To bring a specialty auto parts store to its website, Walmart is teaming up with Advance Auto Parts. Through the tie-up, the retailer will offer auto parts products and accessories such as tires in Walmart Auto Care Centers as well as online, CNBC reported.
Walmart e-commerce Vice President of Retail Merchandising Phillip Oaks said, “This year, we’ve been incredibly focused on building our offering on Walmart.com to ensure we have the specialty assortment that our customers are looking for. This comprehensive partnership will enhance almost every aspect of the automotive customer shopping experience — from the product offering online to fulfillment capabilities.”
With the new partnership, consumers will be able to use same-day pickup as well as home delivery through the brick-and-mortar stores of Advance Auto Parts and Walmart. In all, Advance Auto Parts has a headcount of 70,000 employees and a brick-and-mortar footprint of 6,400 stores.
The news comes days after Walmart had announced its acquisition of online intimate apparel seller Bare Necessities. With the deal, Bare Necessities CEO and Co-founder Noah Wrubel join Walmart as the head of the intimates category across Walmart.com and Jet.com; he will also continue to run the Bare Necessities business. The announcement also noted that over time, Bare Necessities goods will begin to make an appearance on Jet.com and Walmart.com.
Founded 20 years ago in 1998, Bare Necessities stocks over 100,000 SKUs from more than 160 brands, according to a blog post by Denise Incandela, head of fashion for Walmart U.S. Though Bare Necessities will be officially joining the Walmart family, its standalone site will continue to operate.
That move follows a series of efforts by Walmart to expand and enhance its eCommerce and specialty retail offerings. Other recent moves have included the exclusive launch of the EV1 line with Ellen DeGeneres, its digital partnership with Lord & Taylor and its acquisition of plus-sized retailer ELOQUII.