Walmart is planning to acquire Eloquii - online fashion brands are thriving

Walmart announced its plan to acquire startup Eloquii for $100M. Eloquii is one of several emerging direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands working to modernize the $21B plus-sized clothing market.

More than half of U.S. women aged 18-65 wear a size 14 or larger, the Eloquii acquisition would seem to be a good fit for a online growth strategy. As online sales growth continues to outpace the total retail market, retailers are now putting much focus on enhancing their online platforms to meet the increasing demand.

Online fashion brands are thriving, offering everything from customizable shoes to leather accessories to plus size clothing. To name a few,

• Everlane: founded less than a decade ago, Everlane has doubled revenue each year for the past 3 years, according to its co-founder and CEO.
• French fashion sezane had sales increased 30% in 2017. It has now opened a few physical stores in Paris and Newyork.

Source: CBInsights