In the 12 years or so I've been buying groceries at Walmart, I'd say the generic brands have worked for me in almost all cases. After several generic items didn't measure up to my standards, I went back to the old standbys.
Walmart's marketing of these generic products is straightforward and limited to a trial and error basis. Put it on the shelf and if it sells, you've got a winner. If the item doesn't sell, you remove it and try again at some future date. May be after finding a new supplier or simply after revamping the product.
Well... there is a problem with what you said... and actually, I'm not sure you really understand what the problem is, that is being talked about here... :-)
First the problem with what you said -- it's that you (and anyone else, for that matter) can't assume that because you as an individual like generic products that this is going to work for everyone else. You should know that this is not going to be the case. Generics simply do not work for everyone. Not at all and not even by a "long shot" do they work for the majority of the people. They will work for a certain number.
Now... for the part you don't seem to understand. And I'll illustrate it by using one statement that you made (that I quoted up above)... you said...
After several generic items didn't measure up to my standards, I went back to the old standbys.
And -- there -- is precisely the problem with Walmart and the "stupidity" of their marketing... :-)
You said tht you "went back to the old standbys"...
WELL..., for a certain group of products... Walmart "got rid of the old standbys"... so you couldn't go back to them... LOL...
And the reason why it was a completely stupid and idiotic idea of Walmart to do that -- simply because if you could not go to your "old standby" at Walmart -- then you had to go to Walmart's competitor, to get that "old standby"...
And thus the problem -- Walmart would be "pushing you out" to a competitor, to get that "old standby" that you decided to go back to -- since you could no longer get it at Walmart... LOL...
I hope you "get it" by now... :-)
There is no problem from my point of view. From your perspective, the vast majority of people are more impressed with packaging and labeling, then they are in saving money. Fine. IMO, that is a psychological problem that only you and others can solve for yourselves. I can't help you. My remarks were directed from personal experience, along with years of marketing and professional work in the business world.
It doesn't matter if the item is generic or brand name. All items can be sub par to one degree or another. Consideration must always be given to available space and cost markup. If a brand name item is taken off the self in favor of a generic item, then it was done as a marketing decision. Why? The generic item was probably selling better then the brand name item. In most cases, its as simple as that. In some cases, old standbys, could be generic items.
The fact is, Walmart has made the other supermarket chains more price conscious and more competitive because of the strategy and tactics Walmart has employed in recent years. So far, Walmart is still winning the price wars and for good reasons. If Walmart generic items aren't for you, then shop at a more expensive store and pay more for the same quality. Not liking generic products as a rule of life, is a state of mind. A stupid state of mind.