Their top seller!!
Posted on 02/16/2010 10:01:48 AM PST by Star Traveler
Published by diamondpoet
December 4, 2009
What is Walmart really up to.
Walmart is one of the biggest supermarket chains in the world. As of August 31, 2008, Walmart has as many as 100 food categories:
United States 4,227 total units.
International 3,210 total units
This is a time where families needs to make every penny count, Walmart expansion of it’s Great Value brand is replacing many of the name brands, we have used for so many years.
The new improved Great Value products — which has been appearing on shelves and various sections of the store, is slowly being integrated into Walmart stores across the country, within the past few months – will provide families with affordable and possible high quality groceries. This is some sales jargon that Walmart has come up with, but what is really going on?
Walmart is the company, that is famous for their roll-back slogan, and now it would seem that they are also trying to monopolize the food industry. I am all for savings, but I prefer quality products and good taste. I grew up with many of the brand names and it is what I am accustomed to.
There are a few thing that I could settle for, that is not name brand, but when I was shopping during the Thanksgiving holiday, I was looking for McCormick’s vanilla, this is the only brand that I use to make my pies. I discovered that Walmart had completely removed McCormick’s brand and replaced it with their own brand Great Value. I rely on McCormick’s products to prepare many of my meals.
I tried using substitutes, but there is no comparison to McCormick’s Seasonings. I have never shopped anywhere other than Walmart, because I was comfortable and they basically provided most of my needs.
It would now see that I am being forces to shop somewhere else. Walmart no longer stock all the brand names that I desire. Since Walmart is trying to completely eliminate the middle-man, what type of effect will this have on many of the distributors and will this also have a spiraling effect on the economy as well?
Since so many distributors rely on Walmart’s business, will they not suffer and be forced to downsize? I can’t help but wonder is this really going to benefits the consumers or hurt us even more?
Some of the Great Value stuff is comparable, however, some of it is so much lower quality that I stock up when brand names are on sale at other stores.
Another component of this - Walmarts, at least the ones where I live, accept competitor coupons. Run the name brands out, and you no longer have to compete at the coupon level, as well.
LOL ... now that’s a FReeper who works at Walmart!
I wonder if this was their choice, or the brand name manufacturers?
WalMart’s buying strategy is famous for getting suppliers to be heavily dependent on them for orders, and then begin dictating what their wholesale price will be on the next order. I am guessing maybe a few brand names decided they’d had enough and told them to stuff it, making this announcement largely window dressing. Vlasic Pickes is a famous example from a few years ago.
I have bought Great Value products and never had a problem with the quality. I wonder though if that will be the case after WalMart plays a few more rounds of telling them what their wholesale prices are going to be?
I appreciate your personal experience. Thanks for the mention.
I won’t be taking advantage of this, but I do hope it continues to work out good for you and your family.
I am in the “don’t eat the store brand” camp. Store brands are teh name brand rejects. or the name brand batch that is rejected for failing the quality control.
there is no consistency of quality in the store brands.
Their top seller!!
This is hardly news as many supermarket chains both large and small have house label items for many products. Many of these are made in the same factory that makes the name brands and the label is the only difference. These house brands can be sold at a lower price, likely because there is no national advertising to pay for. Yes, there are some items for which there is no substitute for the real thing, but for things like paper napkins, canned vegetables, milk and peanut butter, I have found little difference.
We only grocery shop once a month so the increased prices by a few cents every month is VERY noticeable.
Pretty soon Walmart's prices will be as high as the other supermarkets who offer brand names!
So...why shop Walmart anymore?
The store brands don’t have to pay for the advertising that name brands do and that is where the savings are found. Walmart and Kroger brands are usually always very comparable to the name brands they are next to on the shelf. It is definitely worth the savings. Kroger even give’s a 10% discount to seniors who use their store brands with the plus card.
This is all horsefeathers. Every major chain has its off brand, store brand "value" line of staple products, and carries them alongside national brands. Consumers can choose lots of advertising for about the same thing or a lower price. Entirely up to them.
But, that's not the discussion here... LOL...
The discussion (per the article) is about Walmart discontinuing the competing name-brand, in place of their own brand. And that's what the other major chains and retail outlets don't do...
And it's precisely that -- which I think will be the one thing which will get a lot of their customers looking elsewhere (at another competing retail outlet) to get that discontinued item that Walmart no longer stocks, in place of their own "white" brand... :-)
I think it is highly unlikely, though, that they would produce at the same physical facility an inferior product as an “in-house” store brand label.
The economics of it wouldn't make sense (i.e. idle time to reconfigure the line versus a short run production function / production possibility frontier).
As an auditor, I know with some products (per bills of lading and shipping manifests), that store brands and name brands are indeed manufactured by the same company.
This is true. I have a friend that works at a brand name milk company .. they stop the line, replace the label, and put the exact same milk in a Wal-mart container.
I'm also very picky about my peanut butter .. Great Value is Jif .. I'm tellin' you.
or wipe your butt with it
If Walmart's prices are as high as other supermarkets that offer good brand names....why shop at Walmart anymore?
Walmart and Kroger brands are usually always very comparable to the name brands they are next to on the shelf. It is definitely worth the savings.
And that may be true -- where you have the choice between a name-brand and a "house-brand".
But, in Walmart's case, what they are doing is eliminating some of the name-brands completely -- in place of their own "house-brand" -- and thus... that's what the problem is, which prompted this article above...
True, and I think it’s going to be an expensive lesson for Walmart to learn. It will probably take them a couple of years to finally learn the lesson though, after losing a bunch of customers. They’ll have a hard time getting those customers back again, if they realize their mistake.
I think the is the brand our local Giant Eagle food stores sell as their low cost generic. (NE OHIO)
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