Walmart, which is still clearing out their exclusive Hart tools, announced a new exclusive line of Greenworks Pro cordless power tools.
Walmart said in a release that Greenworks Pro will be “a professional-grade line of power tools available only at Walmart.”
They will also carry Greenwork’s cheaper line of 24V cordless power tools.
There were rumors that Skil cordless power tools were coming to Walmart. I guess that didn’t pan out.
At Walmart, we’re always looking for ways to bring innovative products, modern design and strong value to our customers.
From professional-grade tools to stylish, affordable home décor for families, these launches reflect how we’re continuing to evolve our assortment to better serve the needs of today’s customers.
The retailer never answered our earlier press questions and still haven’t announced how they’ll support customers who bought into their outgoing exclusive line of cordless power tools.
They used the word “professional” or “professional-grade” 4 separate times in the press release when referring to the Greenworks power tools.
In a separate announcement, Greenworks says that “POWERALL has become the industry’s widest 24V power tool assortment,” and will see “upgrades like brushless motors and tabless batteries.”
Greenworks says that their 24V line upgrades “result in more power, longer runtimes and faster charging than legacy 18V or 20V systems.”
We have built a platform that delivers true pro-grade performance with smarter battery technology, faster charging and the flexibility to power everything from heavy-duty tools to everyday devices.
To be frank, I’m not at all optimistic.
I don’t consider Greenworks as a professional tool brand.
I don’t see them as a competitive tool brand for DIYers.
I have a hard time taking Greenworks seriously at all. “Pro-grade?” We’ll see.
“Walmart is introducing a refreshed Hardware Department.”
They really needed to do this. The last time I did a walkthrough, the tool department was split down the middle between Hart and Hyper Tough, with other sections a chaotic mix of random products.
Compared to Home Depot, Harbor Freight, and even stores like Ace Hardware that can vary by location, Walmart’s tool department always seemed disjointed.
Maybe Walmart and Greenworks Pro really can appeal to professional tool users. Or maybe they’ll simply leverage “professional-grade” marketing language to justify higher price points.
The company also says they’re expanding Hyper Tough with new products, “including 12V and 20V brushless power tools and batteries, hand tools, and mechanics tools.”
Hyper Tough has some interesting tools are extremely low price points, although user reviews tend to vary wildly between “decent” and “stay away.”
Walmart tends to have a hands-off approach with their entry price point brand. There was one time that I heard from a paid influencer marketing firm calling themselves “Hyper Tough Groupies.” Another time, it seemed that Walmart hired a different marketing firm that wanted to pay me to buy tools and leave reviews on Walmart’s website. That’s been it. The brand also doesn’t have any social media presence.
It seems that the company leaves Hyper Tough to sell itself. Hart had very active social media presence, although I never heard from them either.
I have been seeing a lot of sponsored plugs for Greenworks Pro, but throwing money into social media won’t convince everyone they’re capable of “pro-grade” quality. Or maybe it will?
Greenworks and Walmart need to have a captain at the wheel, and that’s something I’ve never seen from either brand. Walmart’s tool department seems to simply exist, and the same with Greenwork offerings on various online marketplaces.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
I’m not sure if it’s the cynic in me, or the realist, but I feel this is a “let’s start the clock” type of moment. How many years do you think this exclusive partnership and “only at Walmart” line of “professional-grade” Greenworks cordless power tools will last until Walmart dumps them too?
Remember when Walmart had a line of “affordably priced” Bostitch cordless power tools? See Coming Soon: Bostitch Power Tools.
Or when Walmart said they would be launching a curated online experience that would focus on professional tool users?
I was so excited – see Walmart Launches New Pro Tools Store.
But it was a massive flop – see Walmart Pro Tools Store, Two Years Later (2021 Update).
It seemed to me that Walmart didn’t put any energy into the venture, and left it to languish.
It can be good for the retailer to reboot their tool department and cordless power tool offerings every couple of years.
In this case, who’s the competition? Home centers such as Home Depot and Lowe’s? Tool sources such as Harbor Freight? Amazon?
Walmart’s tool department has been a rudderless ship. Maybe this is the moment that changes.
Do you think this announcement, partnership with Greenworks, and store resets are going to change that? Frankly, I don’t. I hope I’m proved wrong.
It looks like Walmart also overhauled their online tool department, with Greenworks and Hyper Tough in the spotlight. It’ll also be interesting to see how that goes, but I learned my lesson about being optimistic.
Stock Disclosure: at the time of this posting I hold shares in Target, a Walmart competitor. Target also recently overhauled their tool department, and I have been unimpressed with their changes.
