Private label brands have emerged as a powerful tool for major retailers to differentiate themselves, offer value to customers, and drive profitability.
Walmart, one of the world’s largest retailers, has been at the forefront of this trend with its extensive range of private label products.
From groceries to apparel, health and beauty to kitchen essentials, Walmart’s private label offerings reach across a diverse array of categories, catering to the needs and preferences of its vast customer base.
In this article on Walmart’s private label brands, we will delve into the top Walmart private label brands, and how to sell private label products. So let’s dive in.
Quick Guide
Private label products are goods that are typically manufactured by a specific company but marketed and sold under another company’s brand name. Private label products are usually branded under a retailer or a distributor’s company.
This allows the retailer or distributor to offer a diverse range of products without the need for extensive research, development, or production infrastructure. Private label products can encompass a wide range of categories, including consumer goods, food and beverages, beauty and personal care products, clothing and apparel, household items, and more.
They are often positioned as alternatives to national or established brands, offering similar quality and functionality at a lower price point.
Many retailers have recognized the value of private label brands as a strategic tool to enhance their product offerings and strengthen their competitive position.
Creating and selling private label brands helps retailers to differentiate themselves from national brands while providing customers with a unique value proposition.
Walmart’s private label strategy is based on factors like.
Firstly, private label brands allow Walmart to differentiate itself from its competitors and offer a wide range of products available only at its stores.
Walmart can offer customers options customized to their needs and preferences by developing its own brands, which can control product quality, pricing, and availability.
During the past four years, 32% of Walmart’s net sales have come from the general category.
Here is a list of the Walmart private label brands in different categories.
Brands in the grocery category are listed below.
Great Value, a Walmart private label grocery brand, was established by Walmart in 1993 to provide consumers with high-quality products at affordable prices.
Offering a wide array of household and grocery items, including snacks, dried goods, cleaning supplies, candy, and beverages, Great Value positions itself as a reliable alternative to national brand offerings.
Despite not being directly manufactured by Walmart, the brand collaborates with various food corporations to produce its products, which are then labeled with the distinctive Great Value branding.
This strategy allows Walmart to offer a diverse range of products under its label while ensuring quality and affordability for its customers.
Since its launch in 1991, Freshness Guaranteed has been a staple in the market, specializing in a variety of delectable treats including fresh breads, cookies, pastries, cakes, and cupcakes.
According to the Food Industry Association’s In-store Bakery Report of 2022, there has been a noticeable uptick in the demand for in-store bakeries, largely attributed to spur-of-the-moment purchases by consumers.
Notably, the report highlights a surge in the popularity of items such as muffins, cupcakes, and cookies. Further supporting this trend, Daily Meal, a renowned food and beverage platform, attests to Freshness Guaranteed’s reputation for offering gourmet muffins at competitive prices.
A Walmart private label product, Equate, has offered a wide range of health and personal care products since its inception in 1999.
Its diverse lineup includes items such as shaving cream, toothbrushes, lotion, and over-the-counter medications, catering to categories like personal health, OTC medicines, vitamins, weight management, home health, and more.
In the late 1990s, Walmart acquired Equate, formerly available at both Walmart and Target stores.
Notably, Equate products have garnered recognition, with several receiving top honors at the PLMA 2022 Salute to Excellence Awards in the health category.
These include Equate Epsom Salt Soothing Lavender, Equate Island Coconut Shea Sugar Scrub, Equate HydroClean Cordless Water Flosser, and Equate Ultra Light Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Lotion for All Skin Types, SPF 50.
Parent’s Choice, a private label brand owned by Walmart, specializes in offering a variety of baby products including skincare items, diapers, baby food, bottles, and bath essentials. The brand is known for providing these essential items at more affordable prices when compared to some well-known brands in the market.
One of Walmart’s earliest private label brands, Ol’ Roy, made its debut in the 1980s. Named after the beloved dog of Walmart’s founder, it offers a range of dog food options including dry and wet varieties in assorted flavors. Ol’ Roy is recognized for providing budget-friendly dog food as part of Walmart’s private label offerings. Despite increasing prices, consumers continue to maintain their spending habits within the pet category, making it one of the areas where expenditure remains stable.
Introduced in 1983 alongside Ol’ Roy, Special Kitty offers cat food and cat litter, prioritizing affordability. Between 1997 and 2002, private label sales experienced a surge in the United States.
By 2005, Special Kitty had captured a 19% market share, surpassing competitors like Purina. This success can be attributed to its availability in Walmart stores and its exceptionally low prices. Special Kitty is a popular choice among customers who care for cat colonies.
Walmart offers a range of exclusive brands inspired by popular OTT and TV shows, available both in-store and online.
One such brand is The Home Edit, offering organizers and storage systems inspired by the Netflix show of the same name.
Another example is the Pioneer Woman line, which originates from Ree Drummond’s food reality series, including clothing, kitchenware, and furniture.
In the outdoor category, Walmart’s private brand Ozark specializes in camping and recreational products.
Notably, Ozark’s 30-ounce tumbler is priced significantly lower than competitors like Yeti, offering customers a cost-effective option.
Walmart has been diversifying its clothing offerings across various categories to encourage customers to explore additional merchandise.
Some of its private apparel brands are developed in collaboration with celebrities to attract shoppers.
An example is the introduction of organic baby clothes under the brand M + A by Monica + Andy in 2023.
Since 2018, Walmart has launched several clothing brands like Time and Tru, Terra & Sky, Wonder Nation, and George, catering to women, men, children, and plus sizes.
There are many private-label brands at Walmart, including the ones mentioned above. Nonetheless, this does not mean that only these brands can be sold on Walmart Marketplace; as a Walmart seller, you can build a loyal customer base and build your brand by distributing private label brands.
Deciding whether to sell private label products on Walmart is worth it or not depends on various factors, including your business goals, resources, and the specific dynamics of the retail landscape.
Let’s check why private label is the most popular choice:
By selling private label products at Walmart, you can expose your brand to a wide audience, potentially increasing sales and brand awareness. Also, private label products provide you with the ownership of a brand, setting you apart from dropshipping or resale ventures. This ownership provides greater control over pricing strategies, allowing you to determine competitive pricing that maximizes profits while maintaining market competitiveness.
Moreover, the potential for profit margins is significantly higher with private label brands. Since you’re not dependent on third-party availability, you have the flexibility to set prices that align with your business goals and target market preferences.
Another advantage is the customization options that come with private labeling. You have the freedom to modify products to your brand’s identity and the preferences of your target audience. This approach not only enhances brand recognition but also improves targeting opportunities by catering to specific demographics.
Furthermore, private label brands enjoy reduced competition for Buy Box positioning. With exclusive ownership of your products, you eliminate competition from other sellers under the same heading. This means that when customers search for your brand, they’ll only see your products, increasing visibility and potential sales.
Also, private label products allow for the creation of product pages. Since your offerings are unique to your brand, you can optimize product listings with targeted keywords, compelling product photos, videos, and other promotional materials. This focused approach enhances the appeal of your products and improves conversion rates, driving overall business success.
Associating your brand with Walmart can lend credibility and trustworthiness to your products, especially if you’re able to meet Walmart’s quality standards.
Additional resource:
Walmart Free 2-Day Shipping: What is it and How do I get it?
Selling private label products at Walmart involves several steps, from identifying a problem to solving it to optimizing your Walmart campaigns. Let’s get into it.
The first step is to identify a problem that your products can solve. This involves conducting thorough market research to understand consumer needs, pain points, and preferences within your target market. Look for gaps or inefficiencies in existing product offerings that your private label products can address.
If you find that there are not enough affordable and high-quality skincare products for sensitive skin, you may want to create your private label skincare line. To differentiate your products from competitors, you must address this issue to attract customers looking for customized solutions.
When choosing a problem to solve, consider factors such as market demand, competition, and profitability. Aim to identify problems that have widespread appeal and are not adequately addressed by existing products in the market.
Additionally, consider your expertise and resources to ensure that you can effectively develop and market products that address the identified problem.
It’s crucial to understand your ideal customer profile which involves creating a detailed description of the demographic, psychographic, and behavioral characteristics of the customers you want to target with your products.
Start by identifying the basic demographic attributes of your target customers, such as age, gender, income level, occupation, education level, and geographic location. This information provides a foundational understanding of who your customers are and helps you change your marketing efforts accordingly.
Also, you can dive deeper into the psychographic aspects of your target audience, including their lifestyle, interests, values, attitudes, and personality traits. Consider factors such as hobbies, preferences, beliefs, aspirations, and challenges they may face. Understanding these psychographic nuances allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper level and resonate with their motivations and desires.
Furthermore, analyze the behavioral patterns and purchasing habits of your target customers. This includes their buying frequency, shopping preferences, brand loyalty, online behavior, and decision-making process.
By understanding how your customers behave and interact with products and brands, you can change your marketing strategies to effectively engage and convert them into loyal customers.
By choosing an ideal customer profile for your Walmart private label products, you can modify your product offerings and marketing strategies to effectively engage and appeal to your target audience, ultimately driving sales and success on the Walmart marketplace.
Based on the problem you’ve identified and your ideal customer profile, select a product or range of products to develop as your private label offering.
Research existing products in the Walmart marketplace and assess the level of competition in your chosen product category. Identify areas where you can differentiate your private label product from competitors, whether through unique features, superior quality, or competitive pricing.
Choose a product that offers meaningful differentiation and value proposition. Look for opportunities to innovate or improve upon existing products to set your private label offering apart from competitors. Consider factors such as product quality, design, functionality, and packaging to create a compelling value proposition for consumers.
By carefully selecting the right product for your Walmart private label venture, you can lay a strong foundation for success and maximize your chances of achieving profitable sales and sustainable growth in the Walmart marketplace.
Finding a supplier is a critical step in the process of selling private label products at Walmart. It involves sourcing a reliable manufacturer or supplier capable of producing your chosen products to your specifications and quality standards. This process requires careful research, evaluation, and negotiation to ensure a successful partnership.
Use online directories, trade shows, industry associations, and networking platforms to discover suppliers that specialize in the type of products you intend to sell. Consider these important factors such as manufacturing capabilities, production capacity, quality control processes, pricing, and geographic location when evaluating potential suppliers.
Once you’ve compiled a list of potential suppliers, conduct carefully to assess their reliability and suitability for your business. Request samples of their products to evaluate quality, craftsmanship, and adherence to your specifications. Verify their production capabilities, lead times, and pricing to ensure they can meet your business requirements.
Also, initiate communication with selected suppliers to discuss your private label project and negotiate terms of partnership. Communicate your expectations, including product specifications, quality standards, packaging requirements, and pricing considerations.
Be transparent about your business objectives, timelines, and volume projections to establish mutual understanding and alignment.
To begin, register as a seller on Walmart’s marketplace platform and create your seller account.
Provide all necessary information, including your business details, tax identification, banking information, and contact details.
Once your account is set up, you can start creating your product listings.
When creating your Walmart listing, pay close attention to product titles, descriptions, images, and attributes. Ensure that your product information is accurate, detailed, and engaging to attract and inform potential customers. Use clear and concise language to describe key features, benefits, and specifications of your private label products.
Optimize your product titles and descriptions with relevant keywords to improve search visibility and ranking on Walmart’s marketplace.
Conduct keyword research to identify popular search terms and phrases related to your products, and incorporate them naturally into your product listings.
Utilize high-quality images and multimedia content to showcase your products effectively. Provide multiple images from different angles, including close-up shots and lifestyle images, to give customers a comprehensive view of your products. Consider including product videos or demonstrations to enhance engagement and provide additional value to shoppers.
Specify product attributes such as size, color, material, and other relevant details to help customers make informed purchasing decisions. Ensure that your pricing is competitive and reflective of the value proposition offered by your private label products.
Also, ensure that your listings are mobile-friendly, load quickly, and provide a seamless shopping experience across all devices.
Launching your private label product at Walmart is a pivotal moment in your selling journey, marking the transition from preparation to action.
Once your product listing is live on Walmart’s marketplace, launch your private label product and monitor its performance closely.
Implement marketing and promotional strategies to drive traffic to your product listing, such as social media advertising, email marketing, influencer partnerships, and search engine optimization (SEO).
Consider offering special promotions, discounts, or incentives to incentivize early adoption and drive initial sales. Launching your product with an attractive introductory offer can help generate momentum and encourage customers to make a purchase.
Optimizing your Walmart campaigns is a crucial step in the process of selling private label products on the platform. This phase involves refining your marketing strategies and advertising campaigns to maximize visibility, drive traffic, and ultimately increase sales of your products.
Start by analyzing performance data and metrics from your existing campaigns. Review key performance indicators such as click-through rates, conversion rates, return on ad spend (ROAS), and overall sales performance to identify areas for improvement and optimization.
Consider implementing A/B testing and experimentation to evaluate different ad creatives, messaging, offers, and targeting parameters.
Test various campaign elements to identify what resonates most with your audience and drives the best results in terms of engagement and conversions.
Optimize your campaign budgets and bidding strategies to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your advertising spend. Allocate budget resources to campaigns and ad groups that demonstrate strong performance and ROI, while scaling back investment in underperforming areas.
By continuously optimizing your Walmart campaigns, you can maximize the reach, effectiveness, and return on investment of your advertising efforts, driving increased visibility and sales of your private label products on the platform.
Also read:
Walmart Ad Types 101: How to Reach More Shoppers and Boost Sales on Walmart
What makes Walmart Inventory Management unique from other e-commerce platforms
11 Walmart Advertising Strategies You Should Know For Better Conversions
Walmart’s private label brands can be a good way to break into a new marketplace or expand an existing footprint. These products, bundled together under a label exclusive to your company, can help you shine, creating a way for customers to explore your offerings and see your business as a legitimate source of quality and consistency.
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Additional read:
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Richard
June 16, 2024This was really informative! Thanks for sharing
Clare Thomas
July 31, 2024You are welcome!
Stephen Hardly
June 18, 2024Great breakdown! Walmart’s private labels are really impressive.
Clare Thomas
July 31, 2024Thank you!
Edward
June 19, 2024Wow, I didn’t realize Walmart had so many successful private label brands. Great insights!
Clare Thomas
July 31, 2024Happy to hear that you found this article as informatic one.