Why do store-brand / exclusive tires exist?

Joined
Mar 2, 2004
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Location
Kentucky
Today I did the [previously] unimaginable, and bought store exclusive tires, at Walmart of all places. I normally buy from Tirerack or Discounttiresdirect and have them shipped, but I'm in a bit of a jam as the vehicle is moving our family to Kentucky this weekend, and I hadn't noticed just how badly worn the current tires were until today.

I purchased a set of General Grabber STX for our 2002 Mazda Tribute (P235/70/16). Price was $94 each before tax. I had seen these tires on another vehicle before; they appear to be a near carbon-copy of the General Grabber HTS tires, which have solid reviews and are priced well. The UTQG ratings are identical which I'd like to think indicates that tread design was made unique for Walmart (it's slightly different), and that the HTS and STX are otherwise the same. The tire fits our needs perfectly, from the tread design, mileage warranty, price, etc. Price was only slightly lower ($10 a tire or so) than the General HTS I could have purchased online.

All the local tire places tried to peddle their cheap off-brand Chinese/east-asian stuff, their own exclusive tire, or the uber-expensive, overpriced top-shelf Michelin, Bridgestone, etc, name-brand stuff. I usually opt for Michelins or another top-tier brand, but not at local, I-need-it-now prices, which would have approached $800 out-the-door.

Here is the tire:
grabberstx.jpg


Assuming the STX is the same (or very close cousin) as the HTS, why do Walmart and the various tire shops opt to sell their own version of tires? Is it purely profit driven? I don't know anyone who heads out and would specifically ask for a Walmart specific General Grabber, or Goodyear Wrangler, or even a Big-O-brand tire, or any of the various unique-to-them tires that Discount Tire sells.

It seems to me that it would cost money to design a tire specific to a given store or chain. I know there's potential for cost cutting (many of Walmart's store-specific tires are just laughable, where the focus is clearly COST-CUTTING, like the Wrangler Trailmark they tried to sell me), but does they money saved offset the cost of introducing a whole new tire?

Every tire chain I called that had their own exclusive tire had a great sales pitch to go with it-- "Cooper tires makes these for us to our exacting specifications-- this allows us to prioritize performance in weather conditions that are unique to Colorado.. That way the tire performs even better for our customer, than the other tires that are available nationwide, blah blah" was one. Another chain suggested that their exclusive tire was made with better materials that allowed them to offer a warranty unmatched by any of their competitors. Typical sales gimmicks that probably entice a lot of uneducated buyers...

Just curious as to what others' thoughts are on the store-exclusive stuff- whether the motive is profit, perhaps going back to the same place for future service.. Or can they really offer a better deal with the same quality and performance by designing/marketing their own?

Any thoughts on the Grabber STX or anyone that has used them? They looked close enough to the HTS that I figured I'd give them a shot. I've only had them on a very short time, so I can't provide any feedback until they're broken in some; but I suspect they'll be a solid highway/touring type tire good for 50k. If they can deliver on that, I'll be a happy camper.
 
My bet would be that the tire manufacturers' other customers demand that a mass market retailer like Wal-Mart have their "own" stuff because if they had the same stuff it would be massively below the costs that they could sell it at and they would no longer carry the product. So, Continental makes the Grabber HTS and sells it to all the tire dealers of America, who get all the marketing support of the mother ship, and wal mart gets the slightly different exclusive tire. Continental wins because it's selling tires in both places, independent shop continues to get by on a shoestring, and wal mart is happy.
 
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On the size (STX) at Walmart I was looking at and comparing to the HTS the tread was slightly different. However, all specs were exactly the same.


Making a tire "especially for Walmart" gives the manufacturer another customer base-they may not otherwise have.

How may Walmart customers would go in to a tire store and say "I would like to buy the General HTS tires please"?

Not that many.
 
Besides price match, they don't have to give the warrantee a replacement tire, while staying a qualified brand reseller. "Sorry don't stock that and can't order that, so I can't replace it on warranty."
 
Walmart also sells many non-exclusive tires on the store website. When I bought my current tires I had Discount Tire price match off of Walmarts site.
 
This is a practice used throughout the tire business, but Walmart uses it on nearly everything. They force their suppliers to make cheaper versions of their products in order to meet Walmart's pricing demands. Don't believe me? Buy a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese from Walmart and get one from a regular supermarket. The Walmart version is barely edible, the cheese is a different color, but it's in the same box. Or, check out their bottled water compared to bottled water purchased from any other store. Your 16.9 oz bottle of water from Walmart will be so thin, with so little extra room at the top, that you're almost guaranteed to spill some when you twist the cap off. These are just a few things I've noticed about Walmart's products. I definitely wouldn't buy their tires.
 
I agree in the Walmart case - but Discount Tire can have a tire made for them that is fine - suppose when it is your core business the whole chain of command down to the shop floor have more skin in the game ...
 
Originally Posted By: Blkstanger
Walmart also sells many non-exclusive tires on the store website. When I bought my current tires I had Discount Tire price match off of Walmarts site.

True. And good idea. I too have noticed that besides DT's online company DTD, that WM online tire prices are a place to look now for a price match price at DT.

As for topic, I agree that price match is a likely consideration. As well as having their own tread life warranty specs and keeping that warranty and service exclusive to the company, in this case WM.
 
So the thing used to be with walmart, was they would sell goodyear tires without any treadwear warranty at a lower price.

I see this is no longer the case, for the whole goodyear line. For the VIVA tires (walmart exclusive brand) they include a long treadwear.

For the RSA there is no warranty.

I had a family member who worked at the goodyear tire factory. Walmart would have them make a tire for their private brand. I forget which one but he told me they were lower quality tires made for the no warranty market, but they were safe tires, just cheapos.

I still will buy a tire from discount tire and pay a little more, just for the service alone.

The quality of the installation, and their people is worth saving a few bucks and dealing with walmart.

Also free rebalance, and rotate for life of the tire. I would rather deal with discount tire on repeat visits, then have to wait hours in a walmart tire shop.

Discount runs plenty of deals and rebates through the year as well. They do price matching for anybody and move on price pretty easy.
 
Originally Posted By: Ethan1
This is a practice used throughout the tire business, but Walmart uses it on nearly everything. They force their suppliers to make cheaper versions of their products in order to meet Walmart's pricing demands. Don't believe me? Buy a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese from Walmart and get one from a regular supermarket. The Walmart version is barely edible, the cheese is a different color, but it's in the same box. Or, check out their bottled water compared to bottled water purchased from any other store. Your 16.9 oz bottle of water from Walmart will be so thin, with so little extra room at the top, that you're almost guaranteed to spill some when you twist the cap off. These are just a few things I've noticed about Walmart's products. I definitely wouldn't buy their tires.




The specs on the General Tires I was looking at were identical to the General HTS tires.

I'm glad you don't shop at Walmart-my local Walmart is PLENTY BUSY.
 
Originally Posted By: Ethan1
This is a practice used throughout the tire business, but Walmart uses it on nearly everything. They force their suppliers to make cheaper versions of their products in order to meet Walmart's pricing demands. Don't believe me? Buy a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese from Walmart and get one from a regular supermarket. The Walmart version is barely edible, the cheese is a different color, but it's in the same box. Or, check out their bottled water compared to bottled water purchased from any other store. Your 16.9 oz bottle of water from Walmart will be so thin, with so little extra room at the top, that you're almost guaranteed to spill some when you twist the cap off. These are just a few things I've noticed about Walmart's products. I definitely wouldn't buy their tires.

That is just about all single-serve bottles now...and the first to do it was Poland Spring.
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle

That is just about all single-serve bottles now...and the first to do it was Poland Spring.


Yup because people were complaining about plastic bottles winding up in landfills.

A nice side effect is folks used to reuse the same bottle all week, refilling it from the drinking fountain. Now the bottles are so flimsy they only last a day.

WM's tire shop is a lure to incapacitate your car for 60-90 minutes while stranded in their own store where all you can do is shop. Their fatal flaw, IMO, is not being able to sell (profitable) alignments and upsell expensive front-end work. I wonder how they cop out of treadwear mileage warranties compared to a real tire shop-- how could they prove misalignment? Just show feathered wear and say, well there you go?

Mattresses and TVs and many other things are slightly different from store to store with different names or model numbers. Price matching is such a goofy promise now; I haven't had any desire to force store B to match A when I could just buy it from A.
 
As mentioned it is so they don't have to price match. Another reason is if you need one or two tires and want the same exact tire you're locked into them for the replacement. They can also have the tires made to their specs, for pricing purposes.
 
Not like me but last year I put on DT exclusive tires on 3 vehicles.

Hyundai Tucson - Continental ControlContact Tour AS (previous Michelin Defender)
Toyota Camry - Arizonian Silver Edition III (previous Michelin Destiny)
Lexus RX330 - Yokohama YK 740 GTX (previous Michelin MXM4)

I can't really say anything bad about any of them.
It stared out the Michelin's on the Tucson were getting the sidewall cracking plus getting noisy (especially on the cut cement roadway) when over half worn. I went to DT for new tires and the few I was considering they didn't have a set of 4 and I didn't want to go across town to another DT that had a couple but not all I was considering - so I ended up with Continental ControlContact Tour AS figuring if not happy within a month I'd be back for something else. I have about 25k on them. Wearing well - Looks little worn (haven't measured whats left) nice even wear (run a few psi's over placard). Has done me well during the rain.

On the Lexus RX330 the Michelin's were worn and again they didn't have a full set of Michelin MXM4, so tried the Yokohama YK740 GTX and wife is very happy with them. They roll nice and quiet and track nice instead of the little wondering the MXM4 did for some odd reason (yes alignments were done).

On the Camry (son drives) we were considering keeping it maybe another year or so - he had a tire blow and of course DT no longer has the Destiny tires. Tried the Arizonian Silver Edition III and he has been very happy with them. We have had a lot of rain this winter and he seen some cars slide out around him. He had no problems in the wet conditions and some puddling water. Rides nice and quiet and he says no more noise than the previous Destiny tires.
 
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I've wondered about this issue a lot also. I wonder how much of a difference there is between the Michelin defender and the Michelin defender XT? I know the regular defenders asymmetrical and the XT is not but I'm really curious if they use a lower quality tread compound in the XT? Also wonder what their version will be for the new T+H. Will be called? I don't think I would ever buy chain exclusives just curious on the differences.
 
I was never a fan of chain store tires. I get the whole make us 500,000 of these for just us and make em cheap.
My wife likes Costco tires which in some cases means I'm forced to use em as well. I seemed to be going through tires very quickly on my Suburban so this time, I got Michelin Defenders from an old school tire shop.
They've only been on my truck a short time but I notice the difference every time I drive. Very happy.
 
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