Walmart Debuts 300-Item Private Label Food Line, Opens Third Consolidation Center

Touted as its biggest private label launch in 20 years, Walmart has introduced Bettergoods, a line of 300 food products priced up to $15, with most products available for under $5. Many of the Bettergoods items — which span categories including frozen, dairy, snacks, beverages, pasta and chocolate — are unique to Walmart rather than serving as lower-priced alternatives to national brands.

Walmart also announced the opening of its third high-tech consolidation center in Minooka, Ill., a 492,000-square-foot facility that will bring nearly 700 additional jobs to the area.

The slate of Bettergoods items falls within three pillars:

• Culinary experiences spotlighting innovative recipes, elevated ingredients and trend-forward offerings such as Hot Honey Seasoning for under $3;
• Plant-based products carrying distinctive green branding, such as Oatmilk Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts for $3.44 per pint; and
• “Made Without” items catering to various dietary lifestyles, such as gluten-free or made without artificial flavors, colorings or added sugar.

“Today’s customers expect more from the private brands they purchase — they want affordable, quality products to elevate their overall food experience,” said Scott Morris, SVP, Private Brands, Food and Consumables at Walmart in a statement. “The launch of Bettergoods delivers on that customer need in a meaningful way.”

In February 2023 Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC that the retailer would do its part to fight inflation by keeping prices on its private label products low.

Consolidation Center Gathers LTL Deliveries into Full Truckloads

The new Minooka center is set up to receive general merchandise items from Walmart suppliers in smaller freight loads, known as less than a truckload (LTL), and consolidate them into full truckloads (TL). These loads are then shipped to one of Walmart’s 42 regional distribution centers where the items are sorted for delivery to stores. The first of these three centers opened in Colton, Calif. in 2019.

“We’ve made continued investments in our people, facilities and technology to ensure we have the right product, in the right place, at the right time,” said Mike Gray, SVP of Ambient Operations at Walmart in a statement. “As part of these investments, the Minooka facility will provide even more opportunities for small to medium-sized suppliers in the region who do not ship nationwide with the ability to provide product at all 4,700 Walmart stores.”