Walmart has spent the last three years overhauling its adult apparel assortment to make it more stylish yet practical for the middle class. Now, the nation’s largest retailer is using the back-to-school shopping season to once again shore up its fashion credibility, reports the Associated Press. The company will relaunch its 30-year-old teen and young adult brand on Tuesday with a new 130-piece fall collection targeted at Gen Z. The relaunch of the No Boundaries label is part of a strategy to get customers to see Walmart as a place to buy cool clothes along with groceries.
The new collection features trendy styles like baggy jeans, cropped T-shirts, faux leather corsets and bomber jackets. Most items are priced at under $15. Some pieces are made from recycled fabrics to appeal to a generation that values sustainability. The size range has been expanded to be more inclusive, from XXS to 5X. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company is promoting the relaunched No Boundaries on TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest and online gaming site Roblox. It plans to test new prototypes in stores in major college cities.
Walmart previously relied on various suppliers and a separate design team to build its No Boundaries line, which focuses on everyday essentials like T-shirts and denim. The retailer has hired a dedicated design team to create the relaunch collection, a sign of the brand’s importance to Walmart’s broader fashion strategy. Three years ago, Walmart signaled its desire to be taken seriously as a fashion destination when it hired Brandon Maxwell, an American designer who has outfitted celebrities like Lady Gaga, as creative director of “prestige” fashion brands Free Assembly and Scoop. (What do younger generations actually think of Walmart’s updated fashion? Here are some reactions.)
