In this article, learn about:
What a Walmart line review is
What suppliers can expect in a Walmart line review
How suppliers can prepare for a Walmart line review
Common mistakes to avoid during the line review
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A Walmart line review is one of the key moments in a supplier’s relationship with their buyer. Line review meetings determine if the supplier’s products will stay on shelf, get more space, or be replaced by competition. Since Walmart has over 21% of the US grocery market, 20% of the retail market and 50% of the wholesale market, one review can have a big impact on long term positioning and sales.
While a strong product matters, preparation is often the deciding factor between growth and lost opportunities. Suppliers who understand what buyers want and can clearly show how their product supports Walmart’s overall category strategy have a better chance of standing out. In this article, we will discuss how suppliers can prepare for Walmart line reviews and common mistakes they should avoid during the line review process.
What is a Walmart Line Review?
A Walmart line review is a formal meeting between suppliers and Walmart buyers with the goal of assessing goods in a particular category. During these meetings, buyers will review the current shelf assortment, evaluate the performance of the products, and brainstorm new items for future modular resets.
A line review is a significant opportunity for suppliers:
New suppliers can pitch products to compete for shelf space.
Current suppliers can address underperforming items, present innovations, and defend their place on the shelf.
How Line Review Schedules Work
The timing of line reviews varies by department and product category and occurs throughout the year. Seasonal resets, promotional planning, and category requirements all influence the review cycle that each merchandising team adheres to.
For example:
Grocery categories will have multiple reviews a year due to frequent promotions and high turnover.
Apparel and seasonal items will align with key retail periods like spring, back-to-school, and holidays.
General merchandise will often follow annual or semi-annual reviews tied to modular resets.
Because there is no centralized calendar for line reviews, suppliers should stay in close contact with their buyer or replenishment manager to confirm timing and prevent missed opportunities.
Related Reading: The Basics of Walmart Replenishment
What Buyers Expect During a Walmart Line Review
Buyers have a set agenda and limited time. They may meet with multiple suppliers in one review period, so each minute matters. Most will focus on four key areas:
1. A Concise Product Demonstration or Sampling
For food, beverages, or other products that can be sampled, a short tasting or demo is often expected. However, make sure to keep it focused on competitive advantages and relevance to the category, not the background story of the product (being concise is key).
2. A Clear Financial Opportunity
Buyers want to know exactly how much your product can contribute to Walmart’s category performance.
Walmart holds 21.2% of the U.S. grocery market and 37% of the online grocery market. If possible, use current sales performance in other retailers to estimate potential Walmart sales, assuming their market share holds true for your product.
Define the role your product will play for Walmart:
Will it be a unit driver: a fast-moving, high-volume item that boosts overall category sales?
Or will it be a profit driver: a more niche item with a higher margin that elevates category profitability?
Framing your product’s value in this way helps buyers see exactly where it fits in their strategy.
3. The Lowest Cost Possible
Walmart’s Every Day Low Price (EDLP) model requires suppliers to offer their best cost. Buyers often aim to retail products at least 10% below market while keeping margins in line with the rest of the category.
Be ready to discuss pricing in terms of scalability. As distribution grows from a few hundred to several thousand stores, cost efficiencies should be built into the plan. Factor in allowances, compliance-related deductions, and margin protection from the outset.
4. A Plan for Future Innovation
No product stays on Walmart shelves indefinitely. Buyers expect suppliers to have a pipeline of new ideas ready — whether that’s seasonal SKUs, new pack sizes, flavor extensions, or entirely new product lines. Demonstrating this foresight shows buyers they won’t need to replace your brand when the current product lifecycle ends.
How to Prepare for a Walmart Line Review
Preparation is key to making the most of a Walmart line review. Here are some areas suppliers should focus on in preparation:
Anticipate Buyer Questions
Walmart buyers have deep product knowledge and will ask focused, tough questions to get to the bottom of your product’s value and performance potential. These can include competitive positioning, marketing plans, full cost breakdowns and production capabilities. To prepare for any unexpected or challenging questions, practice a mock Q&A with a colleague or mentor.
Align with Walmart’s Strategy
Each category buyer has a defined strategy that is driven by Walmart’s merchandising goals, sales data, and consumer behavior. To help ensure you are aligned with Walmart's strategy, visit multiple Walmart stores to see your product category in different markets. Take note of competitor assortment, price points, private label placement, and marketing initiatives. Also, show how your product can fill an assortment gap, increase volume, or improve margins to help the buyer achieve their modular reset goals.
Review Your Scorecard and Performance
For existing suppliers, the supplier scorecard is a key discussion point in a line review. It’s used by buyers to measure sales performance, compliance, fill rate and on-time delivery.
Review your scorecard beforehand and be prepared to address any discrepancies or trends. Provide data-driven suggestions for replacements if you have underperforming SKUs. Addressing problems and offering solutions shows you are proactive and committed to improving performance.
Related Reading: Navigating the Walmart Supplier Performance Scorecard
Know Your Pricing Structure
Walmart buyers put a lot of emphasis on pricing and expect suppliers to know how their cost structure changes with scale. Create a transparent tiered pricing model that shows your cost and the retail price at different store counts (100, 1,000 and 5,000). To support your pricing structure, take into account any cost savings from increased volume, allowances, and possible compliance deductions.
Stay Flexible
Meetings can be rescheduled or shortened with little notice especially during busy modular planning periods. Around the time of your review, be flexible and prepared to make last-minute changes to your presentation or travel plans. If plans change, proactively reschedule your meeting and confirm the new time and date with your buyer.
Related Reading: How To Communicate With Your Merchant Team
Be Ready
Time with a Walmart buyer is valuable and limited. In some cases you may only have a fraction of the time you expected to make your case. If possible, arrive early, have all your materials ready, and be able to deliver a condensed version of your pitch if needed. Make sure the buyer hears your most important information first by front-loading your key points.
Even in a short meeting, a well-structured, concise presentation ensures you have effectively communicated the value and potential of your product.
Common Mistakes to Avoid During a Line Review
Even well-prepared suppliers can make missteps. Common mistakes include:
Over-focusing on the product: buyers are already familiar with the category—emphasize sales potential, not backstory.
Not knowing your numbers: be fluent in cost, margins, market data, and supply chain details.
Lacking a clear ask: state exactly what you’re requesting, including store count and regional focus.
Asking for too much too soon: start with a realistic rollout plan and expand gradually based on performance.
Misunderstanding Walmart’s customer: price and value drive Walmart’s shoppers. Products that don’t fit this model will face resistance.
Overloading presentations: use a concise one-pager or brief slide deck rather than lengthy, detailed presentations.
Ignoring compliance costs: account for allowances, deductions, and potential rollbacks when setting pricing.
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