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Walmart’s $1,699 Espresso Machine Is Just the Beginning of Its Amazon War!

Walmart Inc. is aggressively shifting gears to reframe its brand image and customer appeal by expanding into more stylish and premium-priced home goods. With offerings like $1,699 De’Longhi espresso machines and trendy home décor, the retail giant is targeting a demographic historically dominated by rivals like Amazon and Target—higher-income shoppers. This strategic repositioning is not just about aesthetics; it aims to enhance profit margins beyond Walmart’s low-margin grocery stronghold and reclaim share in the home and furniture segment. In a market where Amazon now commands 20% of U.S. furniture and home-furnishings sales—up from 9% in 2019—Walmart’s pivot reflects a defensive as well as offensive maneuver. Executives emphasize that the initiative also seeks to refresh Walmart’s value perception, moving away from purely utilitarian branding toward aspirational appeal. Backed by rising e-commerce and exclusive brand deals, this campaign could reshape the competitive landscape between the two retail behemoths.