Walmart’s Largest Private Label Launch in 20 Years is All About Plant-Based, Free-From & Better-for-You

Walmart has launched Bettergoods, a private-label brand that focuses on trend-forward, chef-inspired foods traversing better-for-you and free-from products that don’t cost the earth.

High culinary quality, chef-inspired, free-from and plant-based are the cornerstones of Walmart’s new Bettergoods brand. It’s the largest private-label food launch in 20 years by America’s largest retailer, as well as its fastest ever.

While the branding and product offerings have a premium feel to them, the idea – as is the case with all own-label brands – is to keep things wallet-friendly. It’s why, for example, the range’s salted caramel oat milk ice cream is priced at $3.62, compared to $4.48 for a pint of Ben & Jerry’s non-dairy oatmeal cream pie. In fact, over 70% of the products in the lineup are under $5, while the total ranges from $2 to $15.

“Bettergoods is more than just a new private brand. It’s a commitment to our customers that they can enjoy unique culinary flavours at the incredible value Walmart delivers,” said Scott Morris, senior VP of private brands and food at Walmart.

“Today’s customers expect more from the private brands they purchase – they want affordable, quality products to elevate their overall food experience. The launch of Bettergoods delivers on that customer need in a meaningful way,” he added.

The three pillars of Bettergoods products

Bettergoods differs from other private labels in that it doesn’t exclusively offer direct alternatives to national brands at lower prices – many of its products are unique to Walmart, which adds to the brand’s consumer appeal. It uses “trend-forward” ingredients and flavours to curate culinary concepts that it feels would attract shoppers most, and promises them at low prices.

There’s also a Satisfaction Guarantee attached to it – under this policy, the retailer accepts returns for any unopened products in their original packaging, and offers a full refund.

The Bettergoods line comprises over 300 products across Walmart’s aisles and freezers, spanning dairy, snacks, beverages, pasta, soups, coffee, chocolate and more. These fall into three distinct pillars. The first is centred around culinary experiences, where products highlight innovative recipes and elevated ingredients, like specialty salts and seasonings. Think a $3 Hot Honey Seasoning, $4 Creamy Corn Jalapeno Chowder, and a premium Bronze Cut Pasta for just under $2.

The second category is all about plant-based, featuring distinct green packaging and a suite of non-dairy products like the aforementioned oat milk ice creams (a seven-stong range), boxed mac and cheese, and vegan cheese that it claims melts and gives you the satisfaction of a cheese pull, all under $4. For the US’s leading grocer to put plant-based in such sharp focus is a big deal, and will go a long way in helping it reach its net-zero goal for 2040.

The final pillar is called Made Without, which is Walmart’s version of free-from. This caters to coeliacs and people with gluten intolerances, as well as health-skewed individuals looking for cleaner-label foods with no artificial flavours, colours or added sugars. These include offerings like a four-ingredient Sweet Cream Dairy Creamer, and gluten- and antibiotic-free chicken nuggets. With Walmart witnessing a “slight pullback” in spending on traditional groceries due to the advent of Ozempic, doubling down on better-for-you foods is a no-brainer.

Private labels finding success with shoppers

Bettergood’s breadth of products is something you might find in a Target store – that’s intentional, as Walmart’s VP of creative and design, David Hartman, told Fast Company. “We wanted to make it easy for our customers to find better food alternatives,” he said. “The bright, vibrant, colour-on-colour palette for the core assortment makes our brand easy to find, and is used to express the vibrancy of the food and the joy of eating.”

These products are geared towards younger, affluent demographics looking for vegan and speciality foods. “As an industry we’re seeing younger customers be more brand agnostic, prioritizing quality and value and driving increased interest in private brands,” Morris told Axios.

With the cost of living straining consumer wallets, food options that don’t break the bank but continue to deliver on taste and satisfaction have become increasingly important. That has given rise to the popularity of private labels, which gained in market share in US retail last year, at the expense of name brands. In fact, own-label sales reached a record high in 2023, surpassing $236B in sales.

And it’s not just the US where these supermarket brands have found success. In the UK, Veganuary was flooded with private-label plant-based launches this year, after these ranges grew at twice the speed of branded products in 2023. And in Slovakia, a peer-reviewed study has shown that 80% of consumers find the quality levels of vegan and vegetarian private-label products to be good or appropriate.

Walmart’s Bettergoods range – select products from which are available now, with a full rollout expected in the coming months – will hope to ride the own-label wave in the US, competing with the likes of Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value, Kroger’s Simple Truth, and Target’s Good & Gather, among others.