The brand had pitched Costco in-club twice and been declined both times. The merchant feedback was the same on each cycle: not enough velocity history to justify the slot risk in a Treasure-Hunt format where every facing has to earn its keep weekly. The strategic problem was not the product; it was that Costco's in-club buyer wanted online-velocity data the brand did not yet have. Costco.ca, treated as a serious channel rather than a consolation prize, became the obvious answer. But only if the online program could be built to generate the right shape of data.

7 SKUs listed across Costco.ca within 7 months, 3 online-only assortment placements held continuous coverage, 2 Member Hot Buys cycles produced sell-through curves used in the in-club reconsideration brief, and the brand earned a Year 2 in-club review meeting that had been deferred indefinitely on prior cycles.