The Household Brand Behind Walmart's Great Value Bakery Products

More and more, it seems that consumers have a growing preference for store-brand grocery items over major labels. The way shoppers feel toward generic brands makes sense. These foods are often comparable to pricer versions sold by big-name manufacturers – especially given that many are made by them anyway. However, companies like Walmart tend to keep pretty quiet about the big names behind its Great Value products. This includes a variety of Walmart bakery items, such as pre-packaged Danishes and cinnamon rolls, which are made by the J.M. Smucker Company. 

Walmart's bakery supplier was revealed in an unfortunate way: a recall. In 2024, Smucker's issued a voluntary Class II recall for cheese Danishes and cinnamon rolls sold under the Great Value banner due to the potential presence of plastic in over 40,000 products. While this identified Smucker's deeper ties to Walmart, the company is likely not alone. Stores tend to work with multiple sources to maintain consistently stocked shelves.

Recall aside, Smucker's collaboration with Walmart on the Great Value brand isn't a shock. The two have a history of connections. As part of 2024's Walmart Connect program to increase brand awareness, Smucker's openly partnered with the retailer to boost sales of Jif peanut butter. Further, Smucker's has had its footprint in Walmart's private-label business since at least 2015, and also works with grocery chains like Wawa and Safeway.

It's difficult to ascertain the extent of goods J.M. Smucker produces for Walmart, but when it comes to finding out which major brands work together, there are leads to follow. For instance, Sara Lee Bakery (now owned by Bimbo Bakeries) has produced several Great Value food products over the years, including bread and coffee cakes. Speaking of coffee, Sara Lee is also a supplier of Great Value coffee and K-Cups, but Smucker's has owned Sara Lee's Foodservice Coffee business since 2012. That means Smucker's is also the metaphorical wizard behind the Great Value coffee curtain. 

Additionally, past recalls that affected Walmart's bakery section prove telling when it comes to connecting Smucker's and other household brands with Great Value bakery items or similar private labels. A 2022 recall for a potential salmonella risk in Jif peanut butter extended to multiple Smucker's-related products, including Walmart's store-brand fudge, sold under the Marketside name. When Great Value Swiss rolls were recalled for potential salmonella contamination in 2018, baked goods mega-manufacturer Flowers Foods was listed as the company behind them.

These partnerships are subject to evolution. Smucker's has recently divested many of its private-label brands to focus on its more profitable product lines. Walmart has also been busy. In 2024, it debuted a new in-store line, Bettergoods, which has a similar roster of products as Great Value. Regardless of how deep Smucker's reach goes into Walmart's store labels, it's reassuring to know that part of Walmart's "great value" is holding suppliers to a high standard.