BUYER'S READ · COSTCO
Northshore Auto Care · Costco 2026 Roadshow
15 slides · evaluated as a Costco line-review deck · read by Grant
VERDICT · NEEDS ANOTHER ROUND
The program has a defensible category thesis and three well-differentiated product configurations, but two critical gaps will stop this deck cold in a Costco meeting: there is no member math slide, and the supply chain section does not confirm CSCEN readiness. Fix those before the next buyer touch.
GRANT’S INTELLIGENCE READ
Grant reviewed 5 of 6 areas
PROGRAM ECONOMICS
Build the member math slide first. Show what these four tools cost bought separately at Target or Amazon, then set that basket against your $24.99 kit price and let the value gap do the work. Without this the buyer has no reason to believe the price point is a member win rather than a margin grab.2 slidesSHELF READINESS
State your CSCEN status explicitly. Name the factory, give its current onboarding stage, and show a timeline to first shipment. Costco will not schedule a follow-up meeting if the supply chain is unverified. This is a hard stop, not a soft suggestion.2 slidesCONSUMER INSIGHT
Add a 90-second Roadshow demo arc. Describe exactly what the member sees, touches, and hears, what the conversion ask is, and how a successful Roadshow converts to a modular pallet program. You reference the Roadshow concept twice in the deck but never show the plan.1 slideVELOCITY
Add velocity benchmarks from a comparable club auto care program (Sam's or a prior Costco pilot). 'Significant whitespace in club-format auto care' is a claim without data. The buyer's answer will be 'show me the number.'1 slideCOMPETITIVE
Add a competitive set slide that names what's currently on the Costco auto care shelf and explains why this kit wins versus private label on value, differentiation, and member repeat. The buyer needs to justify displacing something that's already working.2 slidesPER-SLIDE NOTES
Grant flagged your program economics.
Run the numbers against Costco's waterfall before your line review.
WHAT THE COSTCO BUYER WILL PUSHBACK ON
- “Where's the member math? You're showing me $24.99 but I need to see what a member pays for these same four tools bought separately at Target or Amazon. If the value gap isn't at least 20%, the program isn't a member win. It's just a kit.
- “What's your CSCEN status? I can't advance a program with a factory I can't verify is in our supplier network. Send me the factory name and your current onboarding stage before our next meeting. If you don't have a timeline to first shipment, we can't put a date on the calendar.
- “You mentioned a Roadshow twice but I don't see a plan. What does the 90-second member interaction look like? Who staffs it, what's the conversion ask, and what unit volume are you proposing for the test? I need a plan, not a concept.
- “Your margin slide is missing. What's your landed cost, what margin are you leaving us, and what happens to that number if we layer in an IRC overlay for the Roadshow activation? I can't take this to merch review without it.
- “You're telling me this category is underpenetrated in club but I haven't seen any velocity data. What are comparable kit programs doing at Sam's, and why does a $24.99 auto care kit outperform what I'm already running in this space? Show me the number, not the claim.
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