[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... :-)

[matthew fuller]

"I am all for savings, but I prefer quality products and good taste. "

GV tortilla chips are taste-wise, as good as they get.

[upchuck]

Wally ping.

[upchuck]

Considering this article was written by an amateur (see here), I'd like to know the source of this "news." And I think diamondpoet needs either to get an editor or learn proper grammar and spelling.

Wal*Mart has had the Great Value brand for years. Recently they have repackaged all the Great Value items in white packaging. That certainly makes it stand out more on the shelf.

I use a lot of the Great Value items and find the difference in quality from the "name brand" to be little or none.

[TASMANIANRED]

Kroger has their own brand, why not Wallmart.

[gitmo]

Walmart’s Replace Brand Name Food with Their Brand “Great Value”. Who Will This Really Benefit?

Does the author start out with a credibility deficit when he confuses the possessive with the plural on the very first word of the article?

[catfish1957]

I started a litte trend last week, where I printed up about 15 sheets of 72 font bold simply saying PRODUCT OF CHINA. Everything that I bought that had a Chinese alternative had it placed on it. Like the Tilapia that was on sale as an example One associate saw me do it, and didn’t say a word.

[mysterio]

I don't like their business practices; avoid shopping there except on rare occasions. I feel that they've forced jobs out of the country. I don't support that.

Others might disagree, and that's fine. That's how it's supposed to work.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

It’s a real ugly label, too. The coffee I bought, it looked like a can of house paint. Not even paint. Primer.

[meyer]

Putting their “great value” brand on the shelf next to name-brand products doesn’t bother me. I tend to buy name brand for most items, though not all. Now, if they start pushing the products that I like off the shelves, I will buy them elsewhere.

I have the choice of 3 nearby grocery chains plus WalMart and I shop at all of them. The pricing is interesting - WalMart’s regular price is usually lower than the other stores on common namebrand products like Life cereal and Triscuit crackers. But the grocers often have sales and when the non-perishable products that I like are on sale at other stores, I stock up on them.

There’s nothing wrong with having 10 boxes of crackers, a dozen cans of tuna, or 30 cans of soup on the shelf (just be sure to rotate your stock).

[potlatch]

Interesting about Walmart.
Frankly, large stores carry way too many brands and it's sometimes a pain finding the one you want. For instance, one whole aisle of cereals - when you are looking for one certain one....

[Salvation]

I do a mixture of shopping there — sometimes getting the name brands — sometimes picking up the Great Value items.

It is basically the same food — say mustard as French’s Mustard — manufacturers just change the labels. I think we would be very surprised that when we buy something at WalMart — we are really getting the equivalent of the name brand product.

[Poser]

WAH! WAH! WAH!
Those meanies at WalMart are selling the brands they choose in their own stores! How awful!
WAH! WAH! WAH!

What a bunch of whiny babies. If you don't like WalMart, shop elsewhere. If you think you can do better, open your own damned store.

[VOA]

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

Well, I can report the “replace” is not happening here in Colubmia, MO
WalMarts. The WalMart “Great Value” brands are ALTERNATIVES placed on
the shelf next to the standard “brand name” food products.

IIRC, Jim Cramer on CNBC has highlighted the company making them
(IIRC it’s a company named “Treehouse”); and said it might be a
good investment as it makes fairly good version of the brand name
products at reduced price.

Now maybe other WalMarts are actually “replacing” the brand name products...
maybe WalMart just places them as alternatives in Columbia MO
WalMarts as some of the extended WalMart/Walton family live in this city.

[cva66snipe]

Based on what I've seen happen at the Walmarts in my area the past 5 or so years I believe they are trying to force themselves out of business. This is just another unwise move in that direction. Others have included store wide inventory reductions, ending layaway how can layaway be a looser?} loss of major name brand items, empty shelves for up to weeks on end of some items, their you will go green or else policies {for example pushing the lousy new light bulbs}, outdoor power tools which are now junk {read the article the man who said no to Walmart}, lowered quality in items that were once fair quality, a poor hardware department, poor electronics, very lousy automotive department, removal of crafts dept {that was a big money maker}, a huge increase to pandering to ethnic groups in the food department. I know very few persons in my area who eat soul food etc. I could go on.

I talked to a store manager about it when I couldn't find several items I had purchased there for years in the department store side. They weren't simply out of stock Walmart had stopped carrying the items period. I said do you not realize what is happening to your store? He said I know it now look around you. He asked where are the customers at? His store for a Super Store close to Christmas had few shoppers. This is not good when you consider the nearest other Big Boxmart was about 15 miles or more away.

I used to spend about $350 cash there in one whack just on the monthly groceries not counting other items I bought as well. Now I go to Ingles and they can meet or beat Wally everyday low price on food. Even soft drinks at Ingles are usually cheaper and MORE CHOICES on every food item.

Short of a major corporate shake up and a return to policies that made Walmart a success to start with I don't see them holding their market lead beyond the next five years. When they tank it will be fast. Other companies like COSTCO will see an advantage in locating in Walmart only territories and filling the void Walmart is creating. The Walmart of 7 years ago I would rate at being A- minus overall. Today's Walmart I give a generous F. Bentonville corp offices are out of touch with consumers and what they want and will or will not purchase. Trying to force consumers especially name brand shoppers like myself on most food items into buying what they do not want to start with will only lead to empty stores as someone will see opportunity and quickly fill their void.

This is real good news for the other grocery stores who are far more customer oriented. I gave up on Wally's food and as soon as a replacement store comes in my area I'll give up completely on Walmart all together. There are still some staunch die-hard Walmart defenders out there but they as well are quickly diminishing. Walmart in a decade will be at the status of the current K-mart. Meaning there but who notices them or shops there anymore? Actually K-mart may out last them in that respect as K-mart hasn't as of yet gone this low in treatment of customers.

[kalee]

My husband buys toilet paper and paper towels at Walmart. I shop for groceries at Whole Foods, Lowes Foods and a local market that sells locally grown and produced foods.
I go to Kroger once every other week for milk. They get milk form a VA dairy in glass bottles that is not homogenized.