Walmart

[ryster]

It isn't just Walmart. The supermarkets around here such as Giant, Wegmans, and even Target are starting to increase the number of "house brand" products and reducing the number of comparable national name brand equivalents. Even CVS and Walgreens are getting in on it.

Way more profit margin in house brands. There are some types of products (OTC meds, cleaning products, breakfast cereal, cheese, bread, etc.) where a house brand is a perfectly acceptable alternative. There are others, however, where the house brand is noticeably lesser quality (most personal hygiene products in particular...house brand shampoos and toothpastes simply do not work as well as name brand.)

It just gets frustrating when the stores stop offering en established national brand and replace it with a subpar house brand version. Making the customer go to multiple stores to do shopping is not a desirable outcome. Eventually, that customer might simply stop shopping there if they know they cannot get everything they need. A shopper's time is worth something, and if they feel they are wasting money going to multiple stores they might be willing to pay a little more to simply get everything at one store and avoid the runaround.

 

[BMW Dom]

I work at a grocery store. We sell a lot of store brand product. When I do people's shopping: they either buy all name brand or all store brand. I defintely think it's weird that your Walmart is not carrying some name brand stuff.

 

[Hall]

There are some types of products (OTC meds, cleaning products, breakfast cereal, cheese, bread, etc.) where a house brand is a perfectly acceptable alternative.

Pay attention when there's a recall on certain foods. More than once there has been a recall that impacts more than one "brand". I remember one for a national brand + Kroger's upscale private brand (they have 2 tiers) + Great Value (Walmart) + Trader Joe's + ALDIs. So a product sold as Kroger's "better" store brand is the exact same as WM's store brand as well as Trader Joe's (where people think their products are extra better).

 

[PandaBear]

I don't know if all are like this but stock is being eliminated to Great Value on everything. A certain brand of butter we use now is no longer so I have go to competitor. I feel for people that are going there for automotive oil and filters. Seems that they only carry Synthetic which is competitive but only Super Tech is carried in a blend. The shelf space is 3/4 Super Tech whether a blend, conventional or synthetic. Super Tech is 5.00 cheaper than competitors so I can see people making Walmart products number 1 as they are eliminating the competitor. Sad now I either order online or drive to another business. First time I heard of eliminating your highest seller to put your product in its place and leave you no choices.

The whole US has been migrating to synthetic 0w20 and 10k OCI. I think that is expected they allocate more shelf space to synthetic when 0w20 is having high mileage oil already, and eventually 20w50 and 10w40, etc are going away.

From what I heard from People who worked in marketing, Walmart at least back then do not do shelf space charges and they only pick 1-2 winners to carry on their shelf for each product, so if you are in you can get a lot of volume but you have lower profit margin. If you want choices there's always local stores or Amazon to buy from, lots of choices, lots of shelf space cost, lots of margin, way higher prices.

The choice is yours.

 

[DBMaster]

I've been observing for some time that Walmart seems to be reducing its selection across many product lines. Less shelf space is being devoted to various categories. Some of the stores around here are remodeling and clearing large areas for expansion of the "digital shopping experience." That means there is less overall shelf space. That's why Walmart can't ever be my only grocery store. It'll be interesting to see if this long term strategy works.

 

[supton]

Do you mean WM's private/store brands ? 'cause otherwise, they sell all the same brands as every other grocery store.

Haven't been impressed with their brand, no, but they also have a small selection of items in general and their selection never appealed to me. Seemed like the selection & prices were better at a "real" grocery store. Plus I have a couple of grocery stores closer to home.

 

[Imp4]

The OP has over generalized to the point that it is difficult to comment on his post.
Why would anyone assume that the circumstances at OP's walmart are consistent across the company?

This is the absolute definition of the point that an anecdote is not data.

If OP is unsatisfied with Walmart then OP should shop somewhere else. It is the only action that he can take to have a material impact on the store in question. It is certainly more impactful than complaining about it on the internet.

 

[PandaBear]

Pay attention when there's a recall on certain foods. More than once there has been a recall that impacts more than one "brand". I remember one for a national brand + Kroger's upscale private brand (they have 2 tiers) + Great Value (Walmart) + Trader Joe's + ALDIs. So a product sold as Kroger's "better" store brand is the exact same as WM's store brand as well as Trader Joe's (where people think their products are extra better).

Made by doesn't means they are identical, yet the contamination can affect all of them.

Try OJ for example, store brands could taste much worse than some of the name brands, yet from the same plants.

 

[manicrodder]

I generally don't mind Equate. In fact I prefer their almond milk to others.

 

[tiger862]

It isn't just Walmart. The supermarkets around here such as Giant, Wegmans, and even Target are starting to increase the number of "house brand" products and reducing the number of comparable national name brand equivalents. Even CVS and Walgreens are getting in on it.

Way more profit margin in house brands. There are some types of products (OTC meds, cleaning products, breakfast cereal, cheese, bread, etc.) where a house brand is a perfectly acceptable alternative. There are others, however, where the house brand is noticeably lesser quality (most personal hygiene products in particular...house brand shampoos and toothpastes simply do not work as well as name brand.)

It just gets frustrating when the stores stop offering en established national brand and replace it with a subpar house brand version. Making the customer go to multiple stores to do shopping is not a desirable outcome. Eventually, that customer might simply stop shopping there if they know they cannot get everything they need. A shopper's time is worth something, and if they feel they are wasting money going to multiple stores they might be willing to pay a little more to simply get everything at one store and avoid the runaround.

Not to mention 3 cashiers and numerous self checkouts. Heck the checkout line customers are waiting in the isles.

 

[PimTac]

Not to mention 3 cashiers and numerous self checkouts. Heck the checkout line customers are waiting in the isles.

All stores are doing that. Self checkout far exceeds cashier manned checkout.

 

[1uz_4me]

Considering retailers have had access to their own sales data for decades....seems like they're getting the most/best return for their space...maybe

 

[Warstud]

They probably dont want to have a price war with Amazon

 

[PandaBear]

They probably dont want to have a price war with Amazon

Nah, people price Amazon Basic stuff against SuperTech all the time.

 

[Hall]

They probably dont want to have a price war with Amazon

On different name-brand oils (I can speak for Castrol Edge or Magnatec), Amazon and Walmart keep their prices matched to the penny every time I've looked. For Supertech vs Amazon Basics though, Amazon isn't even trying.... ST 5W-20 synthetic = $15.98 vs AB synthetic = $21.84. HM is $15.97 (ST) vs $24.99 (Amazon).

 

[Wolf359]

On different name-brand oils (I can speak for Castrol Edge or Magnatec), Amazon and Walmart keep their prices matched to the penny every time I've looked. For Supertech vs Amazon Basics though, Amazon isn't even trying.... ST 5W-20 synthetic = $15.98 vs AB synthetic = $21.84. HM is $15.97 (ST) vs $24.99 (Amazon).

Technically for Amazon, it costs them more to ship a few quarts of oil than for Walmart to have a tractor trailer show up with cases and cases of the stuff and people just show up at the stores and walk out with it and no shipping charge. They might lose money on certain items, but as the saying goes, they probably make up for it in volume.

 

[PandaBear]

Technically for Amazon, it costs them more to ship a few quarts of oil than for Walmart to have a tractor trailer show up with cases and cases of the stuff and people just show up at the stores and walk out with it and no shipping charge. They might lose money on certain items, but as the saying goes, they probably make up for it in volume.

Walmart ship oil to home if you buy more than $35 too. The thing about Amazon, like Costco, is that membership shoppers tend to not cross shop much so they mentally assume their club stores are usually cheaper, and therefore overpay.