2023 Game Changers: Philip Walliser, Lowe's
As consumer demand for private label products grows, retailers and suppliers continue to up their game bringing to market a bevy of new products across multiple categories. Product launches over the past year show a continued effort to give consumers high value items that offer retailers the opportunity to differentiate from their competitors.
For the third year, Store Brands is honoring those in private label that are pushing the boundaries and driving the industry forward. Below are the people, product innovations and brands that are this year’s Game Changers.
Philip Walliser, Product Development Senior Merchant, Lowe's
One of the largest retailers in the country, Lowe’s offers its customers the products they need for home improvement jobs of all shapes and sizes. Philip Walliser, product development senior merchant, oversees the retailer’s Stainmaster brand, which gives customers an in-house choice when it comes to flooring, carpet, tile and more.
A recent accomplishment of Walliser was bringing the brand into a new category: paint. He recognized that customers needed a solution that still provides the quality and performance specifications at a value versus comparable national brands. Walliser partnered with the the retailer’s quality assurance and product development teams, merchants and strategic vendor partners to develop and execute Stainmaster’s paint launch from the ground up.
“Without the exceptional individuals in so many different roles none of this would be possible,” Walliser told Store Brands. “Creating a clear objective, having a mission that people understand and buy-into, foster the feedback and insights of others, and actually listen to it alsocontributed to the success.”
Stainmaster paint is backed by a stain resistant lifetime limited warranty, and is available in colors curated by design and trend experts.
“My greatest accomplishment is seeing people excited about what we were doing,” he added. “We were doing things for the first time or challenging the way we had done things previously to get them done more effectively or more quickly to hit our goals.”