Walmart will launch four private label clothing brands as a part of a push to make deeper inroads into the apparel space and compete against rival Amazon, which is rapidly gaining market share in the category. The new private brands, which are owned by the retailer, will be available in Walmart stores and online starting March 1.

Walmart has been acquiring small online brands like Shoebuy, Modcloth and Bonobos over the past year to boost growth in the clothing and accessories business, where consumers are increasingly shopping online. Amazon’s apparel category has sharply gained popularity, with footwear and casual clothing proving to be the online retailer’s most popular categories and ease of browsing its biggest draw.

Walmart, which is still the largest clothing retailer in the United States, is upgrading the apparel section in its stores with improved displays, open floor plans and better fitting rooms.

For the second quarter of fiscal 2018 US Walmart’s total revenue rose 2.1 per cent. Comparative sales also increased 1.8 per cent with a traffic growth of 1.3 per cent, marking the 12th consecutive quarter with positive comparable sales. Nine of eleven markets posted positive comparable sales. The company is moving faster and becoming more creative as it strives to make every day easier for busy families.