Pennzoil Ultra "no intention of discontinuing"

[tenderloin]

In response to an email I sent yesterday.....FWIW

Dear Sir

Thank you for your Inquiry. In regards to your question, Our Pennzoil Ultra which is one of our advanced engine oil is still in production till date and we have no intention of discontinuing.

You can find it in local automotive store

If you have any questions please contact us on 1-800-237-8645, option
32.

Regards

Technical Services - U.O

 

[matrass]

was this a response to an email that you sent to them directly ?

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: tenderloin
we have no intention of discontinuing.



Perhaps they will make Ultra forever, we don't know. However, the email they sent you is an example of legalese and they just sent you a CYA form letter. Even if they plan on making it obsolete next month, do you honestly think they would admit it this month?
My sister worked for Enron and lost enough money in their stock to make your head spin, but the day before their stock was suddenly worthless, they were still beating the drum about how they were going to turn everything around....even while the executives were raiding and shredding.

 

[tenderloin]

I wrote Pennzoil because their were numerous threads about it being taken off the shelves at Walmart which some took it to mean it was be discontinued. While there is plenty of wiggle room in the statement IMO it is better than guessing...at least for now.

 

[Donald]

The question for PU is whether Walmart is selling enough to justify its shelf space.

 

[NHGUY]

Every manufacturer reserves the right to change or discontinue product at any time.Take a look at the back of a dealership car brochure...clearly states they can get away with dropping products at will.I believe the Edsel fiasco led to that.When they were threatening to drop the line early in 1959,exclusive Edsel dealers wanted to sue.Ford had to make a half baked attempt at selling 1960 models,and when sales were even slower than the 59s,that gave them justification to cease the line.Chrysler had an easier time at dropping DeSoto 1 year later,as there were no stand alone DeSoto dealers.

 

[termigator]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Every manufacturer reserves the right to change or discontinue product at any time.Take a look at the back of a dealership car brochure...clearly states they can get away with dropping products at will.I believe the Edsel fiasco led to that.When they were threatening to drop the line early in 1959,exclusive Edsel dealers wanted to sue.Ford had to make a half baked attempt at selling 1960 models,and when sales were even slower than the 59s,that gave them justification to cease the line.Chrysler had an easier time at dropping DeSoto 1 year later,as there were no stand alone DeSoto dealers.


You learn something new everyday. I was not aware there were exclusive Edsel dealers. What a fiasco.

 

[05LGTLtd]

If it is a choice of shelf space at walmart, then bean counters are looking at sales not thinking of the products they offer. QSUD and Pennz Platinum are similar products. Because they are both cheaper than Pennz Ultra, they most likely sell more units. (walmart: low price is king) So the choice to discontinue Pennz ultra is pure numbers game.

It makes more sense to discontinue Pennz Platinum, and keep the higher quality Ultra availible when it comes down to consumer choices. But I'm sure SOPUS multi brand approach to marketing is kicking them some here. Some customers won't realize that QS and Pennz are the same company, but will not be willing to pay for the difference to stay with pennz since they would have to pay for ultra. So SOPUS and walmart have to to offer the lower price Platinum to "get the low price". Customers in the know get ticked off, but they are the minority...

 

[ottotheclown]

Thanks tenderloin for as always finding info for all of us. Walmart pulled Next Gen off the shelves here in Long Island, Walmart has had two months of bad numbers. They are yanking not selling items I bet. For people to combine Walmart and dropping a product makes no sense. Walmart has a customer base that is unique. They are dropping items it seems that are slow. Try finding Ultra in a Auto Zone again the customers in these smaller stores are also price sensitive more than looking for a novak of 6. A small Auto Zone near me never ran it because he got stuck one time he said with Royal Purple.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: tenderloin
I wrote Pennzoil because their were numerous threads about it being taken off the shelves at Walmart which some took it to mean it was be discontinued. While there is plenty of wiggle room in the statement IMO it is better than guessing...at least for now.


FWIW - I posed the same question and received a similar answer this morning:

Quote:
On Tue, Mar 12, 2013 at 8:59 AM, wrote:
Dear 2010_FX4:

Thank you for your Inquiry. In regards to your question, Our Pennzoil Ultra which is one of our advanced engine oil is still in production till date and we have no intention of discontinuing. You can find it in other local automotive store, if you can't find it at walmart. If you have any questions please contact us on 1-800-237-8645, option 32.

Regards

Technical Services - U.O


On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:44:10 -0500 you wrote:

Is Pennzoil Ultra being discontinued? There are a lot of rumors flying around and it seems that Wal-Mart is dropping it in the stores around me.

Thanks!

 

[double vanos]

I can't imagine Pennzoil discontinuing their top product. Then again, truth can be stranger than fiction....

 

[LeakySeals]

Keep the posts going, keep emailing! Could prompt them to strike a better deal with WM. Once its closer to the oil prices most WM shoppers are willing to/can afford to pay, then its going to sell. I notice on the M1 side EP doesn't sell that well, not stocked at 2 of my local WM's. But the $24.97 M1 in any flavor sells like hotcakes. 2 weeks ago there was a huge M1 shipment to one local WM. 4 pallets on the floor, end shelves. After 2 weeks it was all gone except for 4 jugs!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: 05LGTLtd
If it is a choice of shelf space at walmart, then bean counters are looking at sales not thinking of the products they offer. QSUD and Pennz Platinum are similar products. Because they are both cheaper than Pennz Ultra, they most likely sell more units. (walmart: low price is king) So the choice to discontinue Pennz ultra is pure numbers game.

I agree. Basically, each vendor has a certain amount of shelf space for which they pay. To get more space would be very expensive as SOPUS would have to pay big bucks to take some shelf space away from other vendors such as XOM, BP, etc. Shelf space is a limited resource.

So, to make room for PU, SOPUS had to eat into the space currently occupied by PYB, PP, and any of its other oils. But due to its higher price, PU is probably not selling in large quantities, so it's a poor utilization of shelf space by SOPUS. It probably makes more financial sense to give most of this space to PYB which sells in large quantities. Isn't PYB one of the best selling mineral oils at retail level (not counting quickie lube places)?

It is the same reason why you can't find PU 5w-40 at local stores. Because it sells in low quantities, it wouldn't be the best utilization of shelf space.

 

[RDC]

Originally Posted By: tenderloin
In response to an email I sent yesterday.....FWIW

Dear Sir

Thank you for your Inquiry. In regards to your question, Our Pennzoil Ultra which is one of our advanced engine oil is still in production till date and we have no intention of discontinuing.

You can find it in local automotive store

If you have any questions please contact us on 1-800-237-8645, option
32.

Regards

Technical Services - U.O




Judging by the broken English in this response, is customer service located in Asia?

 

[MikeySoft]

Originally Posted By: 05LGTLtd
If it is a choice of shelf space at walmart, then bean counters are looking at sales not thinking of the products they offer. QSUD and Pennz Platinum are similar products. Because they are both cheaper than Pennz Ultra, they most likely sell more units. (walmart: low price is king) So the choice to discontinue Pennz ultra is pure numbers game.

It makes more sense to discontinue Pennz Platinum, and keep the higher quality Ultra availible when it comes down to consumer choices. But I'm sure SOPUS multi brand approach to marketing is kicking them some here. Some customers won't realize that QS and Pennz are the same company, but will not be willing to pay for the difference to stay with pennz since they would have to pay for ultra. So SOPUS and walmart have to to offer the lower price Platinum to "get the low price". Customers in the know get ticked off, but they are the minority...

But then people who want synthetic Pennzoil 0w20 at WM will be left out. PU does not presently come in 0w20.

 

[nitehawk55]

It's marketing and for Joe average when too many choices makes it confusing and will usually be drawn to the cheaper price .
Having PP and PU sitting beside each other with no details about them other than a price difference of $3-$4 which would you choose if you didn't know any better ?

 

[matrass]

Originally Posted By: tenderloin
I wrote Pennzoil because their were numerous threads about it being taken off the shelves at Walmart which some took it to mean it was be discontinued. While there is plenty of wiggle room in the statement IMO it is better than guessing...at least for now.


Thanks for trying to find out some info for us from Pennzoil.

 

[05LGTLtd]

Originally Posted By: MikeySoft
Originally Posted By: 05LGTLtd
If it is a choice of shelf space at walmart, then bean counters are looking at sales not thinking of the products they offer. QSUD and Pennz Platinum are similar products. Because they are both cheaper than Pennz Ultra, they most likely sell more units. (walmart: low price is king) So the choice to discontinue Pennz ultra is pure numbers game.

It makes more sense to discontinue Pennz Platinum, and keep the higher quality Ultra availible when it comes down to consumer choices. But I'm sure SOPUS multi brand approach to marketing is kicking them some here. Some customers won't realize that QS and Pennz are the same company, but will not be willing to pay for the difference to stay with pennz since they would have to pay for ultra. So SOPUS and walmart have to to offer the lower price Platinum to "get the low price". Customers in the know get ticked off, but they are the minority...

But then people who want synthetic Pennzoil 0w20 at WM will be left out. PU does not presently come in 0w20.

They can buy the QSUD 0w-20, and perhaps SOPUS could offer the Ultra in 0w20 as well?

 

[BrewCityR]

Originally Posted By: nitehawk55
It's marketing and for Joe average when too many choices makes it confusing and will usually be drawn to the cheaper price .
Having PP and PU sitting beside each other with no details about them other than a price difference of $3-$4 which would you choose if you didn't know any better ?


Great explanation here and the one by Quattro Pete.

 

[LeakySeals]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: 05LGTLtd
If it is a choice of shelf space at walmart, then bean counters are looking at sales not thinking of the products they offer. QSUD and Pennz Platinum are similar products. Because they are both cheaper than Pennz Ultra, they most likely sell more units. (walmart: low price is king) So the choice to discontinue Pennz ultra is pure numbers game.

I agree. Basically, each vendor has a certain amount of shelf space for which they pay. To get more space would be very expensive as SOPUS would have to pay big bucks to take some shelf space away from other vendors such as XOM, BP, etc. Shelf space is a limited resource.

So, to make room for PU, SOPUS had to eat into the space currently occupied by PYB, PP, and any of its other oils. But due to its higher price, PU is probably not selling in large quantities, so it's a poor utilization of shelf space by SOPUS. It probably makes more financial sense to give most of this space to PYB which sells in large quantities. Isn't PYB one of the best selling mineral oils at retail level (not counting quickie lube places)?

It is the same reason why you can't find PU 5w-40 at local stores. Because it sells in low quantities, it wouldn't be the best utilization of shelf space.

Your saying product owners lease space on Walmart shelves and make stocking decisions? Interesting, I have to ask the local manager about that. He mentioned to me if it doesn't sell "X" amount its gone which I took as he, Walmart is "the decider".