Walmart is ramping up its private-brand strategy with a major overhaul of its home and hardware categories.
The retailer announced Wednesday that it is revamping its hardware department with an exclusive Greenworks Pro tool line and expanded Hyper Tough offerings. At the same time, Walmart says it is launching Mainstays Kids, its first new home brand in five years.
Courtney Carlson, a senior vice president at Walmart, told FOX Business that the strategy is centered on delivering more choice, innovation and value to customers.
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“We always seek to bring the most assortment to our customers so that they have choice, variety, and so that we can provide many solutions for them,” Carlson said. “Our private brands are an important part of that strategy because what we see is that we build brands that bring unmatched quality through exclusive designs, innovation, and value to our customers.”
Continued demand from do-it-yourself (DIY) shoppers helped drive the decision to reboot the hardware department, according to Carlson.
“For us, it’s about investing in what we see our customers doing, and we have a lot of DIY customers,” she said.
The launch of Mainstays Kids comes as parents increasingly look for more personalized and design-focused spaces for their children, according to Carlson.
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“What we saw is that parents really want to invest in their kids’ rooms, design in their kids’ rooms, and they see it as an extension of their own home,” Carlson said. “But they want it to be able to be really special to what their kids love.”
Carlson said Walmart developed the brand with extensive feedback from both parents and children throughout the design process. The retailer tested products directly with families and kids.
“We put the customer at the center and developed and designed with them the whole way through,” Carlson said.
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The expansion of Walmart’s private-brand strategy follows the company’s broader investment in its physical footprint. Last month, Walmart announced plans to remodel more than 650 of its stores around the U.S. and open about 20 new stores in 2026 and early 2027.
The push also comes as retailers increasingly use owned brands and exclusive assortments to compete on price, differentiate their merchandise and appeal to shoppers who remain focused on value.
“This investment is intended to create jobs, help strengthen local economies, and make shopping faster and more convenient for our customers,” Walmart said at the time, adding that the new stores and remodels will drive construction jobs during the projects while creating long-term roles in retail, pharmacy and store leadership.
FOX Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report.
