Walmart partners with fashion startup aimed at kids apparel

Walmart hopes to boost sales of kids clothing by partnering with New York-based KIDBOX on a seasonal subscription initiative aimed at families who want top fashion brands for their children.

The retailer’s partnership with KIDBOX allows consumers access to more than 100 brands of fashion apparel curated by style experts and delivered to the home. Walmart shoppers sign up for the Walmart Stylebox online through a landing page on Walmart.com. Consumers take a short quiz about the child’s size, disposition and activity level. Then the consumer selects preferred fashion styles to give stylists a starting point. Shoppers can also add additional information such as “likes sparkles and sequins” or “doesn’t like dresses.”

Once the information is submitted the consumer is directed to the purchase page. The cost is $48 for four or five items selected by the stylists, and is an exclusive price for Walmart shoppers only. There is no delivery fee for the items shipped to the shopper’s front door. The seasonal boxes are curated six times a year and consumers are allowed to opt out of a shipment if they so choose.

To skip a shipment shoppers respond when they are notified a new shipment is about to be sent. Another perk for using the Walmart Stylebox program is that KIDBOX will donate clothing to a child in need for every box of clothing sold through a partnership with Delivering Good.

“We are thrilled to partner with KIDBOX to introduce our first kids’ subscription apparel service offering premium fashion brands at substantial savings,” Denise Incandela, head of fashion, Walmart U.S. eCommerce, said in Tuesday’s (April 16) announcement. “Over the last year, we have significantly expanded our portfolio of kids’ fashion brands as part of our broader effort to establish Walmart.com as a destination for fashion. Our partnership with KIDBOX enables us to round out our offering with additional national and premium kids’ brands.”

The new Walmart KIDBOX stylebox will be available for sizes 0 to 14 for girls and 0 to 16 for boys and includes items ranging from sweaters and denim to dresses and graphic t-shirts. Some of the fashion brands from which stylists select the shipments include Betsey Johnson. Levi’s, Limited Too, The Children’s Place, Kapital K, Wonder Nation and Athletic Works. Walmart said there are more than 100 new brands of kids’ fashion added to Walmart.com over the last year.

Walmart has also launched new shopping destinations for dance essentials and gymnastics, and licensed children’s clothing, making it easier for customers to shop for fashion featuring popular movie, TV and gaming characters.

“Walmart has done a lot over the past year to establish itself as a go-to retailer for all things fashion, and we’re honored to partner with the retailer to expand its kids’ assortment online, while also saving parents time and offering them the value and convenience of a stylebox,” said Miki Berardelli, KIDBOX CEO.

Following the success of programs like StitchFix and TrunkClub for adult fashion, the kid’s fashion play is a step in the right direction, according to Carol Spieckerman, CEO of Spieckerman Retail.

“KIDBOX checks a lot of boxes for Walmart. It allows Walmart to extend a subscription-based shopping model to the kids’ category, with moms who are already primed for purchase through their own subscription experiences. It has the potential to drive loyalty and repeat purchase behavior for Walmart,” Spieckerman told Talk Business & Politics.

She said Walmart customers will gain access to brands through Walmart they otherwise would not find at the retailer.

“This is a great way for Walmart to extend its brand portfolio by association while mitigating any resistance from brands that wouldn’t want to be sold in Walmart stores,” she added.