- Walmart introduces Joyspun, an elevated sleepwear and intimates brand that’s fresh and modern, which will replace the 23-year-old Secret Treasures line that has generated over US$ 1 billion in sales as a private brand.
- The move coincides with a substantial shift in the intimate apparel market in recent years toward inclusivity, body positivity and designs that prioritize comfort and confidence.
One of Walmart’s best-selling clothing lines, its top intimates and sleepwear brand, is getting a makeover.
The brand, Joyspun has started to roll out bras, underwear, socks, pajamas, and other items online and in stores. In Walmart’s big-box shops, the brand takes the place of Secret Treasures, a well-known national label that has been there for more than 20 years.
Secret Treasures, Walmart’s largest intimates and sleepwear line, drove over $1 billion in sales last fiscal year — one of the retailer’s 13 private brands of general merchandise to do so. It also captured the largest customer base across the women’s intimates and sleepwear market in the U.S., with one in five buying from the brand in the 12 months that ended January 2022, according to The NPD Group.
But as people increasingly worked from home and spent more time at home due to the pandemic, the intimates and sleepwear market has grown to be more competitive. The number of merchants competing for market share has increased recently, and they include well-known chains like Victoria’s Secret and American Eagle-owned Aerie, as well as newcomers like ThirdLove, Yitty, and Skims.
“It’s a white-hot moment for the intimates category,” said Denise Incandela, executive vice president of apparel and private brands at Walmart U.S.
“We wanted to take our leading brand, which was Secret Treasures, and reimagine it to offer the quality and elevated prints and premium design details, as well as a new brand name and colors and packaging and modernize in a way that brings us into the future.”
Joyspun emphasizes comfort, better fit and body positivity
Joyspun was established with in-house designers and a unified viewpoint across the entire line. There are nearly 300 designs available with luxurious materials that provide long-lasting softness, retain their quality after washing, and feature elevated design elements like lace patterns and fashionable prints.
“The brand is designed to fit customers of all shapes and sizes. Bras range in sizes from 34A to 46DDD and underwear ranges from XS to XXXL. Walmart’s new Be Your Own Model experience, where online shoppers can better visualize how the clothing will look on them, can help customers shop at Joyspun with even more confidence,” Denise Incandela, EVP of apparel and private brands said.
“We’re excited for customers to experience the difference for themselves,” said Walmart, in an online statement.
All of the items sell at a low price point, with bras starting at $11.98. Prices range from $7.98 for a sleep shirt to $34.98 for a quilted robe.
The timing of the relaunch can be favorable. As food costs rise due to inflation, Walmart, the largest grocery-chain retailer in the country, has attracted more upmarket customers to its stores. The upmarket shoppers could become a fresh audience for its apparel, particularly if they make more frequent visit to its big-box stores or consider new ways to stretch their dollars.
Customers, according to Incandela, will notice new details and improvements including bra cups that better mold to a person's physique, underwear with lace and trendy prints, and robes made of luxurious materials. For the holidays, it will also sell gift items including eye masks and robe sets.
Incandela said she hopes those moves inspire women to think differently about Walmart’s apparel offerings. And “we want her to rethink what she’s got under her wardrobe, too,” she said.
