Upscale Wal-Mart
New Look to Attract Affluent Shoppers
Remember when we featured that Wal-Mart was rocking the runway at New York Fashion Week? It may be part of a larger master plan to move upscale. According to Bloomberg news, "Wal-Mart Stores said Tuesday that it was testing a uniform for its 1.3 million U.S. employees as the company works to attract more upscale shoppers. . . Wal-Mart, the largest discount chain, is upgrading its stores and merchandise to persuade customers who shop for basics to buy more profitable items like clothing, electronics and home goods."
Trend Themes
1. Upscale Discount Retailers - Opportunities for discount retailers to cater to a more affluent customer base by upgrading their stores and merchandise.
2. Employee Uniform Design - Innovative employee uniform designs as a marketing strategy for retailers looking to appeal to a new demographic.
3. Fashion-forward Retail - Shifts in retail strategy to incorporate fashion-forward clothing, electronics, and home goods in order to target more profitable customers.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - The retail industry has the opportunity to expand its customer base by incorporating fashion-forward clothing, electronics, and home goods and upgrading its stores and merchandise.
2. Fashion - The fashion industry can collaborate with retailers to design innovative employee uniforms to appeal to a new demographic.
3. Employee Uniform Manufacturers - Employee uniform manufacturers can offer their customers fashion-forward and brand-aligned designs as a marketing strategy for retailers looking to appeal to a new demographic.