['97ventureowner]

It probably doesn't matter who makes Wal Mart's batteries, It's the process or materials that go into the batteries that make them inferior to the competition. I've read articles about how Wal Mart tells suppliers they need to trim production costs in order to make their products less expensive to purchase. As a result, many companies looking to cut costs end up cutting corners either in material or workmanship. There are a lot of products out there that aren't the quality they once were. I wouldn't be surprised if the battery manufacturer used different materials or other methods while producing the batteries for Wal Mart. It's a fact of life in business now, everything is about the bottom line and profits are all they seem concerned about, consumer be damned,(and this isn't all Wal Mart either.) Look at A C Delco oil filters, once one of the best in the industry, now relegated to the bottom of the quality pile due to GM's outsourcing of production.
I still shop at Wal Mart, but do not buy everything there as I have found out over the years what is good and what isn't, batteries included :lol; even the small engine battery's quality has greatly decreased over the years, and I no longer buy them at WM either.)