WD-40 marketing is clever. Sometimes you need that brand for a product to be stocked. Regular household oil costs pennies in a can, the margin is therefore low

WD-40 marketing is clever. Sometimes you need that brand for a product to be stocked. Regular household oil costs pennies in a can, the margin is therefore low and a retailer isn't going to be making much money on each sale. You could put a brand on a regular household oil and try to charge more but it is not something people care about, they will go for the generic oil somewhere else. However WD-40 with its mythical backstory and ambiguous brand name can command a premium over regular household oil. This makes it work for the retailer as it no longer sells for pennies. The shop down the road that also stocks it will also have it at the same price, it is a brand that works for the retailer. People can ask for it by name and not feel they are getting conned. This works up the retail chain with wholesalers and international distributors able to make money from the brand. Odd that for such a beginner's grade product it comes from the cutting edge of the space age.