Walmart sells e-commerce outdoor retailer Moosejaw after acquiring it in 2017

After six years, Walmart sold Moosejaw to Dick’s Sporting Goods. The March closing’s financial terms were not disclosed. Walmart paid $51 million for Moosejaw in February 2017 to improve its e-commerce.Walmart used the transaction to expand into fashion.

“Moosejaw joins the Walmart family to increase our assortment and expertise in the specialist outdoor market and make Moosejaw accessible to more customers,” a Walmart spokeswoman told me in an email. Since acquiring Moosejaw, Walmart.com has grown from 70 million to hundreds of millions of products.Walmart’s scale and customer reach helped Moosejaw Madness grow as an independent business. “We’re delighted for Moosejaw to reach more athletes and outdoor enthusiasts in its mission to make the outdoors more inclusive.”

The 1992-founded Michigan outdoor retailer sells gear and clothes online. Moosejaw has physical stores in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, and Missouri.

Dick’s Sporting Goods might buy Moosejaw to grow its online business and attract more loyal customers.

In a press statement, Todd Spaletto, Public Lands’ president and Dick’s senior vice president, said, “We appreciate what Moosejaw has accomplished over the past 30 years as leaders in the outdoor sector and look forward to the opportunity to share thoughts and learn from one another.” “We think Moosejaw can grow and offer its millions of loyal customers more exciting experiences and a wider range of products.”

Walmart started an M&A frenzy after buying Moosejaw in 2017 to expand its digital brand portfolio under Marc Lore. Walmart’s sale suggests it’s having trouble integrating direct-to-consumer companies.

Walmart has sold several e-commerce brands before Moosejaw. The company bought ModCloth in 2017 and sold it to Go Global in 2019. Walmart bought Bare Necessities in 2020 and sold it to Delta Airlines. The company bought ShoeBuy in 2017 and sold it to CriticalPoint Capital in 2020.