BENTONVILLE, Ark. — La­triece Watkins’ career trajectory continued its impressive ascent with her promotion last month to the position of chief merchandising officer for Walmart U.S. She is the first woman and the first person of color to hold the post.

“Those of you who have worked with Latriece know she is a merchant at heart and has a talent and passion for developing future leaders,” wrote John Furner, president and chief executive officer of Walmart U.S., in an internal memo. “Her enthusiasm, talent and deep experience helped establish the omni merchandising strategy we have today, and her focus on customers and members will only strengthen our position in the future.”

Watkins began her career at Walmart in 1997 as a real estate intern while attending law school at the University of Arkansas. She originally intended to work for the retailer until her graduation with a JD degree but, as she noted in a recent post on Linkedin, new plans emerged along the way.

Eventually she rose to the post of senior director of real estate before deciding on a career in merchandising in 2008, when she joined the Sam’s Club merchant team. Two years later she moved to Walmart U.S. as a senior category director for adult beverages. In 2012 she was promoted to vice president, and two years later she was named senior VP of snacks and beverages. At the end of 2014, she was tapped by Walmart’s CEO to lead a team focused on culture change and transformation across the enterprise as senior VP of Ways of Working. 

In 2016 Watkins was appointed senior VP of U.S. store operations, and later she rejoined the merchants as senior VP of merchandising consumables and O-T-C. She was promoted to executive VP of consumables in 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. 

Latriece Watkins

As is well known, the pandemic wreaked havoc in the consumables business as panic buying swept store shelves bare in such categories as paper products, household essentials, personal care and O-T-C medicines. As she noted in a 2020 interview, the upheaval in consumer behavior demanded speed and a different way of thinking about the business in order to adjust to a highly fluid situation.

Watkins and her merchants worked closely with suppliers to prioritize the most essential SKUs across different categories so that production of high-demand products could be maximized. Most importantly, as customers shifted increasingly to online shopping, the retailer’s online grocery pickup was dramatically expanded.

While Watkins definitely displays the true merchant’s delight in finding great items, as Furner noted, she also has a passion for developing and mentoring others, and she has made it a priority to actively foster talent within the organization. Not surprisingly, her recent promotion reminded her of the benefits she has enjoyed in the course of her career.

“Throughout my career and in life, I’ve been supported by incredible people who lift me up, push me and remind me who I am and what I’m capable of,” she wrote on LinkedIn. “To each of you, I am grateful. Since the announcement of my new role, I have received an outpouring of support for Walmart, our merchants, and for me and the leadership team. On behalf of all of us, please accept our deepest gratitude.”