---
title: 2026 Walmart & Sam's Club Virtual Event
description: Walmart has fundamentally changed its business. No longer “just” a retailer, Walmart has built a blended business of services and products. Understanding the business implications and aligning with Walmart’s goals has never been more critical.
image: https://retailiq.kantar.com/hubfs/Icon%20image_500x500-Apr-01-2024-07-41-50-0093-PM.png
---
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## 2026 Walmart & Sam's Club Virtual Event
4 & 5 November 2026
Virtual
[Register](https://retailiq.kantar.com/2026-walmart-sams-club-virtual-event#REGISTER)
[2026 Agenda](https://retailiq.kantar.com/hubfs/2026%20Event%20Agendas/2026%20Walmart%20and%20Sams%20Club%20Virtual%20Event%20Agenda%20V2.pdf?hsLang=en)
As grocery and omnichannel sales continue to propel Walmart’s sales growth, we see potential disruptions on the horizon. Retail channels are beginning to blur as shoppers’ purchasing patterns evolve due to social media, omnichannel fulfillment, technology, and sustained macroeconomic pressures.
Walmart’s flywheel ecosystem drives profits and helps deliver convenience but may hinder the personalization and customization that shoppers increasingly expect.
And while Walmart serves more US shoppers than any other retailer, both low-income and high-income shoppers are being more choiceful about where they’re willing to spend.
Join us for an in-depth look at the challenges facing Walmart in 2027 and how suppliers can identify and exploit opportunities for growth.
You’ll leave this event with:
- A clearer understanding of how retail convergence is changing the competitive landscape and the implications for Walmart’s growth trajectory
- Actionable insights into the changing behaviors of low-income and high-income shoppers and how these changes will affect growth opportunities for Walmart and its suppliers
- A strategic road map for identifying and capturing key growth opportunities
## Conference Agenda
#### Reach out to [events@kantarconsulting.com](mailto:events@kantarconsulting.com) for questions.
DAY 1: Nov 4 DAY 2: Nov 5
9:00-9:10 AM CT
**Welcome and introduction**
*Karen Kelso, Vice President, Retail Insights*
9:10-9:50 AM CT
**Why Walmart embodies channel blurring**
*Karen Kelso, Vice President , Retail Insights
Taylre Stumpf, Lead Analyst, Retail Insights*
The dominance of grocery as a growth engine is changing how retailers go to market and capture market share. Topics we’ll discuss include:
- What happens when the largest US mass retailer is also the largest US grocery retailer
- The forces behind “The Great Retail Convergence” and the implications for Walmart and its suppliers
- How the retail landscape will shift as Walmart looks for new growth opportunities
9:50-10:30 AM CT
**Walmart's shopper bifurcation opportunity**
*Julie Craig, Vice President, Shopper Insights*
Walmart shoppers are increasingly divided into low-income and high-income cohorts. We’ll dig into their shopping behaviors and attributes to understand emerging trends. Topics we’ll discuss include:
- How Walmart shoppers are fundamentally different from who they were five years ago
- Whether Walmart shoppers are prioritizing convenience over discovery
- If Walmart’s omnichannel breadth has changed shopping behavior and the likely impacts
10:30-10:45 AM CT
**BREAK**
10:45-11:30 AM CT
**Why Walmart’s mission and strategy matters**
*Karen Kelso, Vice President, Retail Insights*
Walmart posted record sales and profits in FYE26. We’ll detail how Walmart’s plans to generate even greater sales and profits impact its go-to-market strategy. Topics we’ll cover include:
- The impacts of technology on inventory and investment
- How shifting purchase patterns stand to affect future sales and profitability
- What Walmart’s investment choices mean for suppliers
11:30 AM-12:15 PM CT
**Breaking down Walmart’s new data demands**
*Karen Kelso, Vice President, Retail Insights*
Walmart’s ecosystem strategy relies heavily on data and technology. How do ongoing AI developments translate to new supplier expectations? Topics we’ll discuss include:
- How Walmart is using data to drive operational efficiencies, service offerings, and profits
- How data and technology are changing suppliers’ priorities and shoppers’ path to purchase
- Where gaps exist between fully utilizing known data and uncovering product and category white-space opportunities
12:15-12:30 PM CT
**Day 1 recap**
*Karen Kelso, Vice President, Retail Insights*
12:30-12:50 PM CT
**Ask me anything: Open Q&A**
9:00-9:10 AM CT
**Welcome and introduction**
*Karen Kelso, Vice President, Retail Insights*
9:10-9:50 AM CT
**What's next: Discovery at Walmart is moving off the shelf**
*Taylre Stumpf, Lead Analyst, Retail Insights*
Social media is changing the way shoppers engage with brands and modifying the traditional path to purchase. Topics we’ll discuss include:
- What happens when discovery starts on TikTok
- How AI is changing search and whether creators are becoming merchants
- The role retail media will play as discovery moves beyond Walmart’s owned channels
9:50-10:30 AM CT
**Walmart, AI, and the next category growth engines**
Gina Logan, Associate Director, Category Insights
AI is rapidly altering the retail landscape. Where do we expect AI to have the greatest impact? Topics we’ll discuss include:
- How growth is shifting from where Walmart won yesterday to where shoppers will be spending tomorrow
- The categories that AI will impact the most and the implications for Walmart
- Whether Walmart has the right to win in the categories in which it wants to win
10:30-10:45 AM CT
**BREAK**
10:45-11:30 AM CT
**Serving the masses: What Walmart can learn from Sam’s Club**
*Anna Brennan, Principal Analyst, Retail Insights*
The club channel continues to outperform much of retail overall. As Sam’s Club looks to strengthen its position within the channel, what opportunities exist to further elevate its value proposition? Topics we’ll explore include:
- What value means to Sam’s Club shoppers and where they choose to trade up versus trade down
- How Sam’s Club’s value proposition differs from Walmart’s EDLP model and Target’s affordable premium positioning
- Where Sam’s Club is differentiating itself through digital innovation, convenience, and member experience and what lessons can be applied to fuel future growth
11:30 AM-12:15 PM CT
**Why are Aldi’s, Trader Joe’s, and Costco killing it?**
*Karen Kelso, Vice President, Retail Insights
Taylre Stumpf, Lead Analyst, Retail Insights
Anna Brennan, Principal Analyst, Retail Insights*
Value and club channel retailers had incredible sales results in 2025 and 2026. Why are these retailers and channels enjoying success? Topics we’ll discuss include:
- Emotional and logical drivers behind the growth of Aldi’s, Trader Joe’s, and Costco
- Components needed to mimic these key drivers and the degree of difficulty Walmart will face in adopting them
- Opportunities to rebuild differentiation in a marketplace built on curation, precision, and value
12:15-12:30 PM CT
**Day 2 recap**
*Karen Kelso, Vice President, Retail Insights*
12:30-12:50 PM CT
**Ask me anything: Open Q&A**
*Karen Kelso, Vice President, Mass and Club*
How to attend
## Available tickets
SEATBLOCK HOLDER?
[Talk to our event team ›](mailto:events@kantarconsulting.com)
Meet the experts
## Event Speakers
*Check back for our speaker updates.*
We’re here to amplify your potential. Bringing exceptional experience across industries and organizations. Delivering a deep understanding of retailers and shoppers. We’ll help you meet and exceed your goals.
Karen Kelso
Vice President, Retail Insights
Taylre Stumpf
Lead Analyst, Retail Insights
Juie Craig
Vice President, Shopper Insights
Anna Brennan
Principal Analyst, Retail Insights
Gina Logan
Associate Director, Category Insights
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