With SuperTech filters retailing at Wally World for around $2.00, how on earth can this be a profitable exercise for Champion Labs? Their out-the-door pricing to Wal Mart has to be at $1.00 or less per piece in order to allow for all the distribution costs and Wally's profit.
I would bet money that Champion looses on every filter they sell Wal Mart and are hoping to make it up on volume. I would also bet that if a SuperTech manufacturing batch comes out ooops, a little off, that there must be intense pressure to ship the stuff. I doubt that Wally is going to do any kind of detailed quality inspection such as Bosch or AC might do when Champion makes products for them.
Finally I think it is just a matter of time before Wally takes the contract to some new vendor in China. China is cranking out cars and car parts in volume for their home market now and we can expect to see that stuff showing up in the US in volume. Maybe that is Champions angle. They may be taking it in the shorts for Wally in hopes of stemming the tide of Chinese imports.
Personally I will stick with buying Wix filters for now. I feel that Wix makes a quality product at a reasonable price with wide distribution and wide part number coverage. Saving a few bucks by going to Wally World will not make my monthly budget any noticeably better and feeds the monster. Of course with Dana putting Wix up on the auction block nobody knows what will happen there. I hope to **** it doesn't become a division of Allied Signal (Fram). Maybe the Arvin/Mentor Purolator people will pick up Wix. Purolator's distribution network has really dwindled over the years and Wix is very strong in the independent auto parts and NAPA channels.
I would bet money that Champion looses on every filter they sell Wal Mart and are hoping to make it up on volume. I would also bet that if a SuperTech manufacturing batch comes out ooops, a little off, that there must be intense pressure to ship the stuff. I doubt that Wally is going to do any kind of detailed quality inspection such as Bosch or AC might do when Champion makes products for them.
Finally I think it is just a matter of time before Wally takes the contract to some new vendor in China. China is cranking out cars and car parts in volume for their home market now and we can expect to see that stuff showing up in the US in volume. Maybe that is Champions angle. They may be taking it in the shorts for Wally in hopes of stemming the tide of Chinese imports.
Personally I will stick with buying Wix filters for now. I feel that Wix makes a quality product at a reasonable price with wide distribution and wide part number coverage. Saving a few bucks by going to Wally World will not make my monthly budget any noticeably better and feeds the monster. Of course with Dana putting Wix up on the auction block nobody knows what will happen there. I hope to **** it doesn't become a division of Allied Signal (Fram). Maybe the Arvin/Mentor Purolator people will pick up Wix. Purolator's distribution network has really dwindled over the years and Wix is very strong in the independent auto parts and NAPA channels.
