Walmart has tapped veteran executive Latriece Watkins to lead Sam’s Club, elevating a long-time insider to one of the most influential roles inside the world’s largest retailer. The move signals both strategic intent and a cultural statement as Walmart looks to sharpen Sam’s Club’s competitive edge against rivals—most notably Costco—while highlighting diversity at the top of American retail.

A Two-Decade Rise Inside Walmart

Watkins brings more than 20 years of experience within Walmart’s ecosystem. She began her career in the company’s real estate division before moving through a series of increasingly senior commercial roles. Most recently, she served as chief merchant, a position that placed her at the center of Walmart’s product strategy—deciding what appears on shelves and how the retailer balances value with quality.

That role proved pivotal. Under her leadership, Walmart expanded higher-end and differentiated offerings, broadening its appeal to higher-income shoppers without abandoning its value roots. The experience positioned Watkins as a natural choice to take the helm at Sam’s Club, where merchandise curation and brand perception are central to growth.

Competing Head-On With Costco

Sam’s Club operates in a tightly contested segment where scale, loyalty, and private labels define success. Costco has long dominated the warehouse club space with strong margins, disciplined pricing, and a powerful private-label engine. Watkins’ mandate is clear: narrow that gap.

A major lever will be Sam’s Club’s private-label brand, Member’s Mark, which already accounts for roughly a third of the division’s revenue. Watkins’ track record with Walmart’s Bettergoods brand has raised expectations that she can further elevate Member’s Mark—enhancing quality, differentiation, and perception to drive both margins and loyalty.

Strategy Beyond Price

Unlike traditional discount retail, warehouse clubs rely heavily on trust, consistency, and a sense of exclusivity. Watkins’ background suggests a focus on experience as much as economics: tighter assortments, premium-adjacent offerings, and clearer value propositions for members willing to pay for quality at scale.

Her leadership arrives as consumers become more selective, balancing inflation fatigue with a willingness to pay for products that feel worth the price. That environment plays directly into the strengths of a well-executed private-label strategy.

A Broader Signal on Leadership Diversity

Watkins’ appointment also carries symbolic weight. Black women remain significantly underrepresented in retail executive suites, accounting for less than 2% of senior leadership roles in the sector. By elevating Watkins, Walmart underscores a commitment to internal advancement and broader representation—while placing a seasoned operator, not a symbolic choice, at the helm of a critical business.

Looking Ahead

Watkins now steps into a role where execution will matter quickly. Sam’s Club must grow membership value, defend margins, and differentiate itself in a crowded market. If Watkins can translate her merchandising success into sustained momentum, Sam’s Club could emerge as a more formidable challenger in the warehouse wars—and Walmart’s bet on internal leadership may prove well placed.