April 16, 2026
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Did Walmart’s Great Value Brand Need a Makeover?
Walmart is overhauling its biggest brand, Great Value, for the first time in more than a decade.
In a statement, Walmart said the makeover is designed to produce “more modern visual identity while improving shoppability across stores and digital platforms.”
Key features of the new design include:
- Consistent placement of nutrition information and benefit claims across all Great Value food items.
- Clearer visual cues to help customers and associates quickly identify and pick the correct items.
- A cohesive, modern look that enhances visibility and encourages product exploration.
In an interview with CNBC, David Hartman, VP of creative at Walmart, said customer research indicated that shoppers liked the quality and price of Great Value’s range of the products, but “felt like the expression of the brand on the pack was kind of lagging.”
“What they felt was this sense of it being a compromise,” he said. “They love the product across food and consumables, but they didn’t particularly feel very proud to display it in their home or with their families.”
Retailers have traditionally employed no-frills packaging on opening price point private labels to not only save money, but also to convey value.
Beyond modern packaging, the redesign will feature clearer labeling and a more consistent visual system across products.
“We believe great design should be accessible to everyone,” said Hartman in a statement. “At our scale, that means creating something that works clearly and intuitively across thousands of individual items, so customers can find what matters, faster. We’ve built a system that does exactly that, bringing consistency, clarity, and a sense of discovery to every shelf.”
Walmart indicated that no changes will be made in content, and inferred no price hikes are planned as part of the redesign. Scott Morris — SVP, private brands, Walmart U.S. — said, “Customers will continue to find the same trusted products at the same Every Day Low Prices they rely on.”
Great Value a Walmart Mainstay, Involving ~10,000 SKUs
Introduced in in 1993 and spanning nearly 10,000 food and household products, Walmart claims Great Value is the largest food and consumables consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand in the U.S. Walmart cited a recent study showing that Great Value products can be found in 90% of U.S. households, and save an average family 35% per year.
The move comes as private label is gobbling up market share amid inflationary pressures. The Private Label Manufacturers Association found store brands expanding nearly three times faster than national equivalents. Numerator found Gen-Z driving the gains.
In 2024, Walmart launched a premium Bettergoods line to mark its largest private-label introduction in 20 years.
The rollout of the redesign begins with salty snack categories, and will expand across the store over the next two years.
BrainTrust
Tom Ryan
Managing Editor, RetailWire
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Do you see Walmart’s upgrade of its Great Value packaging being worth the effort and expense?
Do opening-price-point private labels have to increasingly look premium?
Poll
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In order to compete against premium-perceived private labels, such as Kirkland, an overhaul of the Great Value brand is necessary – but this overhaul must be more than cosmetic. The product quality itself must increase, not just the label and appearance, less this just be an expensive marketing activity.
Did it need it ? > Probably not
Is it beneficial, nonethless? > Yes
This is an excellent example of (Walmart’s) economies of scale: most of the costs – research, design, advertising – are fixed, and amortized over a gazillion-and-one sales makes them essentially zero; ‘Trevor’s Bargain Mart’ with three stores…not so much.
Revamping thousands of products’ packaging is a big undertaking that requires time and money – at scale.
Was it necessary? Maybe not.
Was it valuable? Probably.
This undertaking shows shoppers that Walmart listens to their concerns and takes action to address them. This builds and strengthens shopper trust in Walmart as a company.
What’s more important is what’s inside the packages. Walmart’s package redesign may spark trail/re-trial of their private brand products. Improved quality of products will lead to repeat purchases – and that’s what counts.
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In order to compete against premium-perceived private labels, such as Kirkland, an overhaul of the Great Value brand is necessary – but this overhaul must be more than cosmetic. The product quality itself must increase, not just the label and appearance, less this just be an expensive marketing activity.
Did it need it ? > Probably not
Is it beneficial, nonethless? > Yes
This is an excellent example of (Walmart’s) economies of scale: most of the costs – research, design, advertising – are fixed, and amortized over a gazillion-and-one sales makes them essentially zero; ‘Trevor’s Bargain Mart’ with three stores…not so much.
Revamping thousands of products’ packaging is a big undertaking that requires time and money – at scale.
Was it necessary? Maybe not.
Was it valuable? Probably.
This undertaking shows shoppers that Walmart listens to their concerns and takes action to address them. This builds and strengthens shopper trust in Walmart as a company.
What’s more important is what’s inside the packages. Walmart’s package redesign may spark trail/re-trial of their private brand products. Improved quality of products will lead to repeat purchases – and that’s what counts.