Walmart announces new interactive tools for parents, expands GAP exclusives
Walmart recently announced two large partnerships: One with tech company eko to better assist customers through technology, and the other a furthering of the company’s partnership with Gap to further expand the Walmart exclusive Gap Home collection.
The Car Seat Finder and Baby Gift Finder 2.0 are powered by eko’s Discovery Engine, and were created to streamline the shopper experience, encourage discovery and solve common shopper challenges like limited product knowledge and overwhelming options. Walmart has offered interactive experiences before with eko, including its Paint Finder mobile tool, and most recently a partnership with Netflix and the children's show "Waffles + Mochi."
The eko experience will help parents find products including from Walmart’s own brands, such as the Parent's Choice Sealife Inflatable Safety Bathtub, Spark Create Imagine Farm Book with Puppets and Spark Create Imagine 9+ Months Sensory Stacking Blocks Activity Toy, 9 Piece, Unisex. Walmart highlighted its baby products last month during Baby Safety Month, offering discounts and its branded and private label selection.
“In the midst of an earlier-than-ever holiday shopping season, brands of all shapes and sizes are up against several challenges — from supply chain issues to trying to meet consumers where they are online,” said eko. “Amid this landscape, brands like eko are revolutionizing the shopping experience — leaning into what works to cut through and sell more with a more interactive and human experience.”
Walmart and eko’s multi-year partnership has already led to the development of interactive experiences spanning toy catalogs to cooking shows, including successful titles Make It, Cookshop (including the recent interactive e-commerce initiative from Kraft Heinz) and WonderLab.
Walmart’s Gap Home collection launched in late June of this year, offering over 400 items across home décor, tabletop, bedding and bath. Now, the collection will include a wide selection of furniture.
“Over the past six months, we have received fantastic feedback from customers on our Gap Home décor, tabletop, bedding and bath options, all of which offer timeless American style for modern living,” said Walmart. “And today, we are announcing that we are further deepening our relationship with Gap with the launch of Gap Home Furniture on Walmart.com, as well as by bringing the Gap Home brand to Walmart store shoppers for the first time with the introduction of a capsule collection of bedding styles at select Walmart stores.”
Gap Home Furniture, which will be priced from $49.88 – $629, will consist of more than 150 furniture items, including couches, ottomans, TV stands, headboards, rugs and more. Highlights of the new collection include various headboard styles, rugs in a variety of textures and patterns, mid-century and modern furniture designs.
Walmart is also introducing new fall styles in bedding, curtains, pillows and more, including the assortment of bedding styles that will be available in select Walmart stores, such as the Washed Frayed Edge Organic Cotton Quilt in blue and white ($59.98 – $64.98) and the T-shirt Soft Jersey Reversible Organic Cotton Blend Comforter Set in navy and blue ($59.98 – $69.98).