- Walmart primarily focuses on delivering ultra-low prices, which sometimes means lower quality.
- However, the retailer plans to stock more premium items to attract wealthier shoppers.
- I visited Walmart to see which fancy brands and products it already carries.
There's a reason "Save money" comes before "Live better" in Walmart's well-worn motto.
The Bentonville-based retail giant's primary focus since day one has been to drive down costs and offer rock-bottom prices. Before 2007, its motto was "Always low prices."
The strategy has served it well, even if there are sometimes necessary compromises regarding product quality.
But in recent years, the company has taken steps to shake the characterization of cheapness in favor of value, part of a larger push to attract higher-income shoppers with the sort of products and brands you'd see at Target or Whole Foods.
And now, with the announcement this week of its upscale Bettergoods private label grocery brand, Walmart is leaning more into the second half of its slogan.
Before the new products hit shelves, I visited my local Supercenter to see what premium items the retailer already carries.