Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has gone on a shopping spree and e-commerce firms are their target.
In presumably another bid to compete against Amazon.com Inc., the mega retailer announced today that it has snapped up online outdoor seller Moosejaw for $51 million. The buy comes just weeks after Walmart announced that it had purchased online footwear, clothing and accessories retailer Shoebuy.com and months after it bought Jet.com.
In addition to its online presence, Moosejaw also operates 10 physical stores and carries more than 400 brands, including Patagonia, The North Face, Marmot and Arc’teryx.
Walmart said that Moosejaw — which was founded in 1992 in Michigan and is headquartered in Madison Heights, Mich.— will continue to operate its site and stores as it has in the past and will be run as a stand-alone and complementary brand to Walmart’s other e-commerce sites.
“Apparel and accessories is now the number-one category for digital commerce, according to comScore, and we gain the experience of another well-established, e-commerce player, this time in the active outdoor category,” Walmart said.
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Moosejaw CEO Eoin Comerford, his executive team and Moosejaw’s 350-plus employees will continue to be based in Michigan, the company said.
Similar to its prior e-commerce acquisitions, Walmart is offering interested Moosejaw suppliers an opportunity to expand their reach by selling through Jet.com and the company’s other e-commerce sites.
