Foundations | Strategy | Sales

Senior-level guidance and strategy for Costco Food & Sundries.

White & Lewis provides fractional sales leadership and consulting for food, beverage, and sundries brands. We help you prepare for Costco, get in front of the right buyers, and set up items for success once they're in.

Schedule a consultation See engagement tracks

Pallets staged on a Costco warehouse floor

Who we serve

CPG brands in need of someone who already speaks Costco's language.

Costco is not a traditional retail channel.

Costco is at its core an item business, and placements are built around 8-12 week rotations to create the kind of treasure-hunt shopping experience Costco is known for. Each item on the warehouse floor has a specific sales target it must hit in order to gain a repeat rotation or have a chance at regional expansion. That means the initial setup of every item is vital to get right, because it will have to re-earn its place every time.

You only get one shot at a first impression with Costco. A mistake at the start can cost you at scale, or the opportunity itself.

Why We're Different

Traditional representation usually means being one of many names in a large, commission-only portfolio. That can work if you're already a major player. But if you're earlier stage, you often need more time, guidance, and hands-on support than your early Costco volume can justify, and it's easy to get lost near the bottom of the list.

White & Lewis was built around that reality.

We wanted to give you another option.

We work with a select group of partners, and we shape the engagement around what you actually need. You get more control over how you invest in Costco, without giving up experienced, senior-level support.

Not everyone needs the same level of help, and we do not believe you should have to fit into the same model as everyone else.

How we help

Costco is a long-cycle, high-stakes channel, and no two brands enter it at the same point.

The right support depends on where a brand stands, whether that's early channel viability, launch planning, or ongoing buyer-facing leadership. Start at the level that fits now, and shift as priorities change.

Foundation

Evaluate channel fit, value equation, and operational readiness before costly decisions are made.

Activation

Prepare the item, economics, and buyer presentation with the discipline Costco requires.

Leadership

Provide senior sales representation and informed buyer guidance over time.

Engagement tracks

Three tracks, chosen based on where a brand stands with Costco.

18+ months

An investment in the right guidance up front can save 18+ months of lost or misguided opportunity.

TRACK 1

Advisory

Foundation & viability

Fixed fee

For brands needing a full audit of business, product, and marketing readiness before pursuing Costco.

Deliverable

Costco item development roadmap

Channel fit and product viability assessment
Price-to-value and supply chain readiness review
Identification of key risks and priority decisions

TRACK 2

Readiness

Buyer preparation

Fixed fee

For brands preparing for buyer submission and launch.

Deliverable

Buyer-ready launch or roadshow readiness plan

Packaging and pallet optimization for warehouse efficiency
Financial modeling to protect brand equity
Buyer-ready forms and narrative

TRACK 3

Partnership

Fractional sales

Monthly retainer / Commissions

Full service support for brands requiring ongoing senior leadership across full rotation execution, timelines, forecasting, and inventory alignment.

Deliverable

Buyer-facing representation and disciplined execution

Headquarters buyer representation across all regions
Full rotation execution, including timelines, forecasting, and inventory alignment
MDF guidance and ongoing roadmap reviews

These aren't fixed steps. Brands move between tracks, combine them, or start wherever fits where they are today.

Add-ons & ad-hoc advisory

Extra support for execution and timely guidance.

Roadshow event support

Logistics, staffing, and booth coordination from planning through setup.

Itemized quote
per event

Operations & admin support

PO and shipment coordination, MDF tracking, and compliance support.

Percentage of
purchase order

Roadshow strategy & oversight

Go/no-go guidance, performance interpretation, post-roadshow assessment.

Set fee
per program

AD-HOC ADVISORY

Coaching & guidance

Targeted senior guidance when timely interpretation or strategic support is needed.

Hourly feeReduced with packages

Our Approach

A different kind of partnership.

Our multi track model gives brands experienced Costco support without forcing everyone into the same approach to representation.

An in-warehouse product demo booth at Costco

Flexible structure

We offer different ways to work together based on the brand, the stage of the business, and the amount of support needed.

Senior-level involvement

We keep our roster small on purpose, so our partners have direct access to experienced people who stay involved in the business.

More than the pitch

We support buyer communication, preparation, packaging and operational requirements, forecasting, roadshows and demos, regional opportunities, sales performance, and planning for what comes next.

Focused on what happens after the yes

Getting an item into Costco matters. So does what happens once it gets there. We help brands prepare to execute well, understand their performance, and make smart decisions about future growth.

We think like owners and stay close to the details, giving brands the Costco experience, support, and resources they need, in a structure that makes sense for their business.

Costco shopper browsing a warehouse aisle stocked with client and other bulk products

The White & Lewis Edge

Costco knowledge that goes beyond buyer relationships.

Relationships matter in Costco. But one buyer relationship should never be the entire strategy.

Costco buyers move between categories and regions over time. The people may change, but the fundamentals of the business do not.

What matters long term is understanding how Costco actually works. How buyers evaluate an item. Where they see value and white space. What can slow an item down or derail it altogether. How to build credibility across different regions and buying teams.

That is where experience matters.

White & Lewis has worked across Costco categories, regions, and buyer transitions. Our value isn't tied to one relationship. It comes from knowing the business itself, and knowing what needs to happen at each stage.

How We Work

We stay involved.

The work starts at item setup, long before the buyer connection, and it doesn't end there either.

A Costco warehouse aisle lined with product pallets

There are a lot of moving pieces behind a Costco program. Packaging, pricing, forecasting, food safety and audits, vendor setup, insurance, EDI, logistics, inventory, demos, roadshows, sales reporting, and regional execution all have to come together.

And the details matter.

We stay as close to the process as you need, from the early conversations through onboarding, execution, and sell-through. We help brands understand what Costco is asking for, what needs to happen next, and where potential issues need attention before they become bigger problems.

Our role is not simply to make an introduction and step away.

Senior-level guidance and strategy for Costco Food & Sundries.

CPG brands in need of someone who already speaks Costco's language.

Costco is a long-cycle, high-stakes channel, and no two brands enter it at the same point.

Three tracks, chosen based on where a brand stands with Costco.

Extra support for execution and timely guidance.

A different kind of partnership.

Costco knowledge that goes beyond buyer relationships.

We stay involved.

Schedule a 30-minute consultation.