Walmarts Replace Brand Name Food with Their Brand “Great Value”

NewsFlavor ^ | Friday, December 4, 2009 | DiamondPoet

[Star Traveler]

This topic was posted about an hour ago, but the thread was pulled (someone else's thread) because of no link. So, since it was an interesting topic, I thought I would post it here with the accompanying link to the article... :-)

[Star Traveler]

There were several comments on the other thread, so please... “go at it again”...:-)

[Mr. K]

Answer: It will benefit Wal-Mart

If not then they are really not smart business people....

[Disambiguator]

House brand products are more profitable for retailers, even if the retail price is much lower than brand-name equivalent items.

[oyez]

I hope “Great Value” isn’t code for Made in China.

[jrd]

If you look close they have raised prices also...

[Star Traveler]

I have used Walmart quite a bit, too, for grocery shopping, and then go to some other grocery stores to fill in a few odds and ends.

But, I have noticed a big increase in the “white” Walmart brand that they seem to be really pushing hard at their stores. And I don’t necessarily think that all “house brands” are the equivalent of some of the name brands. The quality doesn’t always match up, even if the price is lower. It’s lower for a reason... LOL...

Anyway..., if they start pushing out a lot of other name brands, I think Walmart is going to start to lose a bunch of business in the process... sorry Walmart, but I’ll be looking at other stores, more now... that you’re trying to get rid of other quality products and replace them with no-name-brands (and yeah, “Walmart brand” is a no-name brand... :-) ...).

[La Lydia]

That is interesting. On the rare occasions I am in Wal-mart, the only grocery items I buy there are brand-name products.

[autumnraine]

I think Great Value is one of the best generic brands out there. My father worked at a food plant and most of the time the food was the same, they would stop the line and replace the label.

That being said, I do like some brand names (McCormicks is a good example) and don’t want to wade through a football size store for Walmart brand items only. This is a really dumb move on Walmart IMO.

[Star Traveler]

I think it is, wherever they can do it... :-)

[gardencatz]

Well, more power to them! Where you shop is a choice. Don’t like great value? Don’t shop there.

Cindie

[CrappieLuck]

So Walmart is now just the World’s ALDI.
I think this is good news for Kroger. If they carry the brands people want, people will shop there.

Walmart can keep their cheap, unknown brand.

[Mengerian]

In all likelihood, the Great Value products are being made by the brand-name manufacturers.

I was once an auditor for a chain retail/grocer and noticed on select bills of lading for pasta (for example), the brand name and store brand were on the same manifest.

[SkyDancer]

To me the quality of their house brand “Great Value” isn’t as good as name brand food .... IMHO ....

[Star Traveler]

You were saying ...

Answer: It will benefit Wal-Mart

I'm not convinced of that, although they may be, at corporate headquarters. I think they will go through a painful process, over some years of time and experience and start losing customers to other stores, as customers find the name-brands that they want.

And I have found some name-brands to be the kind I want, too... and I'll be looking at some other stores, too.

If they hadn't done this, then I might not have bothered to start to look elsewhere, and that's the big mistake that Walmart will be making, with consumers.

[Mengerian]

You are 100% correct, see my post #13.

[DoughtyOne]

Why don't they drop the subterfuge and just call it the Great Wall Value. We already know what it is and where it comes from. And no thanks. My dollars may not buy me as much, but the food I purchase won't have me glowing at night, or with mercury levels higher than a carp taking a water nap, floating on it's side.

[Star Traveler]

I would agree, for the most part...

[JasonC]

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.

I hate whiners, and that is all this is, whining.

[FloridianBushFan]

I am normally a big fan of Walmart. But not happy with this. In most grocery chains the generic or store brand is cheaper then name brands. This is not true with Walmart. I have found on most grocery items Walmart’s Great Value items are about the same price or more expensive then name brand items.