Walmart Turns to HGTV Stars to Upgrade Its Outdoor Furnishings Lineup

Walmart is adding a new outdoor furniture line backed by designer duo Dave and Jenny Marrs, a report Monday (April 25) from Bloomberg said.

The duo is known for home-remodeling shows on HGTV.

The collection for Walmart will encompass a porch swing and dining table from the couple. Walmart also plans to add indoor furniture, according to Julie Barber, a senior vice president with the retail giant.

This is all part of the shift Walmart is making toward merchandise that is more “stylish and chic” according to Barber. Barber oversees the hardlines category, which has things like hardware, paint and patio furniture.

Bloomberg noted that it’s also part of Walmart’s possible angle of getting in on Target’s niche of more “cheap chic” sensibilities.

“Walmart is really focused on building out that assortment to bring in higher quality, stylish home goods and decor,” Barber said. “Categories like sporting goods, hardware, automotive, paint and outdoor living are important to Walmart because they are part of our strategy to create a one-stop shop for our customers.”

The collection will have planters for as little as $12 and dining tables as high as around $1,000. The porch swing, at $900, has been an especially coveted buy, according to Jenny Marrs.

See also: Walmart Focuses on Expanding ‘Strong Ties’ With Local Businesses

PYMNTS wrote that Walmart has also been making strides toward leveraging local ties, according to comments from CEO Doug McMillon.

He said the company wanted “to build strong local businesses that share common flywheel characteristics, powered by Walmart with ideas, resources, talent and technology.”

He said the teams in every market know the customers well and are partnering on various areas to make more progress.

“We’re expanding the ecosystem that supports them as we grow capabilities in areas like advertising, payments and other financial services and healthcare,” he said.

The company also recently released its annual report and filed a proxy statement ahead of that, saying that while they were dealing with pandemic issues, McMillon felt “gratitude and optimism” about the future.