It's Low Tide on the Laundry Shelves

The Procter & Gamble Co. has rolled out a lower-cost version of Tide laundry detergent in a bid to churn up new sales in the recession. "Tide Basic" is hitting shelves in some 100 Wal-Mart and Kroger Co. stores in southern and southwest U.S. states and costs about 20 percent less than regular Tide powder. The sixty-year-old Tide brand has more than $3 billion in annual sales, but it and other P&G products have lost sales to cheaper alternatives as households tighten spending.

If you're a loyal Tide user, let us know if you try the product and what you think. Do like a value clean as well as a pricey Tide clean?

(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)