why no supertech in walmart oil change specials?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Messages
1,091
Location
ne & sw
i have always wondered, why does walmart never seem to feature its own supertech brand in its oil change specials? for close to its current $20 conventional quaker state green bottle special couldnt wm offer a semi or full synthetic supertech special? i know that oil makers offer incentives to wm for pushing their brands as specials, but by not headlining supertech wm sends a subliminal message to consumers that its supertech is second class.
 
Not that I have ever had oil changed at Walmart, but I have wondered the same thing. Quaker State must really give them a good deal.
 
It comes down to marketing. The average oil change customer wouldn't trust the oil. A lot of people don't trust Wal-mart to do a proper oil change on top of that.
 
They're playing off of name recognition. Most consumers will recognize "Quaker State", and view it as a quality product. Add in that it is $19.88, and it is a winner.

W*M is buying the QS in bulk, and getting a great deal on it. And SOPUS is getting some advertising out of it as well.

Of course, you really don't know what they're *actually* selling to W*M. Instead of QSAD, it could really be Formula Shell.

Getting ST oil in bulk from the current vendors would add additional complexity and cost. Plus, some folks don't care about any oil that isn't name brand, regardless of the cost.
 
Walmart doesn't care as long as the dollars flow.

They aren't trying to get someone who "only uses Castrol" to buy SuperTech. SuperTech is there because it's cheap.
 
Doesnt walmart use those bulk boxes for oil unless you purchase "upgraded" oil options?

Maybe supertech not available in that packaging?
 
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
It comes down to marketing. The average oil change customer wouldn't trust the oil. A lot of people don't trust Wal-mart to do a proper oil change on top of that.


I'm with you. In the past I have helped some older ladies (widows in church) maintain their cars. It amazed me when I went to get the oil filter for their cars and very often (2 out of 3) they had the wrong oil filter on their cars. They had been using the local Walmart for oil changes. Now, did it hurt anything? I don't know.

This made no sense to me.
 
It seems like I remember WM offering a SuperTech change. I could be wrong. Do they even do a $19 oil change anymore? I was just at WM this past weekend getting some tires mounted and balanced. It seems like their "feature" oil change was $35 and Synthetic oil change was about $45.
 
They used to offer bottled ST plus a Fram filter for a bit over $10 about a decade ago. This was back in the "Orange Can of Death" fear days and I used to insist on a swap over to a ST Champ filter. I'm sure bulk QS is probably no more expensive to them.
 
Originally Posted By: Gebo
It amazed me when I went to get the oil filter for their cars and very often (2 out of 3) they had the wrong oil filter on their cars. They had been using the local Walmart for oil changes. Now, did it hurt anything? I don't know.


Wrong HOW?!?

Wrong threads... or just "smaller than usual"

THE TREND AT OIL CHANGE SHOPS IS LESS INVENTORY, AND THE MEANS A "SMALLER FILTER THAT STILL FITS & WORKS" IS NOW THE NEW STANDARD.

Darrn caps lock... oh well.

The smaller FL-500S size filter pretty much always gets installed in place of the larger FL-820S filter....
I am sure others do as well..... though I have yet to see someone place a PH3614 where a PH8A would usually be.
 
I was at a local Walmart this morning having a battery installed on the work / company truck . Killing time , I was reading the price " board " . Oil change with name brand synthetic oil was $ 49.95 . Dexos blend was $ 39.95 . Can not remember the dino oil change , but it may have been $ 29.95 ?

When we bought the little red 2015 Chevy Sonic , I started to do my own oil changes again . Wifey had been doing dino oil change about 3000 OCI at a quick lube . Doing it myself , I am doing full synthetic for the same price or cheaper than she was paying at the quick lube .
 
Originally Posted By: WyrTwister
I was at a local Walmart this morning having a battery installed on the work / company truck . Killing time , I was reading the price " board " . Oil change with name brand synthetic oil was $ 49.95 . Dexos blend was $ 39.95 . Can not remember the dino oil change , but it may have been $ 29.95 ?

When we bought the little red 2015 Chevy Sonic , I started to do my own oil changes again . Wifey had been doing dino oil change about 3000 OCI at a quick lube . Doing it myself , I am doing full synthetic for the same price or cheaper than she was paying at the quick lube .



Significantly less, as well.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: Gebo
It amazed me when I went to get the oil filter for their cars and very often (2 out of 3) they had the wrong oil filter on their cars. They had been using the local Walmart for oil changes. Now, did it hurt anything? I don't know.


Wrong HOW?!?

Wrong threads... or just "smaller than usual"

THE TREND AT OIL CHANGE SHOPS IS LESS INVENTORY, AND THE MEANS A "SMALLER FILTER THAT STILL FITS & WORKS" IS NOW THE NEW STANDARD.

Darrn caps lock... oh well.

The smaller FL-500S size filter pretty much always gets installed in place of the larger FL-820S filter....
I am sure others do as well..... though I have yet to see someone place a PH3614 where a PH8A would usually be.


Wrong in that when I went to get the filter, the oil filter chart recommended a filter with a different number than was was on the cars.
 
A voa of WalMarts QS oil would be interesting to see. I’d imagine SOPUS blends it specific for WM due to the cost. Probably not your father’s Quaker State.
 
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
It comes down to marketing. The average oil change customer wouldn't trust the oil. A lot of people don't trust Wal-mart to do a proper oil change on top of that.


About four years about in Rock Port, TX I was RVing and had the local Walmart do a change for me. It took them two hours to get a 15 minute job done. Well I found out when I got home and changed my oil what the problem was they had lost my drain plug and replaced it with a cheap made in China one with a funky rubber gasket. Last time I've had someone else change my oil since then. When I'm on the road RVing now I have my oil change stuff!
 
Originally Posted By: PimTac
A voa of WalMarts QS oil would be interesting to see. I’d imagine SOPUS blends it specific for WM due to the cost. Probably not your father’s Quaker State.


I’m sorry sir, I’m going to have to respectfully call b.s. on this one. I can’t imagine a oil company catering to Wal Marts desires
 
Originally Posted By: car51
Originally Posted By: PimTac
A voa of WalMarts QS oil would be interesting to see. I’d imagine SOPUS blends it specific for WM due to the cost. Probably not your father’s Quaker State.


I’m sorry sir, I’m going to have to respectfully call b.s. on this one. I can’t imagine a oil company catering to Wal Marts desires
IRRC, WM forced Snapper to meet a price point or they wouldn't sell their mowers. I doubt that is the deal, probably a guarantee to buy x amount of product for a a price cut to the bone.
 
Maybe so, but Snapper isn't SOPUS.
There have been many threads over the years about blenders providing cheaper, dumbed down oils for Walmart to sell.
The consensus is that this was not happening.
It would probably cost SOPUS more to certify a dumbed down QS than they would save in making it.
Walmart may be a big company, but so is SOPUS and it's probably more important to Walmart to offer a QS oil change cheaply than it is for SOPUS to induce Walmart to do so.
Walmart TLEs are all about throughput, like any other quicky lube.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top