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Channel map

Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club and Costco

A brand with the margin, supply and case economics to survive a national line review.

01

Who actually controls the yes

Aim at the seat, not the seniority. The most senior person is rarely the decision.

Merchant or buyer

The line review decision for one category.

Senior buyer or merchandise manager

Category strategy and which items get review slots.

Replenishment and supply chain

Can quietly kill a yes. Pallet, case pack, fill rate.

Club road buyer

Costco regional. Often before any corporate conversation.

02

The way in

  1. 01Walmart Open Call is a genuine front door. Apply through it.
  2. 02Get a retailer-specific broker. Generalists lose here.
  3. 03Model the pallet and case economics before you pitch a price.
  4. 04Costco has no single supplier convention. It runs through buyer meetings.

03

Firms that cover this channel

Brokers exist to be found by brands. These are the ones who work this channel.

Harvest Group

Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, Costco, Amazon and Kroger.

  • Ross Cully · Founder and CEO

Bluebird Group

Dedicated per-retailer account teams.

  • Gary Patterson · Walmart
  • Theresa Schmidt · Target
  • Emily Eckdahl · Costco

ADW

Costco-specialized. More than 200 Costco specialists.

  • Todd Barnard · food and sundries
  • Ocean Tang · non-food
  • Karl Bissen

04

Rooms you cannot walk into

These are invitation-led by design. Knowing they exist is why cold outreach reads badly.

  • Category line reviews
  • Retailer headquarters meetings
  • Joint business planning meetings
  • Target category sourcing summits
  • Walmart Supplier Growth Forum

05

Where you can actually show up

  • Walmart Open Call

    Open application. No broker required to enter.

  • Walmart Supplier Growth Forum

  • Target sourcing summits

    Category-specific and invitation-led.

06

Who sets category strategy

Public leadership, for context only. These are not submission targets. Aiming here skips every seat that owns your decision.

  • Julie BarberWalmart U.S.
  • John LaneyWalmart U.S. Food
  • Cara SylvesterTarget
  • Myron FrazierSam’s Club
  • Scott O’BrienCostco foods and sundries
  • Scott MorrisWalmart private brands

Knowing the map is not the same as being ready.

Ask Shelf Help to read your brand against this channel. It tells you which gaps would fail a review here, in the order they cost you.

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Titles verified August 2026. Retail roles move often, so confirm before you act. Nothing here implies access, endorsement, or influence. All channels