Wal-Mart Oil Specs VS other Outlets

[Spector]

As we all know manufacturers alter their product specs in order to meet Wal-Mart mandated prices, the question is with oil, and in many cases Wal-Mart is the only outlet to carry 5 quart jugs, do the Pennzoils and Mobils of the world alter their oils for Wal-Mart sales, use fewer or less potent additives etc. Is it the same oil sold elsewhere? Is Ultra 5W30 the same oil when analyzed as that sold at Auto Zone?

Has anyone had VOA done on the same viscosity oils purchased at Wal-Mart versus say AA or another outlet?

 

[moviedave]

It should be the exact same oil. The reason Wal-Mart can (sometimes) offer things such as oil cheaper is that they buy them in huge quantities.

 

[Unearthed]

Originally Posted By: moviedave
It should be the exact same oil. The reason Wal-Mart can (sometimes) offer things such as oil cheaper is that they buy them in huge quantities.


Right......but if 5qt jugs are made just for them.....?

 

[Sayjac]

Seen this question here before, but quite frankly I've never given it a thought/questioned it. The 5qt. jugs being unique to Wally, likely has more to do with their price match policy for other stores.

Same product.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Unearthed
Right......but if 5qt jugs are made just for them.....?


Almost, but not quite. There are a couple of limited circumstances where I've seen the 5 quart jugs at other stores. It's not common, but it does happen. I believe that TDT is in the fives regardless of where one buys it. That's the size I've seen at our Canadian Tires, at least.

I'd suspect the contents are the same. Walmart wants five quart jugs (and I thank them for that). They sell more than enough oil to make it worthwhile for the oil companies to provide them with such sizes.

As an aside, a five gallon pail of Delvac 1300 15w-40 that I bought here in Canada from an Esso Mobil bulk supplier had an American Walmart price tag on it.

 

[eljefino]

You notice on the bigger stuff like flat screen tvs that the UPC is a digit off, or its ABCD-1234WM with a "WM" suffix. That means they don't have to price match anyone else. Also a TV can easily be "neutered" through software to be slightly different.

Small stuff like coke, wonder bread, motor oil is exactly the same at WM that it is everywhere else.

 

[The_Eric]

Originally Posted By: moviedave
It should be the exact same oil. The reason Wal-Mart can (sometimes) offer things such as oil cheaper is that they buy them in huge quantities.


That's part of it. The other part, is they'll come to a vendor and tell them what price they want to buy for. Basically they attempt to set their pricing schemes from both ends. I think that's dirty pool. They force the little guy manufacturers to sell low (little profit margins for them) or they won't buy.

I've heard that from two different people (vendors) before. Fortunately one was in the position to stand fast on their pricing.

As to how much clout they have against big oil, I don't know. I can only imagine that it's not enough to make them dumb down their formulations to make it affordable to do business with WM.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Originally Posted By: moviedave
It should be the exact same oil. The reason Wal-Mart can (sometimes) offer things such as oil cheaper is that they buy them in huge quantities.


That's part of it. The other part, is they'll come to a vendor and tell them what price they want to buy for. Basically they attempt to set their pricing schemes from both ends. I think that's dirty pool. They force the little guy manufacturers to sell low (little profit margins for them) or they won't buy.

I've heard that from two different people (vendors) before. Fortunately one was in the position to stand fast on their pricing.


+1, Eric. It is not pure economies of scale that make WM prices. That said it is not apparent to me that their pricing forces change the oil products besides the not-trustworthy store brand stuff.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: Spector
As we all know manufacturers alter their product specs in order to meet Wal-Mart mandated prices, the question is with oil, and in many cases Wal-Mart is the only outlet to carry 5 quart jugs, do the Pennzoils and Mobils of the world alter their oils for Wal-Mart sales, use fewer or less potent additives etc. Is it the same oil sold elsewhere? Is Ultra 5W30 the same oil when analyzed as that sold at Auto Zone?

Has anyone had VOA done on the same viscosity oils purchased at Wal-Mart versus say AA or another outlet?
I don't think it would be economically viable to have a separate line for Walmart regardless of their purchasing volume.

They also have a brand name to protect and I don't think they would sacrifice that for any retailer.

The other point I want to make is that even if they had to produce the product for Walmart at or near cost it would be worth it for the exposure in today's highly competitive market for the consumers $$$.

Steve

 

[ARCOgraphite]

EoM and Sopus and Ashland sell only their private reserve to AutoZone.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

As a once professional mechanic I will tell you AZ is a terrible auto parts store. Junk junk junk.
-True, and topic related, story: I boughtsome Valvoline 5w-30 at a Discount outlet (back in the mid 80's) Poured the stuff into my S-10 2.8L and notice it poured like gas. I smelled the stuff and all I got was a strong kerosene smell. Thought it might "just be my imagination" and started her up. KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK. Dumped it and put in some Havoline and all was well. Another brick in the WALL ....

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
AZ is a terrible auto parts store. Junk junk junk.
You should come up here and deal with the Part-Sources and Canadian Tire Parts Counters in my area... You would quickly think otherwise.

 

[Newtonville]

Originally Posted By: moviedave
It should be the exact same oil. The reason Wal-Mart can (sometimes) offer things such as oil cheaper is that they buy them in huge quantities.

It's the "should be" feeling I had when I saw the for WM on the MoBile bottle. If WM negotiates a better price with their volume buying, and I get it cheeper, good. I have no love for any other store chain if WM is better, and definitely don't love oil companies. It "should be" the same stuff, since the description on the jug is exactly the same.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

You got to be on your toes at ANY AP store, but we have a few SANEL in NH and MA and they are good and carry good stuff at reasonable prices.

 

[Sayjac]

My impression was that OP's question related whether oil sold at Walmart under a manufacturers name was somehow different than that sold at other outlets such as auto parts stores. It's clear from the post that the question implies that the Wally product is somehow inferior to the oil product(s) sold elsewhere. My answer was no.

Now as for the apparently inevitable Wally bashing that enters with such a discussion, my answer to that would be, if one doesn't like Wally's business practices, shop elsewhere. In a free country it's very simple, one can buy from the retailer of their choice for whatever reason. The same goes if one believes the same labeled oil product not be the same if sold at Wally. That said, I don't agree with that conclusion.

 

[ottotheclown]

Yes that is a very good question. Now if a person did a comparsion of a Walmart bought vs a Advance bought oil we would for the most part do something that is very very very rare, come to an conlusion.I know from my own dealings with them we sold them junk because of their need of a very low price.

Originally Posted By: Spector
As we all know manufacturers alter their product specs in order to meet Wal-Mart mandated prices, the question is with oil, and in many cases Wal-Mart is the only outlet to carry 5 quart jugs, do the Pennzoils and Mobils of the world alter their oils for Wal-Mart sales, use fewer or less potent additives etc. Is it the same oil sold elsewhere? Is Ultra 5W30 the same oil when analyzed as that sold at Auto Zone?

Has anyone had VOA done on the same viscosity oils purchased at Wal-Mart versus say AA or another outlet?

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: sayjac
... In a free country ...


Is it a free country? Or controlled slavery with the illusion of freedom to distract you? (IE: Carrot dangling in front of you and no matter what you do you never seem to get there)

No answer needed, just something to think about...

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
Originally Posted By: sayjac
... In a free country ...


Is it a free country? Or controlled slavery with the illusion of freedom to distract you? (IE: Carrot dangling in front of you and no matter what you do you never seem to get there)

No answer needed, just something to think about...

I live in a free country, as for your comment, that must be your vision, glad I don't have such negative view. But, that is OT from the entirety of the point I made and the OP's question.

 

[mongo161]

I don't agree with the bashing of WM and their prices and speculation that the National Name Brand are inferior. IMO....WM, Costco, Sam's and the rest of the large retail outlets buy in large quantities, at a substantial discount, so they pass the savings on to consumers to get them into the doors of their establishments to shop. The name of the game is getting the consumer in the door by attracting them with special bargains.

I'm sure AZ, AAP, Pep and the rest of the retail nation wide retail stores get discounts on quantities they purchase and oil change specials that they run monthly.

There have been a lot of great sales this month by retailers,from dollar stores to drug stores, helping getting helping the oil companies sell the API SM oil before the API SN rolls out next month. Same oil, or who knows.....maybe better....to reduce inventories.

IMO...It's all the same oil.

 

[IndyIan]

FRAM oil filters at WM here have worse specs right on the box than those sold else where...
I would expect WM to try and get cheaper oil that still meets the required specs, just barely of course but why wouldn't they? An extra dime made per bottle adds up very quickly at their scale...