Photo: Gap/Walmart
Gap and Walmart are teaming up. In a newly announced partnership, Walmart will sell Gap Home — a new brand of bedding, bath and other home essentials — beginning on June 24 on walmart.com. Plans are in place to eventually bring Gap Home to Walmart’s store shelves, as well.
The new line from Gap probably wasn’t what many of the company’s watchers had in mind last October when management announced a move away from mall-based stores and more of a focus on standalone locations and digital sales. It is in line, however, with a deal the company signed in May 2020 with IMG as part of an agreement for the licensing firm to sell Gap branded Home décor, furniture and textiles.
The Gap Home collection will kick off with more than 400 SKUs, priced from $15.88 to $64.98. The brand will drop seasonal and special collections as time goes on. The line includes items made with organic cotton and recycled materials.
Walmart executive vice president, home, Anthony Soohoo, said the retailer has focused on expanding its assortment in the category and that the exclusive deal with Gap is another example of how it is achieving its goals.
“We’re thrilled that Gap selected Walmart as the exclusive retailer to debut its home brand,” Mr. Soohoo said in a statement. “A hallmark of American fashion, Gap is the ideal partner to bring its timeless, signature style into the modern home to help customers design and decorate beautiful living spaces.”
Mark Breitbard, president and CEO of Gap brand, said that working with Walmart makes sense on a number of levels.
“Walmart is a global leader in the home space with extensive digital reach and distribution, and this partnership enables Gap to introduce a new category in a smart, scalable way,” he said.
Bringing Gap Home to Walmart, he added, will open “a new door for Gap as a lifestyle brand delivering timeless American style in all new ways. We are excited for this growth opportunity, enabling even more customers to fall in love with Gap.”