Hema takes the US with Walmart.com

Hema will be expanding to the US and Canada. To do this, it collaborated with Walmart: the online platform of the world’s largest retailer. This summer, consumers in the US will be able to purchase household products via walmart.com. Later this year, the retailer will open up independent stores in Canada and open up shop-in-shops in the biggest stores of Walmart in Canada this autumn.

The US will be, along with Europe and Asia, the third continent in which Hema is active. The company will start by selling household products via walmart.com. After the introduction, Hema will expand its assortment. The retailer will add ‘Amsterdam’ to their brand name. This is to highlight the fact that it is from origin a Dutch brand. It is predicted to help the company to distinguish its brand in the US.

The expansion into the US is a historical step according to Tjeerd Jongen, CEO Hema: "Almost 100 years ago the founders Leo Meyer and Arthur Isaac came in contact with dollar stores in that region for the first time. They then took it to the Netherlands and opened up their first shop."

Hema has an international growth strategy. It consists of growth via partners, their own online channels and those of other companies. This makes Walmart, the online platform of the world's largest retailer, the ideal companion to start at the US market.