sold home organization product for a long time now, but it’s never been presented a cohesive idea. I think they will do OK as long as they present differentiation and simplicity in their presentation.

Dave Wendland
Active Member
Reply to  Richard Hernandez
2 years ago

You’re absolutely right, Richard. If Target and Walmart cannot “organize” this category properly and present it as a solution center/destination in their stores, full potential will not be realized.

Steve Montgomery
Steve Montgomery
Member
2 years ago

One of the likely New Year’s resolutions for many families is to get better organized. The past three years have increased the “stuff” they have in their homes, so the timing is right for both companies to focus on providing organizing solutions. Given Target’s broad selection, functionality, use of materials and its positioning in the market, I expect their line will prove to be a winner.

Katie Thomas
2 years ago

The growth of this category is counterintuitive to the “experience over things” message we’ve seen about millennials and below in recent years. Seems that both of these product lines are at least partially targeted at Gen Y and Gen Z — despite the preaching that they want fewer things. This category has always amused me because it really isn’t about “de”-cluttering, but organizing my clutter slightly more aesthetically.

Certainly, we’ve all accumulated stuff during the pandemic since we couldn’t engage in as many experiences, but I think this category will reach its saturation point soon.

Scott Norris
Active Member
2 years ago

I’m a loyal Target shopper and of course go there first. I’ve seen that pink rolling cart in more neutral colors there for at least a year. Bought one for my mother-in-law last summer. And it’s been at IKEA for years before that. Woven baskets, wooden hangers too. Whole lot of, “yes, this is what you’ve always carried. So what?”

Patricia Vekich Waldron
Active Member
2 years ago

Editing and organizing are top-of-mind to confined consumers. Both retailers are right on to offer solutions that help improve homes and lifestyles on a daily basis.