Walmart's Revamped Great Value Brand Delivers Affordable, Quality Choices When Consumers Need Them Most

Retailer Transforms its Great Value Brand with More Products, Consumer Friendly Packaging and Improved Quality

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BENTONVILLE, Ark., March 16, 2009 – At a time when families need to make every penny count, Walmart today released new details about the expansion and enhancement of its Great Value brand in the United States. The new, improved Great Value products – which will begin appearing on shelves this month – provide families with affordable, high quality grocery and household consumable options comparable to national brands. The retailer’s Great Value brand, first introduced in 1993, spans more than 100 categories and is the country’s largest food brand in both sales and volume.

With a strong focus on better quality, Walmart worked with several hundred suppliers and product testing facilities to:

Test more than 5,250 products against leading national brands to ensure Great Value quality is equal to or better;
Conduct more than 2,700 consumer tests to compare the flavor, aroma, texture, color, and appearance of Great Value products against leading national brands;
Change the formulas for 750 items including: breakfast cereal, cookies, yogurt, laundry detergent, and paper towels; and
Introduce more than 80 new products, such as: thin crust pizza, fat free caramel swirl ice cream, strawberry yogurt, organic cage-free eggs, double stuffed sandwich cookies, teriyaki beef jerky and more, all at unbeatable prices.

“Walmart remains committed to providing our customers with quality national and private brand products at unbeatable prices,” said Andrea Thomas, Walmart’s senior vice president of private brands. “Through our Great Value brand re-launch, we are delivering on our promise to provide customers with the quality products they need and want at a price they can afford to help them save money and live better.”

According to new consumer data from GfK Custom Research North America, 75 percent of shoppers, say the “current economic conditions” are playing a big role in their decision whether to purchase national or grocery store brands. Additionally, three out of 10 consumers in the study say they are now “buying more store brand products” compared to a year ago, and more than 77 percent of respondents “agree” that the store brands they buy “are as good as, if not better than, national brand products.”

In addition to product testing, Walmart redesigned Great Value packaging graphics to create a consistent, recognizable look throughout the store, making it easier for customers to find their favorite products. The new Great Value packaging offers easy-to-read nutrition labels and more appetizing food photography. Walmart also reduced packaging when possible as part of the company’s sustainability goals.

Walmart is so confident in the quality of its Great Value products that the company guarantees every product.

The retailer plans to continue its focus on quality through a new Quality Monitoring Program, which will provide ongoing evaluation of the quality of products from the factory to the shelves.

Walmart is supplementing its quality promise with a staffed toll free number for product inquiries. Additionally, customers can find product information at www.walmart.com.

Walmart is asking customers to share their favorite Great Value items by encouraging them to rate the products and offer reviews on walmart.com.

The product re-launch is beginning this month with the majority of products appearing on store shelves by the end of May.

For more information about the Great Value brand at Walmart, visit www.walmart.com.

About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Walmart operates Walmart discount stores, supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Club locations in the United States. The Company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. The Company's securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT. More information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.

Ed. Note: The terms “Walmart” and Walmart Stores” refer to the corporate entity. “Walmart,” expressed as one word and without hyphenation, refers to the brand name of the company’s U.S. operations. This distinction came after the Company announced the introduction of a new logo for its U.S. store operations in June.

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