P&G along with others long have had ways or channels to move "stale" products or things otherwise pulled from shelves. That or stock that was otherwise surplus to requirements.
In days before internet one went to discounters such as Nationwide Warehouse, Big Lots and similar places. This still happens world over. If one knows or knew where to look there are places with shelves full of laundry detergents, fabric softeners and other household cleaning products at reasonable prices.
Stores get their stash from wholesalers that have purchased said stock.
Things are pretty much same today but with rise of new technology tons of this "old" or whatever stock is flogged on eBay and other online retailers or auction sites.
H-Bid alone has tons of products from Amazon, Target and other retailers that are shelf pulls, overstock and so forth.
Thing is when buying "stale" products one must be aware they may not perform well as new. Ingredients do break down or contents become otherwise unstable. This is particularly true for anything liquid.
You see tons of hand sanitizers, liquid chlorine bleach, liquid laundry detergents, liquid fabric softeners, liquid alone and or with powder pods/pacs and so forth on Hi-Bid and other places. What one doesn't know (but could likely find out by calling P&G or whoever CS and giving code from container) is how old stuff happens to be.
Chlorine bleach deteriorates into basically saltwater. Fabric softeners can go gloppy and curdle like bad Hollandaise sauce. Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into basically water. And so it goes..
One finds first thing often to go with "stale" products is scent, especially liquid products such as laundry detergents or fabric softeners.
Made mistake of stocking up on Vernel "Rose" fabric softener with result out of several bottles only got to use barely one. Stuff congeled and lost scent from lying about spare for long period of time. Ditto for two bottles of Ariel "Alpine Fresh". Scent is still somewhat alive in bottles, but after washing is dried there's nothing.
