Today in Retail: Walmart+ Celebrates a Muted 1st Birthday; eBay Rolls Out Managed Payments Globally

In today’s top retail news, Walmart has seen slow growth for its subscription service over the last year, though company leaders appear unworried, while eBay is now managing payments in all markets across the world. Also, Jessica Alba’s The Honest Co. is facing trouble less than six months after going public, and Madewell is opening a secondhand pop-up shop with thredUP in New York City.

Walmart+ Marks 1st Anniversary with Slow Subscriber Growth, Unfazed Executives

Walmart+, seen by most as Walmart’s answer to Amazon Prime, is celebrating its first birthday this month, but the subscription service doesn’t have a lot of growth to show as it struggles to differentiate itself from other offerings. As of this month, just under 49 million, or about 19%, of U.S. consumers have access to Walmart+, just 4 million more subscribers than the service had one month after launch. Nearly 171 million, or 66%, of consumers who have access to Amazon Prime.

eBay Goes Live With Managed Payments Worldwide

After three years of rolling out end-to-end payments processing, eBay is now managing payments in all markets worldwide, with most sellers enabling the tool for their eCommerce business on the site. eBay moved in the direction of managed payments to offer an easier payment and checkout experience for its community of sellers. The concept was developed with merchants’ input and feedback to best support their daily operations.

Honest Co’s Soft Sales Causing Trouble on Multiple Fronts

Less than six months after making its public debut, the natural diaper, skin care and household cleaning product brand The Honest Co. is facing two quarters in a row of softening sales, creating more challenges as the company tries to grow in a competitive marketplace. A lawsuit filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California claims that Honest Co. executives provided “false and misleading” statements ahead of the company’s early May IPO, including the impact that a COVID-fueled stock-up on household items had on the business.

Madewell, thredUP Open Secondhand Pop-Up Shop

Resale platform thredUP and apparel brand Madewell have opened an in-person pop-up shop in Brooklyn that will sell only secondhand clothes, an extension of the Madewell Forever denim resale collection that’s been available online since July. The store will be open through the end of October and also allows people to bring clothes to be repaired on-site.