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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Latriece Watkins was named chief merchant of Walmart U.S. in May 2023, following an impressive ascent through the merchandising management ranks over a career that has spanned more than two decades.
Watkins joined Walmart as a real estate intern in 1997 while attending law school, and she joined the retailer full-time upon graduation with a JD degree. She was promoted to senior director in 2006, but two years later she made a key career move by joining the merchant team at Sam’s Club.
In 2010 she made another important career decision by moving over to Walmart U.S. as a senior director for adult beverages. Two years later she was promoted to vice president of adult beverages, followed in 2014 by further advancement to senior VP of snacks and beverages. In 2020 she was elevated to executive VP of consumables just as the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
As is well known, the pandemic instantly created unprecedented pressure on the consumables business, emptying shelves of paper products, household chemicals, personal care and over-the-counter medicines. The crisis demanded a rapid adjustment in ways of thinking about the business, and Watkins and her merchant teams came through.
Watkins has made it a point to acknowledge the performance and support of those with whom she works and who work for her. In a recent interview in Fortune, she likened the buyers and merchandisers to personal shoppers for America.
“I’m the chief merchant, and I’ve got lots of ideas about what buyers should do,” she said. “But the buyers have a lot more ideas about how to bring the products to life. Brands do come to us, but our merchants are also looking at what customers want and the trends they see, and they are in the environment.”
