In this article from AdAge published today, Monday, September 7, the magazine takes a look at the recent changes in Walmart’s Private Brand Great Value. Although much of the article has been written in one format or another over the last few months, the article includes a few interesting thoughts from the Adage writer, Jack Neff.
“Great Value isn’t trying to pass itself off as a clone of the brands it competes against; that bland whiteness aims to set the brand apart with a distinct look and identity.”
“Walmart, more often a creative follower of its retail competitors, has been a leader this time. A revamp of Target’s entry-level store brand as Up & Up is hitting shelves a few months behind the new Great Value, and bears a remarkably similar plain-white resemblance.”
White packaging is nothing new and I would instead argue that both Walmart and Target are on the down slope of this trend. With European retailers like Tesco starting the trend and Florida grocer Publix perfecting the elegant simplicity of white-based packaging; Walmart’s attempt is ten years in coming. It may turn out to be the “jumping the shark” moment of white packaging systems for Private Brand. The more recent introduction by French retailer Carrefour of a remarkably similar design could be the death knoll of the white based Private Brand designs. If not the English retailer Budgens, Good Value line certainly should be.
Long term the larger impact to Private Brand Strategy comes from the first quote from the AdAge article: “Great Value isn’t trying to pass itself off as a clone of the brands it competes against.” A unified design system that differentiates Private Brands from their National Brand shelf mates is a significant long-term strategic shift. It signals a changing mindset for retailers, although “me too” Private Brands will continue to exist the need too innovate and differentiate becomes more critical everyday for retailers struggling to give shoppers a reason to chose them over their remarkably similar competitors.
I look to Publix, whose white-based packaging should be due for a redesign soon, for the next evolution in Private Brand package design. Their marketing and design team should be up to the task.
Why Walmart’s Great Value Changes the Game
Retailer Revamps Store Brand to Make It Stand Out From Competitors
The recessions of the 1980s gave us black-and-white generics; this one has given us Great Value.
While Walmart’s redesigned, repackaged and reformulated store megabrand has drawn some unflattering comparisons to those generic brands, to write it off as similar not only misses the point but underestimates its potential impact. The new Great Value is a game changer, not simply because of its size — the brand is estimated to be larger than $10 billion — but because its novel approach to store-brand packaging and merchandising. Great Value isn’t trying to pass itself off as a clone of the brands it competes against; that bland whiteness aims to set the brand apart with a distinct look and identity.
I totally agree with this:
White packaging is nothing new and I would instead argue that both Walmart and Target are on the down slope of this trend. With European retailers like Tesco starting the trend and Florida grocer Publix perfecting the elegant simplicity of white-based packaging; Walmart’s attempt is ten years in coming.
I don’t understand what the fuss is about. The range is ok. Not great. Not new. Not exciting. It’s bog standard packaging for bog standard products. It could be for any supermarket.
I agree with Lee… there is nothing unique or innovative about the new Walmart Great Value private label range. Let’s face it, minimal / white space packaging can work (when designed well) but traditionally it’s been the “private label” standards for many years. I think private label packaging needs to be well designed yet can offer great price points against national brands.
One of the best private label food brand examples I have found is “Marks & Spencer’s” in the UK. Tesco is also a strong up-and-coming contender as well.
The Walmart Great Value, it’s what “private label” looked like some 15+ years ago, Nothing new to the marketplace. Nothing new to the consumer.
Hmm, thanks Tom, I designed packaging for Tesco for 8 years…the cheques in the post.
Many seem to miss the point, and that is consumer convenience. Many have come to trust retailers like Publix and WalMart. Their private label product compares very favorably with National Brands. When I used to go into the ceral isle I spent too much time looking for the Great Value Bran Flakes. The old package looked like Kellogs and Post. Now I can find the white box in a jiffy and be on my way. I know grocers don’t want to hear this but I don’t dream of grocery shopping. I hate it. My convenient grocer plays huge “you can’t find it” games in an attempt to keep you in their store so you will buy more. Well this worked to some extent because I bought their private label pineapple rings (because they decided to move the canned fruit 10 isles away form the canned veggies) and found them to be extremely tough and inconsistent. I don’t trust their PL, so packaging won’t help them, even though they will surely follow WallMart. I know the packaging people don’t want to hear this but the value of a PL package is determined by consumers confidence in the merchant. The white packaging makes finding a trusted friend a little easier.
The point we were making is that this range seems to be hailed as something special, new groundbreaking even. And it isn’t. Everyone has been doing it for years.
But the new packaging is undoubtedly much better than the previous packs, but that’s like saying a round wheel is better than a square one.
As a consumer and mother of three( ages,,now 16,20,24 ), I remember trying to save when my kids were very young( Super save ,save mart. All those boxes, just cut open and stacked on top of each other …Oh and that PLAIN labeling ,,, I remember it taking longer then ,,, all to save maybe 10.00 to 20.00 bucks. After taking 20 mins longer you had the joy of bagging them up yourself weee! ,,, not so hot with 2 toddlers fighting and a small infant crying… THOSE BAG boys or girls made it look so easy!!!! Let them try it with one crying baby / one sticky toddler and one fighting toddler,,, hangging off their hips),,, and now that the economy is going through hard times. Its seems to me that the companys are taking advantage of the consumers. Stressing how “bad” it is and saying its “recession sales” ,, and “slashing prices ads”. Hmmmmm???I havent seen any extra savings through this plain labeling. I would be curious to know how much of that saving ,, if any is really passed on to the consumer?( our bottom line vs how much more they are saving ??? Also just my 2 cents worth … The new labeling is NOT so easy to pick out if your comparing different items that are the same brand ( take corn, green beans,corn flakes, raisen bran, frosted flakes… look the same you have to look for the raisen ,, or the goop in the cream corn ,,, you have to read ,,, that take so much more time … this being after you have read the nutrition labels ,,, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT ALREADY ,, your just trying to get in and get out ),,, you realy have to pay close attention. You will end up with cream corn vs whole kernel, and french style green beans instead of reg cut, or frosted flakes instead of plain corn flakes. They are tricking us ,,, its not all that “easy” and it takes more time to sift through ( Its a Hassle ). Then wait until you get it in your own little pantry,,, Then everyday you get that great expeirence of them saving the bottom line…all to spend extra time because all the cereal goes together( in your pantry, and no one likes the same cereal sooo their are 3 boxes same color, same shape, same look )good luck you have a 50/50 chance, of going straight to it ,,, Not so easy for “us” when we get it home and great for them though?? Great maybe, for their pockets but a real hassle for the consumer they are “not” tricking me !! they are watching their bottom line NOT OURS!