Today in Retail: Walmart Launches Spring Lines; Home Depot Celebrates Its Economic Agility

Today in retail, Macy’s has decided not to separate its eCommerce operations, while Walmart is adding more livestreamed content. Plus, Dillard’s is replacing a pair of retail locations with two that better reflect today’s retail realities.

Macy’s Says No to eComm Spin Off

Macy’s will stick with its existing integrated strategy after a three-month review of its business to assess the possibility of separating its eCommerce assets from its traditional physical stores.

Chairman and CEO Jeff Gennette told analysts and investors during the company’s 2021 fourth-quarter and full-year earnings call that an omnichannel Macy’s, with multiple nameplates from off-price to luxury, was the most appealing way to serve the retailer’s diverse and multi-generational customer base.

Macy’s reaffirmed its commitment to its ongoing Polaris transformation strategy, which is designed to remake the nation’s largest department store chain into a “digitally-led omnichannel retailer.” The company added that a primary objective of the review conducted with Alix Partners was to “respect the omnichannel behavior of customers.”

Walmart Launches Spring 2022 Lines, the First Created by Brandon Maxwell

Walmart on Tuesday (Feb. 22) debuted its spring 2022 collections, the first since it added American fashion designer Brandon Maxwell as creative director for its Free Assembly and Scoop brands last year, according to a company blog post.

The Free Assembly spring 2022 collection has more than 500 offerings for men, women and children, with pieces decked out in stripes, gingham, eyelet, spring fleece, color blocking and printed denim. Scoop focuses on vibrant colors, high-energy prints and denim, said Maxwell in the post.

Dillard’s Embracing New Retail Reality

Dillard’s Inc. is replacing a pair of retail stores with new ones that are part of its embrace of smaller brick-and-mortar locations and an increasingly omnichannel strategy, according to a company announcement on Tuesday.

The company is opening a 160,000-square-foot location at University Place in Orem, Utah, in mid-March to replace its 200,000-square-foot store in Provo Towne Centre. The retailer will also replace a leased building at Westgate Mall in Amarillo, Texas with a remodeled owned facility in the fall.

Those stores are among 250 Dillard’s locations and 30 clearance centers across 29 states plus its online store.

Walmart Deepens Livestreamed Shopping With Regularly Scheduled Programming

Walmart on Tuesday announced plans to deepen its commitment to livestreamed content with a stable of eight new themed and recurring shopping programs.

Walmart’s move expands upon a trial launched three months ago with TalkShopLive, the California-based startup whose platform and tech enable viewers to make one-click purchases during video shows without being redirected.

Home Depot Touts Agility in Ever-Changing Economic Landscape

The Home Depot Chairman and CEO Craig Menear used the word “agility” when talking about the approach he and his organization have taken to the ever-changing economic environment that’s included mask mandates, vaccination rates and an increase in foot traffic, especially lately.

Another way to look at agility, though, is not trying to roll back a sales approach to what worked before the COVID-19 pandemic began and instead focusing on giving customers what they want now in an increasingly digital world that’s still seeing people focusing on making home improvements.