The Brand Rumored To Be Behind Walmart's Great Value Bread

When it comes to house brand products on grocery store shelves, retailers and their corporate producers work hard to keep their partnerships secret. After all, in this economy, if all shoppers knew Bumble Bee was the brand behind Costco's Kirkland Signature canned tuna, could you imagine the money-saving power they'd yield? Unfortunately for these corporations, it's becoming harder and harder to fool consumers, and many are wising up to the high places their favorite store brand products are rumored to be sourced from. Such is the case with Walmart's Great Value bread, which is said to come from the largest commercial baking company in the U.S. — Bimbo Bakeries USA.

While neither Walmart nor Bimbo have publicly admitted to being in a bread relationship, savvy consumers have long suspected Bimbo is the big name behind Great Value bread, noting similarities between Great Value and other Bimbo bread brands like Sara Lee and Wonderbread (owned by Grupo Bimbo).

People have also drawn the connection through past recalls. A press release provided by Bimbo Bakeries USA to PR Newswire in August 2015 appears to provide proof by placing the two giants in a relationship. The release states: "Bimbo Bakeries USA has initiated a voluntary regional recall of certain bread products under the Sara Lee, Kroger, Bimbo, Nature's Harvest, Great Value, and L'Oven Fresh brands due to the possible presence of fragments of glass."

With the current state of affairs in the U.S. and throughout the world, consumers are looking for any tricks they can find to save money at the grocery store. That said, we can't afford to be label snobs. While there's nothing shameful about having high-end preferences, knowledge is a powerful tool, and when people know they're getting the same quality and taste they're accustomed to with their favorite name-brand products, they're more likely to find the confidence to purchase house brands. People online appear to be doing exactly that, then sharing their experiences.

One Redditor opened a conversation in this r/budget thread by stating bread from many popular stores is identical. The person went on to say their father worked at a Bimbo bread bakery, alleging that bread brands Great Value, Kroger, First Street, and Trader Joe's are made from the same recipe but wrapped with different labels.

"If you like a specific Bimbo brand bread, excluding Artesano, but you're on a budget where every cent counts, it's highly likely that you could find the same thing for cheaper [in] different packaging," they explained. Commenters proceeded to thank the person for sharing the tip, with one musing, "your dad's info is gold for anyone trying to stretch their grocery money."