Wee Sighting of Walmart’s New Great Value

We’ve been anxiously awaiting signs that Walmart’s new and improved Great Value private label program is hitting stores.  As of yesterday, the old stuff was out in force in all of the existing categories; however, we spotted a wee glimpse of one out of eighty expansion products (tantalizing boxed pizza pic below) that no doubt will appear before the core items can get outta there.  I can’t imagine anything more difficult than fully transitioning a multi-category food program comprised of over 5,250 products into new formulations and packaging . . . (well, except maybe attempting to build out a fresh and packaged food program that will rival Walmart’s but we’ll save Target’s food forays for another blog). 

Look for our before and after shots as the program builds out. 

P.S.  Question for you . . . Does it matter that two Walmart store managers (A+ stores) had no idea that Great Value, the largest food brand in the country in both sales and volume, is being reinvented and due in their stores any day?  I ask this seriously. Maybe it doesn’t matter so long as they execute flawlessly.  Is it important that store-level employees are clued into upcoming brand transitions and product launches?  What are the advantages?  Could it ever be a bad thing? 

Great Value's clean, crisp pizza packaging