topic Walmart store brands going downhill? in SmorgasBoard

Walmart store brands going downhill?

AndrewF — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:30:33 GMT

So the Walmart cat litter I've used for 20 years went up another $2.

But they also switched suppliers, and all the recent reviews say it's mostly dust and clumps of "clay".

I'm glad I saw that before I bought several of them and found that out.

I switched and bought 40 pound boxes of Arm and Hammer instead because the price isn't much higher and I know that won't make a **bleep** mess all over my house.

This is after I got excited that someone has off brand Oral B iO toothbrush heads, but then I read the reviews of the Equate version and people were saying it's like brushing with a dead battery. They're just not making them right.

I guess it's a common theme these days, the price goes up massively, and the quality just isn't there.

Articles about saving money that suggest store brands seem like a cruel joke.

It seems like Walmart's buyers are doing everything they can to sabotage Great Value, Equate, Special Kitty, and other own brands. The value proposition just isn't there anymore.

Even the Equate knock off of Sensodyne isn't cheaper, once you consider the Walmart Cash offers that come up on the name brand.

Re: Walmart store brands going downhill?

crystal626 — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 22:52:44 GMT

I've personally never been all that impressed with Equate brand products. We are definitely a Kroger/Private Selection/Simple Truth household. I can't remember the last time we had a complaint about one of those. Private Selection in particular we will often find to be better than the name brand.

I would never use a knockoff toothbrush head either though. The Oral-B Gum Care/Sensitive & Gum brushes (used to be called Sensi ultra thin) have maintained my teeth without causing further gum recession so I won't use anything else.

Re: Walmart store brands going downhill?

AndrewF — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 01:42:16 GMT

@crystal626 wrote:
I've personally never been all that impressed with Equate brand products. We are definitely a Kroger/Private Selection/Simple Truth household. I can't remember the last time we had a complaint about one of those. Private Selection in particular we will often find to be better than the name brand.

I would never use a knockoff toothbrush head either though. The Oral-B Gum Care/Sensitive & Gum brushes (used to be called Sensi ultra thin) have maintained my teeth without causing further gum recession so I won't use anything else.

The Walmart version of the regular Oral B electric toothbrush heads (not the iO series) were alright when I was using them.

But that was years ago. When you're living on a fixed income, and single, even a few dollars matter, sadly.

It doesn't appear like there is an acceptible substitute for iO heads yet, so I save money by buying packs of six. Bulk pricing is a little better, over time.