Regular Walmart shoppers are no doubt familiar with Great Value, the Walmart-exclusive brand of affordable groceries, cleaning products, and housewares that line the shelves. Now, customers will have hundreds of new items to peruse as they wander the aisles: The retail giant has announced the launch of Bettergoods, a private label focused on unique grocery products. It’s Walmart’s largest product launch in 20 years.
As Food & Wine reports, the Bettergoods lineup will debut with 300 items in all major grocery categories, from frozen food to dairy to snacks. The products range from $2 to $15, but the Walmart announcement highlights the fact that most items will cost $5 or less — and you might not be able to find comparable products anywhere else.
“Unlike many private brands that provide direct alternatives to national brand offerings at a lower price, many Bettergoods items are totally unique to Walmart, introducing customers to new and exciting flavors and concepts,” the announcement reads in part.
Walmart notes in its announcement that Bettergoods is not only its largest private label release in decades, but also “the fastest food private brand Walmart has brought to market, highlighting the speed with which Walmart can bring trend and innovation to market at scale.” Because the gears of change often move slowly at massive corporations like Walmart, this assurance is probably aimed at customers who like to see fresh new products each time they go shopping, as they might at Aldi or Trader Joe’s, where inventory changes more frequently.
Private labels (or “house brands”) are the key to success for many of America’s favorite retail chains. In 2019, Target launched Good & Gather, a flagship brand focused on quality food at affordable prices. Then in 2021, the company expanded its portfolio with Favorite Day, a brand dedicated to sweets and treats. Amazon, meanwhile, launched its grocery brand Aplenty in 2021 with most items priced under $4; new products have been added to the Aplenty lineup every year since. And who doesn’t love the everyday value of Costco’s longtime Kirkland brand, from its bulk packages of hot dogs to handles of vodka?
Bettergoods Products Fall Into 3 Categories
- “Culinary Experiences,” or fun and innovative products with interesting flavors (including jarred soups, seasoning blends, gourmet-style pastas, and more)
- Plant-based offerings like oatmilk-based frozen desserts and dairy-free macaroni and cheese
- A “Made Without” product line that includes gluten-free snacks, antibiotic-free meat, and other assorted products without artificial ingredients or added sugars
With its colorful package design and bold fonts, Bettergoods evokes the look and feel of products like Magic Spoon cereal and Goodles macaroni and cheese, direct-to-consumer brands that proved popular enough to make the leap to grocery stores.
“Today’s customers expect more from the private brands they purchase — they want affordable, quality products to elevate their overall food experience,” Scott Morris, Walmart’s senior vice president of private brands, food, and consumables, said in the press release. “The launch of Bettergoods delivers on that customer need in a meaningful way.”
Some Bettergoods products are available now, both in-store and on Walmart’s website, and the full line will be available nationwide in the coming months.
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