In this edition of the Glossy+ Research Briefing, we look at how Walmart is strategically positioning itself among luxury consumers, including selling handbags consumers dubbed the “Wirkin” that resembled an Hermès Birkin bag and partnering with online luxury resale platform Rebag.
The “Wirkin” launches Walmart into a new luxury frontier
Fashion enthusiasts couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw bags very similar to the luxurious and expensive Hermès Birkin bag on Walmart’s shelves for just $78 last month. The “Walmart Birkin” bags quickly caught the attention of in-store and online shoppers, who dubbed them the “Wirkin.”
“The Birkin dupes on Walmart’s site have attracted such attention because of the juxtaposition of a very price-focused brand and a very aspirational product,” Neil Saunders, a GlobalData retail analyst, told Business Insider. “It underlines how much its marketplace has evolved over recent years. Walmart has been actively expanding the offer to attract more consumers, especially younger and more affluent ones.”
Walmart’s “Wirkin” bag
Although Hermès hasn’t filed a formal complaint against Walmart for its Birkin lookalikes, industry experts suspect that the “Wirkin” bags are no longer available for purchase on Walmart’s site because the retail giant has pulled them in order to avoid conflict with the luxury brand. In fact, pre-owned Hermès Birkin bags are now available for sale on Walmart’s website through its partnership with the online luxury goods resale platform Rebag.
Last week, Walmart made Rebag’s full catalog of about 27,000 luxury products available for sale on walmart.com. Items range from small accessories to handbags and include brands like Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Chanel, Gucci, Christian Dior, Saint Laurent, Fendi, Prada, Bottega Veneta and Goyard. Rebag also curated a collection of 100 items that are only available for sale on walmart.com.
The partnership marks an expansion to Walmart’s selection of luxury and pre-owned items, presumably in an effort to court the luxury audience and to boost site traffic and advertising revenue. Searches for “Walmart.com” saw an increase along with searches for “Wirkin” and “Walmart Wirkin” after Walmart’s bags were released, according to Google Trends data.
