Super Tech Filters Disappearing?

[Peak Master]

Hello All,

I am new to this great forum but have been reading many of the posts in several of the topic areas. Anyway, I have read quite a bit about Super Tech filters available at Walmart...or should I say were once available at Walmart.

The several Walmarts that I have been in in the DE,PA and MD areas do not carry them or only carry a limited model line at best. The filter section is essentially orange from floor to the top of the shelving with Fram.

What's the story with that? Were Super Tech filters once available for all make and models including foreign? I have resigned myself to using German made Mann filters for my two Volvos.
I get them for a bit under $4/filter via mailorder but I would use the Super Techs if they sold them. BTW, although on a different topic, I am on my second oil change with Super Tech 10w-30 Full Synthetic on my 93 940 Volvo wagon with 78K.
It seems to be just fine. I will probably switch to dino 10w-30 in Spring/Summer/Fall. I see Texaco Havoline 10w-30 for under a $1/qt. at the Target nearby.

 

[metroplex]

I just bought a bunch of SuperTech filters in case they do eliminate the supply. Right now its predominantly Fram - with some SuperTEch and less and less Motorcraft. I'd say before 2003 is over, it will all be Fram.

 

[Mike_dup1]

I talked with someone in managerment at local Wal-Mart (his wife and I went to school together) and they told me its up to the dept manager to stock the products and that is determined by, what is available in the warehouse when the order and what sells on their shelves. The Auto Dept manager may or may not know jack about automotive, move stock is his main objective. I was inquiring why AC Delco was being eliminated form the store shelves, reason they told me; Fram outsells AC Delco 10 to 1 and is much cheaper to purhcase and sell for them. They also told me that many times the company will make a special purchase on Filters or whatever, but when it comes time to replenish the distribution center, they may have found some other brand at better price and thats what happens often. So if K&N (or some other) went and told Walmart we will sell all the filters in our line for less the Fram, you find K&N on the shevles. All these stores are fighting to be the best, they rank by sales. He told me that they had to sell a certain volumm to stay open 24 hrs and now the sales are big enough, there are getting a super store.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

PEAK MASTER, did they have a catalog of air/oil filters? Sometimes they do, sometimes not. In a Supercenter I know I saw one with the S/T line listed.

 

[liquidballbearing]

Wal-Mart, K-mart, and Meijers were forced to stop selling AC Delco filters because AC Delco severed the ties with these mass retailers due to a simple business decision by AC Delco. That is the answer I received from a customer service rep. when I e-mailed AC about 6 months ago.

The SuperTech line of filters at Wal-Mart is here to stay and as Mike said earlier, it is up to the automotive dept. manager to keep them in stock.

 

[metroplex]

The ST line of oil filters is rapidly diminishing. The first day Walmart opened here, I saw a full line of ST, Motorcraft, and AC Delco filters.

After 2 months, only 1/4th the Motorcraft and ST stock was available. No AC Delco.

After 5 months, 5-6 different ST filters and 5-6 Motorcraft filters, the rest being Fram oil, air, and fuel filters.

 

[TheLoneRanger]

I have seen the same thing happening at K-Mart. I used to buy my Motorcraft and Castrol filters there. The last time I was in the store, the shelves were stuffed with Frams. No other brands, just Frams. Sounds like the Fram people are running some aggressive promotions on their products.

 

[Mike_dup1]

RE: AC Delco

I know dealers have complained that they were loosing business because AC Delco was undercutting them. The retail price of the AC filters at K-Marts etc was less than a dealer could purchase thru GM parts. I know one former GM parts guy who is in business on his own running a big Auto Service center. He is the only AC Delco retailer/installer other than a GM dealer in our area. He claimed when he was still with the Chevy dealer, there was a big ***** at one of the parts meetings they had soem years back.

I am sure that was major reason, as they were undercutting the other AC Delco retailers who marketed all the AC Delco products, not just filters.

 

[Patman]

We are lucky up here in Canada because Walmart still sells the AC Delco filters. The price just went up a bit though, I used to see the PF1218 for $3.46, but now it's just under $5. It's still way cheaper than a GM dealer though, they want $11 for the identical filter!!

 

[Peak Master]

Groucho, Yes, I think I only saw the Fram catalog although there were some Super Techs left, it really looked like they were selling through the Super Tech inventory. The only air filters sold were Fram and they also had the Fram SureDrain plugs. Clearly Fram is gunning for top market share if they don't already have it. What better way to do it then be the sole supplier to WalMart?

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

PeakMaster, bite your tongue.

 

[Propflux01]

truth is as truth does........

 

[Pluto5]

I've noticed that the supply of my sizes of Super Tech's is inconsistent and sometimes non-existent. Same with Great Value pasta--maybe they have the same buyer. So I stock up. My guess is that the Walmart buyers try to order the least number of times per year and place the largest orders to squeeze the suppliers into giving the lowest prices. A few cents off per item pays their salaries for a couple of years.

 

[YZF150]

If only Fram were a good filter, it would be the best of both worlds.

 

[Mike_dup1]

Well you really can't blame Frame, they are giving the public what they want, something for nothing.


Whats that old saying, I once saw hanging in a GM dealer in Grand Rapids many years ago,

The bitterness of low quality lingers longer than the sweetness of low price