Walmart in ‘brand’ new move against Amazon

Walmart is about to debut a new initiative to bolster its defenses against its biggest rival.



The discounter's Jet.com site is launching a higher-end private-label brand of household and grocery essentials. The new brand, called Uniquely J, will launch in the coming months with a curated selection of products that include such essentials as coffee, olive oil, laundry detergent, paper towels, and more. Additional items will be added.



The new brand is designed for "metro Millennial consumers," said Meredith Klein, director of PR for Jet.com. It will feature custom-packaging illustrations by artists.



"Uniquely J brings together everything our customers care about — from quality to design and beyond — without tradeoffs," she said. "Instead of focusing in on any one aspect of product development, we’ve created a uniquely valuable brand experience that will speak to the metro Millennial lifestyle."



The initial launch will include more than 60 items, according to the New York Post. It reported that the products will be available exclusively on Jet.com for the first year, but will later be sold on Walmart's e-commerce site as well.



The new brand is seen as broadening the discounter's appeal to the type of younger, more affluent customer that is likely to shop at Whole Foods Market. The move comes as Amazon has been ramping up its own private-label food offerings. Its efforts took a bit step forward with the online giant's purchase of Whole Foods Market, whose 365 Everyday Day private-label line has been very well received. Amazon wasted no time to incorporate the Everyday brand into its own platforms, including Amazon.com, AmazonFresh, Prime Pantry, and Prime Now.