Walmart unveils a new beauty brand called Revolution Beauty
In a move to broaden its customer base and offer consumers a brick-and-mortar alternative, Revolution Beauty has formed a wholesale partnership with retail giant Walmart. This partnership includes the brand's new Relove by Revolution collection, which will be exclusive to Walmart and available in 2,500 of its locations and on its website.
The Relove by Revolution collection offers an assortment of products like foundation, brushes, freckle pens, and water-activated liners, all priced at $5 and under. This affordable pricing strategy aligns with Walmart's commitment to offering value to its customers.
The partnership expands Revolution Beauty's presence in the U.S., following its previous partnership with Walgreens. This move by Revolution Beauty into Walmart follows several direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands that have launched wholesale partnerships with big-box stores.
Purple Innovation, a DTC mattress and sleep products brand, is a clear example of a DTC brand deepening its wholesale partnerships with Walmart and other big-box stores as of 2025. Other DTC brands often follow a multi-platform approach, growing on Amazon and Shopify before wholesaling to Walmart, leveraging bulk inventory strategies and family-focused positioning.
Wholesale expansion into big-box retailers is a growing trend among DTC companies seeking scale beyond their original direct sales focus. This strategy allows DTC brands to reach more customers and diversify sales channels beyond direct e-commerce.
Larissa Jensen, vice president and beauty industry adviser at Circana, attributes some of the gains in mass beauty to the "lipstick index" of consumers treating themselves to beauty products during tough economic times. This trend could potentially benefit Revolution Beauty as it enters the Walmart market.
However, the holiday season of 2025 presents challenges for retailers, including price-conscious shoppers and ever-changing tariffs. It remains to be seen how these factors will impact the sales of Revolution Beauty's products in Walmart stores.
Meanwhile, Walmart continues to increase its beauty footprint with DTC brands. The company has also launched a clean beauty platform that highlights products made without over 1,200 ingredients. Walmart has been offloading other e-commerce brands it had invested in over the past few years, but the partnership with Revolution Beauty indicates a continued focus on the beauty sector.
Despite the ongoing layoffs at several of its distribution centers that support its e-commerce operations, Walmart remains committed to its strategic expansion in the beauty industry. The partnership with Revolution Beauty is a testament to this commitment and a promising development for both companies.
- AI-powered platforms could help Revolution Beauty analyze market trends and customer preferences, providing valuable insights to optimize its Relove by Revolution collection for Walmart.
- With the pandemic accelerating the shift towards online shopping and an increasing demand for affordable and accessible fashion-and-beauty products, the partnership between Revolution Beauty and Walmart is strategically astute.
- As more DTC brands, like Purple Innovation, broaden their presence in the retail industry, the line between e-commerce and brick-and-mortar becomes increasingly blurred, leading to a fusion of traditional and online business models.
- To compete with established beauty brands and satisfy the evolving needs and preferences of a diverse customer base, Revolution Beauty must continually innovate and adapt its product offerings, keeping the cost low yet maintaining quality.
- In a competitive market, strategic financial partnerships with investors and retailers could provide the capital needed for DTC brands like Revolution Beauty to fund their expansion, invest in R&D, and execute growth strategies effectively.
