Slick price increase on VWB at WM.......

[addyguy]

About 2 years ago, WM's all across Canada had a huge Valvoline promotion - nice, white 5L jugs for $10.88. It didn't get much cheaper than that!

There was enough stock that WM had these available for nearly two years. They DID fiddle with the prices a bit; it went up to $11.88 for a bit, then down to $9.88 during an anniversary sale. I managed to get a jug at $11.88 for my first DIY OC on my Tribute.

The jugs disappeared from shelves for about the last 8 months or so. Ah, well, it was good while it lasted!

So, I go into the auto section of a WM a few days ago, and I spy large whilt Valvoline jugs, with the price $12.88 above them. AHA! Awesome! Cheap VWB is back!

So i go and look at the display...it LOOKS just like the last one...but the jugs look different....wait, what's this....?

The jugs are 4L, not 5L. Sneaky, sneaky!

 

[dparm]

We affectionately call this the "grocery shrink ray".

 

[addyguy]

Truth is, even with the increase, it's still a good price at $3.22/L.

But the QS next to it at 13.88/4.73L ($2.93/L) has become a better deal!

 

[david_ES2]

Blame inflation for that

 

[John_K]

Originally Posted By: david_ES2
Blame inflation for that


Huh, everything else seems to be going TO 5 or 5.1 l containers.

John

 

[addyguy]

Originally Posted By: John_K
Originally Posted By: david_ES2
Blame inflation for that


Huh, everything else seems to be going TO 5 or 5.1 l containers.

John


You're right - it really suprised me that they shrunk the container to keep a similar price, rather than just increase the price on the 5L.

Makes no sense for someone like me to buy this, as my car takes 5.2L - I'd have to buy more oil anyway!

 

[Bluestream]

I bought GTX 4.4L for $11.88 one week ago. The jug size is all over the place the last few years

 

[yesthatsteve]

This is the result of Wal-Mart's pressure on suppliers to keep prices low. My wife's employer usually responds to this by putting less product in the same size container, and changing the label to reflect the smaller amount.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
So i go and look at the display...it LOOKS just like the last one...but the jugs look different....wait, what's this....?

The jugs are 4L, not 5L. Sneaky, sneaky!


I wonder if that has to do with Canadian Walmarts' way of wiggling out of the price match. Every time I've ever seen oil on sale at our Walmarts, it's always some oddball size. Castrol is always 4.4L QSGB and PYB are always 4.73L. The VWB, as you pointed out, is 4L. The "regular" stock on all four products is five litres.

Or, perhaps, it just makes things easier from a price adjustment standpoint. The 5L bottles stay the same price. When they get the slightly smaller ones, they're on special. It saves them from fiddling with shelf tags and till entries. When the on special stuff is all sold out, nothing to change back.

 

[cp3]

I always thought the price might be because of the size. Pressure the vendor to lower the price because it isn't their "regular" size. Maybe extra stock or something someone was willing to let go at a good price by the truckload or something.