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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — In recent years Sam’s Club has achieved stunning sales growth without expanding its physical footprint. Much of the credit for that extraordinary accomplishment belongs to Megan Crozier and her team of merchants, who have demonstrated a deft mastery of crafting a product assortment that combines compelling and unique national brand offerings with a revamped Member’s Mark private brand.
Crozier was appointed chief merchant in September 2019 and was elevated to executive vice president in March 2020, a promotion that carried with it leadership of both in-store and e-commerce merchandising. In this role, she leads a cross-functional team of merchandisers, product managers, pharmacists and supply chain engineers.
In fact, Crozier’s Walmart journey began as a supply chain engineer at a grocery distribution center in 2003 after graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in industrial engineering. In 2004 she transferred to the home office in Bentonville to take the position of merchandising logistics manager for supply chain.
However, she was soon attracted to the work of the buyers and category managers, and in 2005 transitioned to the position of electronics buyer. Over the next decade, Crozier advanced steadily through a succession of merchandising roles until she was promoted to vice president and divisional merchandise manager for frozen foods in 2015.
Megan Crozier
Two years later she was promoted again to senior vice president and general merchandise manager of packaged goods, a position she held until her appointment as chief merchant. Crozier has emphasized the need for her team to be highly disciplined in their assortment strategy so they deliver great items that members want, including unique products that provide a special delight, such as the Elton John Eyewear collection, which debuted in 2021.
But Crozier noted that Sam’s Club’s success also comes from the retailer’s ability to combine great product offerings with time-saving convenience for a shopping experience competitors cannot match. During a Walmart Keynote presentation at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), she said that Sam’s Club is reimagining the future of retail and aspires to be the most convenient place to shop, leveraging technology in pursuit of that goal.
“We have a digital relationship with our members, and when we say digital, most people think of curbside pickup or delivery services,” she said. “But something we’re really proud of is the digital relationship we have with members while they’re physically shopping our clubs, and that’s through our app.”
While the app incorporates a host of features, including an AI-powered “did you forget?” prompt, perhaps unique to the Sam’s Club app is Scan & Go, which allows members to scan items as they shop, pay for their purchases by tapping their handheld device with a credit card, and show their digital receipt as they leave the club — without going through a checkout line.
