How to Pitch Your Product to Big Retailers: Lessons from Walmart and Sam’s Club

Struggling to get shelf space at Walmart or Sam’s Club? Use Kathryn McLay’s playbook.

Hook: If your product keeps getting “no” from large retail buyers, you’re not alone. Suppliers face long buying cycles, opaque category strategies, and aggressive pricing pressure. But you can tilt the odds in your favor—by learning the practical lessons from Kathryn McLay’s rise through Walmart and Sam’s Club: strategy, supply chain rigor, member-first merchandising, and digital-first execution.

Top takeaways (read first)

• Start with the buyer’s problem: align your pitch to category goals, not just product features.
• Prove supply readiness: show that you can scale, comply, and protect margin with clear logistics and contingency plans.
• Use data to defend price: category sales, velocity, margin simulations, and digital demand signals matter more than ever in 2026.
• Sell a test, not a dream: propose a low-risk pilot with measurable KPIs and joint marketing.
• Think omnichannel: Walmart and Sam’s Club want sellers who convert on shelf and on app.

Why Kathryn McLay’s career maps to winning shelf space

Kathryn McLay’s path through Walmart — from strategy and supply chain roles to running Neighborhood Market and leading Sam’s Club to sustained double-digit growth — highlights the capabilities retailers reward. In early 2026 McLay announced her transition from Walmart International after driving digital transformation, category focus, and membership growth.

What does that mean for suppliers? Her trajectory signals three priorities purchasers now apply to vendor selection:

1. Strategy-first selling: Buyers want suppliers who speak category strategy and can move crucial KPIs (traffic, basket depth, member retention).
2. Operational credibility: Experience in supply chain and fulfillment signals lower execution risk.
3. Digital fluency: Retailers expect vendors to participate in omnichannel growth—digital shelf assets, retail media, and analytics integration.

2026 retail realities you must address in your pitch

Late‑2025 and early‑2026 industry shifts have changed the buying rubric. Don't prepare a 2018 pitch and expect modern buyers to be impressed.

• Retail media is now a KPI: Retail buyers measure promotional ROI more closely; be ready to co-invest in paid placements and provide creative assets sized for retail ad units.
• AI-driven assortment planning: Category managers rely on demand forecasting models—bring demand signals and customer segmentation data.
• Sustainability and compliance: ESG claims must be verifiable with certificates and supplier mapping.
• Omnichannel performance: In-store velocity and online conversion matter equally—present both metrics.
• Faster pilots, shorter windows: Retailers favor quick, measurable pilots (4–8 weeks) to validate assortment choices.

Step-by-step supplier pitch playbook (McLay-inspired)

1. Reverse-engineer the buyer’s category strategy

Before you request a meeting, research the category. Use public investor slides, retailer press releases, recent ad placements, and store visits to identify the buyer’s priorities. Ask: Are they chasing traffic, private label penetration, or loyalty retention?

• Map your product to one prioritized KPI: traffic-driving SKU, margin-improving SKU, or member-retention SKU.
• Find the category manager’s stated goals (e.g., premiumization, price pack architecture, fresh vs. shelf-stable).

2. Build a razor-focused pitch deck (6–10 slides)

Retail buyers are busy. Your deck should be concise, evidence-based, and buyer-centric.

1. One-line value proposition: What you sell and why it matters to the retailer.
2. Category fit & opportunity: Data on category trends, TAM, and where you step in.
3. Proof of demand: Sales velocity, repeat rate, retail media CTRs, or sell-through in comparable retailers.
4. Supply and margin model: Case-level economics, suggested retail price (SRP), retailer margin, and MAP (minimum advertised price).
5. Pilot proposal: Time-bound test with KPIs, forecasting, and co-marketing plan.
6. Operational readiness: Lead times, DC readiness, EDI/portal capabilities, and contingency plans.

Tip: Attach a 1-page “Retailer Snapshot” per store format (warehouse club vs. neighborhood market) to show you understand format-specific merchandising.

3. Demonstrate supply chain rigor

McLay’s background in supply chain is a reminder: buyers want minimal execution risk. Show them you can scale without service erosion.

• Present a distribution plan: DC flow, case pack, pallet configuration, ASN and EDI capabilities.
• Provide KPI guarantees: on-time shipments %, OTIF, and lead-time SLAs.
• Outline contingencies: backup factories, buffer inventory plans, and lead-time reduction options.

4. Price with transparency—show the math

Price conversations fail when suppliers talk margins and buyers demand cost-of-goods realism. Use a simple worksheet to show how retail price, cost, and promotions affect retailer margin and your margin.

• Include a sensitivity table: projected unit velocity vs. margin at different price points.
• Propose promotional structures: temporary price reductions, BOGO, and elasticities from your data.
• Highlight net landed cost with duties, freight, and shrink built in—buyers will ask about claims, returns, and chargebacks.

5. Negotiate like a category partner

Winning shelf space is a negotiation that blends trade, marketing, and operational commitments. Think partnership, not concession.

• Open with your must-haves and tradeables (e.g., marketing support is tradeable for initial margin).
• Use pilot-as-leverage: offer favorable terms for a short-term test with renewal tied to KPIs.
• Protect margins with MAP policies and data-sharing agreements to prevent price erosion.

6. Sell the test, then scale fast

Retailers prefer low-risk proofs. A Sam’s Club-style playbook often starts with a club or online-only pilot, paired with club signage and member email blasts.

• Define KPIs up front: sell-through rate, weeks of supply, OOS%, and digital CTR/CVR.
• Agree on data cadence: shared dashboards, weekly readouts, and a 30/60/90 decision gate.
• If the pilot wins, trigger the scale plan immediately to avoid lost momentum.

Actionable templates you can use today

Pitch email (first outreach)

Subject: [Brand] — 8-week pilot to lift [Category] basket size by X% for [Retailer]

Hi [Name],

We’re [Brand], and we’ve delivered X% month-over-month growth in [comparable channel]. We’ve built a short pilot designed to increase basket size among [target customer] by focusing on {specific benefit}. The pilot requires 4 weeks in 50 clubs (or 100 stores) with a co-funded marketing package.

Attached is a 6-slide snapshot showing projected sell-through, pricing, and supply readiness. Are you available for a 20-minute call next week to review a joint pilot plan?

Best,

[Name, Title, Phone]

Sample meeting agenda (20 minutes)

1. 1 minute — One-line value prop
2. 3 minutes — Category fit and opportunity
3. 5 minutes — Proof points and data
4. 5 minutes — Pilot proposal and KPIs
5. 4 minutes — Operational readiness & pricing model
6. 2 minutes — Next steps (decision gates & timeline)

30/60/90 post-listing playbook (brief)

• 30 days: Execute launch plan, ensure OSA at DCs, run retail media bursts.
• 60 days: Evaluate sell-through vs. target, optimize merchandising and online content.
• 90 days: Decide scale or delist; provide replenishment forecasts and expanded marketing if KPIs met.

How to use data to outmaneuver competitors

McLay’s tenure emphasized digital transformation—today, data is table stakes. Here’s what to bring:

• Competitive velocity benchmarks: sell-through per week for similar SKUs.
• Digital demand signals: searches, add-to-cart rates on marketplaces, and social engagement.
• Customer cohort metrics: repeat purchase rate and LTV for SKU-level buyers.
• Retailer-specific insights: membership vs. non-member lift (especially for Sam’s Club).

Common buyer objections and exact responses

• Objection: "We’re saturated in that category."
  Response: Show differentiated placement and promotional plan that drives incremental traffic, or propose a new price tier to expand penetration.
• Objection: "Your logistics are a risk."
  Response: Walk through your DC playbook, OTIF numbers, and short lead-time options. Offer an initial reserve stock at the retailer’s DC for the pilot.
• Objection: "Your price is too high."
  Response: Present the margin sensitivity table and propose a timed promotional program or rebate tied to velocity.

Post-listing: retain placement and expand

Getting listed is step one. Staying listed requires continuous performance management and partnership.

• Keep retailer scorecards updated—report on the KPIs agreed at listing.
• Use retail media to maintain visibility after the introductory period.
• Run periodic merchandising refreshes and seasonal promotions tied to retailer calendars.
• Be proactive about supply issues—pre-notify the buyer with mitigation plans to prevent chargebacks.

2026 predictions: what buyers will prioritize next

Based on McLay-style priorities and recent retail evolution, expect these emphases in 2026:

• Outcome-based vendor agreements: Contracts that tie payback to sales lift—not just placement.
• Deeper integration with retail analytics APIs: Faster access to sell-through and inventory data for real-time optimization.
• Membership-first assortments: Clubs and subscription models will demand differentiated packs and multipacks optimized for lifetime value.
• AI-augmented category decisions: Buyers will ask vendors for model inputs—your historical sales and promotional elasticities become inputs to retailer AI models.

Case example (illustrative)

Imagine a mid-size beverage brand wanting Sam’s Club distribution. Applying this playbook they:

1. Mapped to Sam’s member price sensitivity and club pack conventions.
2. Proposed a 6-week pilot in 40 clubs with a club-only multipack and a co-funded sampling event.
3. Provided OTIF and DC-ready pallet profiles, plus a 10% introductory rebate tied to sell-through.
4. Shared digital pre-orders and retail media creative for email and app slots.
5. Result: Pilot exceeded sell-through targets and unlocked national scaling within 90 days.

Checklist: What to have before you pitch

• 6-slide pitch deck tailored to retailer format
• Sell-through and demand proof (retailer or marketplace data)
• Supply readiness document (OTIF, lead times, contingency)
• Pricing sensitivity table with SRP, retailer margin, and promotion plan
• Pilot proposal with KPIs, timeline, and co-marketing asks
• ESG and compliance documentation (where applicable)
• Retail media creative and a 30/60/90 post-listing playbook

Final thoughts: sell solutions, not SKUs

Kathryn McLay’s career shows that the most successful retail leaders prize partners who understand strategy, can execute flawlessly, and move quickly on digital initiatives. As a supplier, your pitch should be a compact strategic plan: explain how your product helps the retailer hit a business goal, prove you can execute, and lower perceived risk with a clear pilot and supply safeguards.

Call to action

Ready to convert your product into a retailer-ready pitch? Download our free Supplier Pitch Checklist and sample 6-slide deck, or book a 30-minute consultation to tailor a pilot plan for Walmart or Sam’s Club. Act now—retail buying windows are shorter in 2026, and the first mover with a data-backed pilot often wins the shelf.

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