AFAIK, when you reach a certain size and have a certain buying capacity, you can do that sort of thing and many larger companies do that too. They are more subtle but they do it. In my business, I shop around too. If my supplier is higher than what I can get a similar product for, they can either compete or I switch suppliers. I have switched shipping companies because their prices are higher than what I can get elsewhere so either they lower or I switch.

My indication is that they are selling products that are lower quality that is specific to Wal*Mart and hence the model number is different. A friend of mine worked for a pump manufacturer that made pumps for many places. The company brand was obviously the best but the ones they sold to say XXX shop had plastic gears and carried a different number. Now, I doubt Mobil would sell them inferior Mobil1 products. The liability that it would damage the parent brand would be too great. They might have the Wal*Mart brand of oil made for them by Mobil but under different labels. That happens in the industry quite often. I looked at a Sears brand of snowblower and compared it to an MTD brand. Other than cosmetics, they were identical. Sears was higher tho but had plastic moldings which don't rust. MTD had sheet metal that would rust.

How do you know that the drug you buy at the pharmacist is not really something he watered down to increase his profit. Something that has come to light in one of them being busted. How do you know that the oil you buy elsewhere has also not been watered down or has inferior products?

Like I said before, I would be sacrificing myself, either financially or convenience wise just to boycott them. Who would make up the difference?

Pepboys had Mobil 1 on sale for $3.99 a quart a few weeks back. Like I said before I never shop at Walmart it is not the kind of store I like but, $19.85 for 5 quarts of 15w-50 is hard to pass up.

I don't know why people get worked up over Walmart their just another store, their are box stores everywhere. I say good for Walmart if they can kill the compitition I would do the same thing I were running Walmart.

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I've started shopping at the local Super Target (granted, they don't sell Mobil 1) primarily out of protest. The last straw was because they refused to sell a book that may or may not have made an anti-Christian derogatory or non-derogatory statement. Give me a break, we are adults; America doesn't need Wal-Mom telling it what it can't buy. We're also not communist China.

Beyond that, I cheered when Target refused to let the Salvation Army ring their bells. If Walmart can ban a book, Target can ban bellringers. It's great to not get hustled or panhandled when you are trying to shop. God knows we all get enough of that at the stoplight. The SA doesn't have a RIGHT to invade my space in public places. If they think they do, they need to come up with a new way to raise money. I know I, for one, remember to give to my charities without having to be reminded by panhandling, goading, and guliting.

As far as M1, yes 15w50 supposedly flows at 0*, but it's still too thick for me. I'm using 0w40 for the winter, and for late spring-summer I'll probably switch back to 15w40 or 50.

I got Rotella synth 5w-50 at Wal mart for about $23 per gallon. I know it's synthetic because my lifters were noisy when cold before with the dino oil. Now they are quiet as a kitten. I personally like the juggs at wal mart.

DS
87 300D

I am much more fond of large jugs (4 to 6 qts) of oil because this gives you something to put the used oil in.

The main difference between K-Mart and Wal-Mart is that K-Mart is less well run: the products are not priced correctly on the item, not on the shelf, and it is less likely that you will find what you came to buy at K-Mart.

Neither seems to treat their employees all that well, but the clerks at the Wal-Mart act friendly and seem to know something about the merchandise and where to find it, and at the K-Mart it's like they were all hired yesterday from the local Moron Farm.

If you travel about the country, the same stuff is always in the same part of a Wal-Mart. Other chain stores are unpredictable and you have to hunt more.

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Semibodacious Transmogrifications a Specialty

1990 300D 2.5 Turbo sedan 171K (Rudolf)
1985 300D Turbo TD Wagon 219K (Remuda)

"Time flies like and arrow, yet fruit flies like a banana"
---Marx (Groucho)

I agree.
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(I have removed my rather lengthy message, and reposted to the more appropriate OD area)
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Think Alternative Energy!
300CD '80 (now gone but not forgotten...)

We're talking about the oil.... right?
-Joe

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Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
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OD is Open Discussion, another section of this site where things like Wal-Mart's corporate structure would be appropriate.

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www.djugurba.com
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There are no big-box retailers that will not fight unions every step of the way. It is practically impossible to form a union in the private sector in the US, because various types of rightwingers have filled the NLRB offices (who were intended to be on the side of the workers) are other anti-union rightwingers.

Wal-Mart is more likely to repel unionization attempts (100% so far) because they have a bigger legal staff. Costco is about the only large retailer who pays more than the absolutely have to, but I don't shop there because I live alone and have no need of huge sizes: two dozen croissants, ten pounds of meat and such, and because Costco often does not cary what I need. The last time I went there, I wanted to buy some men's white t-shirts. They had none. They had no plain single-colored tees either, nor even pocketed t-shirts. For $9.99 each, I could get a tee that advertised Ocean pacific, but I said the hell with it and made a raid on a thrift store where I got ten for $6.00, all looking unworn and with no stuff printed on them.

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Semibodacious Transmogrifications a Specialty

1990 300D 2.5 Turbo sedan 171K (Rudolf)
1985 300D Turbo TD Wagon 219K (Remuda)

"Time flies like and arrow, yet fruit flies like a banana"
---Marx (Groucho)

Speaking of COSTCO, Last time I bought DELO 400 (15W40) there in 6 gallon case it was about $35, maybe more now. Kmart never had bulk diesel rated oil in gallon sizes and the I/O (an and out) efficiency there is worse than the post office in December. Maybe now that Sears bought Kmart they will straighten it out! Har har har

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Juggs are also discussed, or just ogled.

Of course I was talking about the oil juggs at Walmart. As it happens, I went to several retailers in town and none had synthetic oil for diesels except Walmart. I don't know if truckers use it much because of the cost. Therefore it's more rare. We never have used synthetic on the farm in the tractors or trucks and we buy Rotella in 55 gal barrels.

DS
87 300D

Thought you might like to know...
Just saw Delo 400 at Costco for $38 for 6 gallons.
12/31/04

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Think Alternative Energy!
300CD '80 (now gone but not forgotten...)

gotta check it out....

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