If you miss the days of going into a convenience store and getting a chocolate bar for under $1, head to Walmart. The retail chain sells Great Value versions of ubiquitous chocolate bar brands for as low as 78 cents a pop.
One TikTok user, Emely (@emelythedon), documented her intrigue in these offerings. In a TikTok that’s accrued over 232,000 views, she asked folks how Walmart’s take on beloved candy staples measures up. Commenters who replied to the video had vastly differing opinions.
Duped by dupes?
“Yo, tell me how I’m at Walmart and I see these dupes of candies,” the TikToker says. She records a display shelf filled with boxes of chocolate bars that emulate popular brands.
The most intriguing aspect of these “dupe” bars, according to Emely, is the price point. “They’re all 78 cents as y’all can see,” she says, zooming into the price tag. Following this, she pulls out a pre-packaged candy from the box and holds it up to the camera.
It sports a primarily red label with tan accents and Walmart’s Great Value branding is emblazoned on the wrapper. There’s a picture of the chocolate up front, which looks akin to a KitKat bar. As is usually the case with “no frills” products, the name is effectively a description. The sweet treat is identified as a “Milk Chocolate Crispy Wafers Bar.”
At this point in the video, Emely comments on the product. “A KitKat dupe. Great Value version,” she says.
Her TikTok then cuts to her showing off another product from Walmart’s candy bar dupe line. This one appears to be an alternative to Twix, as the labeling reads, “Cookie & Caramel bars.”
“They got cookie caramel bars. I’m assuming this is like a Twix dupe,” she says. Subsequently, she reaches into another box to show off a different bar. “And then caramel nougat bar. I don’t know this like Milky Way or something.”
Chocolate galore
Her clip shows that there are even more Great Value dupe variants available. The next one she shows is the retailer’s take on 3 Musketeers. “And then they got this one. A fluffy nougat bar,” she says.
Toward the end, she surveys the Great Value candy section capping off her narration in an approving tone. “Yo Walmart has KitKat and all them brand name dupes. That’s crazy,” she says.
Finally, she asked viewers what their assessment of the candy bars are: “Do y’all think these would be good? Let me know.”
On the popular retail chain’s website, its (1.48oz) Milk Chocolate Crispy Wafers bar sells for .88 cents. That’s .41 cents less than the store offers a (1.5oz) KitKat for $1.29.
The store’s (1.92oz) Fluffy Nougat bar is also priced at .88 cents. However, the discrepancy between it and a (1.92oz) 3 Musketeers is even greater. That’s because the name-brand version goes for $1.57.
Commenters are divided
Several viewers said the items weren’t as good as their name-brand counterparts. “I tell my self it’s literally the same just different wrappers,” one wrote, adding a crying emoji.
Another plainly stated, “They taste different they don’t taste the same.”
Some maintained that not only are the Great Value candy bars comparable, but some variants are even better. However, they also conceded that others don’t quite just do it for them.
“Some of the dupes taste even better than the namebrand and I will fight whoever says no. That being said, the KitKat versions are not good,” one wrote.
One Walmart shopper, however, said they love the KitKat dupes. But the Snickers knock-off? No bueno. “The kit Kat dupe is good but the Snickers dupe it’s a no for me,” they wrote.
@notreallyemely YEA I know they’re not new.. I always walk by them lol just felt like recording them 😸 #explore #viral #sharethelove #relatable @Walmart @greatvaluefood ♬ original sound – Emelythedon
Food reviewers weigh in
To demonstrate the differences between Great Values chocolate dupes and their copied equivalents, The Daily Meal performed a candy face-off. The website stacked several of Walmart’s offerings against their recognizable junk food peers.
They wrote that Walmart’s dupe Snickers contained more finely chopped-up peanuts. Consequently, this affected the texture of the bar by removing its “satisfying crunch.” According to the outlet, the OG still reigned supreme.
However, they said Great Value’s Cookie & Caramel bars were “pretty close” to Twix. Also, Walmart’s option contains 7 grams less of sugar per serving. Again, The Daily Meal contested that they weren’t a dead ringer, but praised the Walmart candy.
As for Great Value’s KitKats, the food-focused publication recommends eating the original instead. That’s because there’s less chocolate surrounding the wafer. Additionally, the site indicates Walmart’s rendition “doesn’t seem to play together well.”
Its Fluffy Nougat Bar also received high marks. Although the piece says Walmart’s bar had a “grainier” texture than 3 Musketeers, making it more of a fudge bar. That being said, the article’s writer seemed to prefer this take on 3 Musketeers to the original. But they think “diehard nougat nut[s]” would rather take the Mars variant.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Walmart via email and Emely via Instagram direct message for further comment.
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