Merchandising massive product catalogs | Brian Walker

In this episode, Benj sits down with Brian Walker, Chief Product Officer at Grainger, to unpack how one of the largest distributors in the world approaches merchandising at scale. With over 2 million SKUs in their core business and an endless assortment model through Zoro, Grainger’s merchandising strategy is anything but simple. Brian explains how they decide which products to carry, how they use customer context to guide those decisions, and what it takes to make the right products easy to find— both for customers and for sales reps. They also talk through the role of brand, what “good” looks like when it comes to product discoverability, and how Grainger uses AI to stay ahead. If you’re thinking about how to sharpen your merchandising strategy, make your product catalog easier to navigate, or turn product data into a real competitive advantage, this episode is for you.