Moosejaw, Michigan-Based Outdoor Retailer, Bought By Wal-Mart

Moosejaw, a Michigan-based retailer, was acquired by retailing giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc WMT for $51 million in cash.

Moosejaw sells outdoor related items, including winter jackets, clothing, footwear, backpacking, climbing and general fitness apparel through its 10 physical stores in the state of Michigan and the Midwest, as well as through its online website.

Coincidence or not, Wal-Mart's acquisition comes at a time when its largest rival Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN appears to be preparing for a major push of its own into the clothing and apparel market.

As part of Wal-Mart's acquisition, Moosejaw will continue operating its website and stores and will be run as a standalone entity. The acquisition is expected to be complementary to Wal-Mart's brand and its other e-commerce sites.

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Wal-Mart also cited the strong apparel and accessories category which is, in fact, the one category for digital commerce. As such, the acquisition gives the retailer the experience of a well-established e-commerce player that has intimate knowledge of the active outdoor category.

In addition, Moosejaw's suppliers will be given the option of expanding their consumer reach through Wal-Mart's other e-commerce sites, including the recently acquired property Jet.com.