Walmart puts Hart into home improvement
Premium private label offerings aren’t just limited to foods. Walmart recently launched a new tool line called Hart that is positioned as a higher-quality tool portfolio than its previous home improvement private brand called Hyper Tough.
The Hart system of tools meets the needs of DIY handymen and handywomen in the categories of power tools, hand tools, lawn and garden, automotive and other various lifestyle accessories. A key selling point for the Hart brand is each battery-powered product uses a single interchangeable battery system, including all of the 20V and 40V power tools. This streamlined approach gets rid of electric cords, gas-powered tools or the need to throw away unrecyclable dead batteries.
For the holiday season, a few items have been released like a trimmer, drill kit and four-tool combo kit, but a complete line of 340 items will be available in stores and online in February.
The home improvement category is thriving so there are numbers to support why Walmart would look to add to the tool category. The Home Improvement Research institute said total home improvement sales in 2019 expect to land at $405 billion, up more than 4% from a year ago.
There is still some curiosity around Hart’s entry, though, as there are a lot of tool lines with some strong brand loyalty: DeWalt, Rigid, Makita, Milwaukee, Ryobi and Craftsman to name a few; the latter once being a time-honored private brand for Sears that relaunched under Stanley Black & Decker.