This month, retail giant Walmart joined other retail giants with the launch of Bettergoods, its biggest food brand launch in 20 years with most items priced under $5. These days, major retailers are tuning into the needs of their customers with in-house brands.
In 2019, Kroger launched its Simple Truth line with 75 plant-based items, including deli meat slices, dairy-free sour cream, chocolate chip cookie dough, and more.
At Target, two in-house brands offer a wide selection of plant-based food at affordable prices. Its Good & Gather brand has been a staple in the food aisle with items such as almond milk, a variety of nut milk creamers, and proteins such as meatless chicken tenders and organic tofu. Under the Favorite Day brand, Target shoppers can indulge in a variety of non-dairy ice cream options.
Walmart
Walmart’s new Bettergoods brand
Over the past four years, many groceries have seen a 25-percent price hike, despite the inflation rate growing by 19 percent. Walmart created its Bettergoods brand with cash-strapped consumers in mind.
With a focus on affordability and culinary innovation, Walmart’s new Bettergoods line introduces more than 300 products across various categories, offering a diverse array of choices for health-focused shoppers. Aimed at younger consumers, the items under this brand were created by Walmart’s product development team which worked with global suppliers to bring trendy ingredients and flavors to its new Bettergoods brand.
Walmart has also strategically priced the Bettergoods products to attract a broad customer base. With over 70 percent of the items priced under $5, the brand is positioned as a high-value option in the competitive grocery market.
“Today’s customers expect more from the private brands they purchase—they want affordable, quality products to elevate their overall food experience,” Scott Morris, Senior Vice President, Private Brands, Food, and Consumables, Walmart, said in a statement. “The launch of Bettergoods delivers on that customer need in a meaningful way.”
What does Walmart’s new in-house brand bring to the table?
Walmart
From under $2 to $15, Bettergoods products fall within three pillars: culinary experiences, plant-based, and “made without.”
The first category, culinary experiences, showcases an array of gourmet-inspired products meant to enhance everyday cooking with a touch of sophistication. Walmart’s take on affordable artisanal, pillar includes seasonings, soups, and bronze cut pastas.
The “made without” category targets consumers with specific dietary needs. This range includes gluten-free offerings (such as chicken nuggets) and foods devoid of artificial flavors, colors, or added sugars.
But it’s the plant-based pillar of Bettergoods that has us running to Walmart pronto.
The best of Bettergoods
The plant-based category of Bettergoods was developed to cater to consumers looking for big flavors but without any animal products. Under this umbrella, Walmart will offer non-dairy oat milk ice creams in flavors such as Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Coffee, Blueberry Swirl, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Salted Caramel—priced at just $3.62 per pint.
Walmart
The new plant-based line also boasts a range of gluten-free cookie bites ($4.14 per 7-ounce bag) in Oatmeal Chocolate Chip and Sea Salt Peanut Butter, along with Coconut Chocolate Cookie Dough Bites.
There’s also an in-house chocolate almond milk, pistachio nut butter, and strawberry sparkling water.
Outside of its sweet offerings, the Bettergoods brand also offers vegan mozzarella cheese shreds that Walmart promises to offer the same satisfying pull and melt as dairy.
Walmart
Boxed vegan mac and cheese is also a unique Bettergoods offering available in Original and White Cheddar flavors.
“Bettergoods is more than just a new private brand,” Morris said. “It’s a commitment to our customers that they can enjoy unique culinary flavors at the incredible value Walmart delivers.”
Walmart plans to continue rolling out the ‘Bettergoods’ range, with a full deployment expected across all its stores in the coming months. This expansion bolsters branded plant-based offerings at Walmart—such as Gardein’s vegan chicken filets, Impossible Foods’ burger patties, and Hidden Valley’s Plant-Powered Ranch— and is set to cater to an increasing number of consumers looking for convenient, affordable, and health-conscious eating options.
The plant-based pillar of the Bettergoods brand, in particular, will help Walmart with its sustainability goals of reaching net zero by 2040.
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
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Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.
