Carolina D

Consultant - Retail & Procurement Strategist

Consulting • Self-employed

Sep 2025 - Present • 9 mos

Retail Procurement Strategist with 25+ years of experience, including +20 years as a Category Buyer at Costco Wholesale Canada overseeing vitamins, supplements, OTC, apparel, and special events across multiple product categories. At Costco, I led clean-label product transformations, developed private-label strategies generating hundreds of millions in sales, and partnered with major suppliers to raise quality, transparency, and retail performance standards across Canada. Through Alma Solutions Consulting, I now help brands get retail-ready across four core areas: supplement and product audits with improvement plans, label and messaging reviews, competitor and market analysis, and retail buyer pitch decks built to win at any Mass Retailer, pharmacy chains, and beyond. My approach is simple: Give your product the buyer's perspective it needs before a real buyer sees it.

Buyer in Vitamins, Supplements & OTC

Costco Wholesale • Full-time

May 1996 - Feb 2023 • 26 yrs 9 mos

Managed procurement and strategy for vitamins, supplements, and OTC categories, for over two decades, generating hundreds of millions in annual sales. Evaluated thousands of vendor pitches and products, led clean-label product development, and championed ingredient transparency standards across the Canadian marketplace, influencing category standards at competing retailers across Canada. My procurement career at Costco spanned multiple categories including apparel ecommerce, special events, a.k.a. Roadshows (small appliances, furniture, housewares, etc.), and Leisure Activities (Tickets), giving me a broad buyer's perspective applicable to any consumer product or brand.