Fans of hit Netflix shows like “Stranger Things” and “The Witcher” have a new one-stop merchandise shop.
Launched Monday, Netflix Hub at Walmart creates a centralized location for online shoppers to find products related to shows like “Queer Eye, “Cobra Kai,” “Ada Twist, Scientist,” “CoComelon” and “Gabby’s Dollhouse.” T-shirts inspired by the streaming giant’s latest hit, “Squid Game,” are “coming soon.”
Though Netflix has long sold merchandise via third-party retailers like Target and Hot Topic, Walmart’s Netflix Hub represents its first digital storefront with a national retailer. The partnership also introduces several new items exclusive to Walmart, including a “Strangers Things” Bluetooth cassette player and “Nailed It!” baking kits.
Walmart plans to build out its Netflix Hub with “exclusive experiences” that will engage with popular shows “in innovative ways,” Jeff Evans, executive vice president, entertainment, toys and seasonal, Walmart U.S., wrote in a blog post. These efforts include Netflix Fan Select, an upcoming crowd-sourcing feature that will allow fans to vote for the merchandise they’d like to see Walmart merchants bring to life.
The launch of Netflix’s Walmart-hosted store comes four months after the streaming service took its own shot at retail. Introduced in early June, the Netflix shop debuted with limited-edition streetwear and action figures based on the anime series “Yasuke” and “Eden,” as well as apparel and decorative items inspired by the global hit show “Lupin” in collaboration with the Louvre Museum. Since June, Netflix has released a limited-edition “Witcher” figurine from designer Tracy Tubera, as well as customizable apparel collections inspired by “Squid Game” and “Sex Education.”
Walmart has attempted to up its fashion cred in recent years, though former J.Crew leader Mickey Drexler believes the mega-retailer hasn’t yet “cracked the code” on apparel. The company recruited “Project Runway” judge and designer Brandon Maxwell to lead the creative vision for Free Assembly and Scoop, the women’s contemporary brand it revived as a private label two years ago.
Earlier this month, Walmart expanded its one-year-old Free Assembly basics brand to include children’s apparel. The kids’ collection consists of roughly 50 wardrobe staples, all in colors, prints and fabrics designed for east pairing. The fall 2021 line includes flannel button down shirts and shackets for boys, as well as a smocked, puff-sleeved dress for girls.