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emerson_data_walmart_target_snowflake_final

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Emerson Walmart/Target – Data Architecture & Profiling Memo

Audience: LMNT Leadership, Analytics, Engineering
Source: Emerson/Walmart 3P Dataset (LMNT_425 schema in snowflake)
Date: December 2025

1. Executive Summary

What This Is

Emerson Healthcare serves as LMNT’s data provider for Walmart retail performance. They aggregate Walmart’s 3P (third-party seller) data and make it available through a Snowflake Private Share, giving LMNT access to:

  • 26 LMNT product SKUs in Walmart’s catalog
  • 4,577 stores with active POS sales
  • ~$56M in combined revenue (POS + Digital) from March–December 2025
  • 3.35M+ units sold across brick-and-mortar and omnichannel
  • Distribution center logistics, store traits, and merchandising attributes

This is one of LMNT’s most comprehensive retail datasets, offering store-level sales visibility and omnichannel performance tracking that isn’t typically available from retailers.

Why This Matters Now

  • Walmart is a Major Revenue Channel
    The Walmart dataset provided through Emerson gives LMNT daily, store-level, and SKU-level visibility into its business. This level of detail allows LMNT to measure velocity, distribution, and omnichannel performance across thousands of stores. The current dataset reflects approximately $56M in captured sales over the last nine months, based on the scope of data Emerson shares.

  • Expansion Opportunity
    LMNT is in 4,577 of Walmart’s 6,192 stores (74% penetration). That’s 1,600+ stores where LMNT could expand.

  • Emerson Relationship is Evolving
    Based on recent discussions, LMNT may be transitioning administrative responsibilities away from Emerson. Understanding what data we get, how we get it, and what alternatives exist is critical for continuity.

  • Store-Level Insights are Rare
    Most retailers provide aggregated reporting. This dataset enables:

    • Geographic performance analysis (which states/stores drive revenue)
    • Store segmentation (format, traits, demographics)
    • Inventory and distribution diagnostics
    • Digital vs. in-store channel analysis

Key Findings

  • Strong Distribution: LMNT is in 74% of Walmart stores nationwide
  • Balanced Channels: POS (26.6M) are nearly equal
  • Recent Launch: All items created Dec 2024–Jul 2025 (launch phase data)
  • 9 Non-Selling SKUs: 26 items in catalog, 17 actively selling
  • State Concentration: Top 5 states account for majority of revenue
  • Data Dependency: Currently reliant on Emerson’s Snowflake share

What You’ll Find in This Memo

  • Section 2: Understanding the Emerson data relationship and ETL considerations
  • Section 3: Table-by-table profiling with business interpretation
  • Section 4: Cross-table insights (distribution, assortment, sales performance)
  • Section 5: Deep-dive business analysis (state performance, Target comparison)
  • Section 6: Recommendations and next steps

2. Understanding the Emerson Data Relationship

How LMNT Gets Walmart & Target Data Today

Emerson Healthcare acts as an intermediary between LMNT and Walmart:

  • Walmart provides 3P seller data through their Luminate platform
  • Target provides item catalog and store/DC metadata through their internal syndication and supplier systems.
  • Emerson ingests this data into their Snowflake environment
  • LMNT accesses the data via Snowflake Private Share (zero-ETL replication)

What is Snowflake Private Share?

This is a unique Snowflake feature where data is shared directly between Snowflake accounts without copying or ETL:

  • No data movement: Tables appear in LMNT’s Snowflake as if they’re native
  • No latency: Updates from Emerson are instant
  • No ETL cost: No rows are counted/charged for ingestion
  • Governance: Emerson controls access; LMNT has read-only permissions

Key Implication: This is why we recommended Snowflake as a warehouse option in the ETL assessment. Private Share is a significant advantage for this data source.

What Happens if LMNT Moves Away from Emerson?

Based on recent discussions, LMNT may transition administrative responsibilities. Here’s what we need to understand:

Questions to Answer with Phil/Team:

  • Will LMNT still have access to Walmart data through Emerson’s Snowflake share?
  • Does LMNT have direct access to Walmart Luminate, or is Emerson required?
  • If we lose Emerson access, what are the alternatives?
    • Direct Walmart Luminate API integration (via Fivetran/Polytomic)
    • Another 3P data aggregator
    • Build custom ingestion

Risk Assessment:

  • Low Risk: Emerson continues data sharing even if administrative relationship changes
  • Medium Risk: Need to build Walmart connector
  • High Risk: Lose historical data access (need to export/backup now)

Recommendation: We should export critical historical data to LMNT-owned storage as a backup, regardless of relationship continuity.

3. Table-Level Documentation & Profiling

Each section includes:

  • Metrics Summary Table
  • Business Description
  • Profiling Interpretation

All results reflect actual queries executed against the LMNT_425 schema.

Source: WALMART

3.1 WALMART_ITEM_ATTRIBUTES

Summary Metrics

MetricValue
Total Rows26
Distinct Items (WM_ITEM_NBR)26
Distinct UPCs (WM_UPC_NBR)16
Distinct Vendors (VENDOR_NBR)1
Item Creation Date Range2024-12-16 → 2025-07-11

Business Description

Master catalog of Walmart items sold by LMNT.

Contains detailed product attributes including vendor data, UPCs, packaging dimensions, logistics flags, merchandising text, and lifecycle dates.

Interpretation

  • Full catalog includes 26 LMNT items
  • Only 16 unique UPCs, indicating pack variations or cross-linked UPCs
  • Single vendor present (EMERSON HEALTHCARE LLC)
  • Items are newly launched between late 2024 and mid 2025

3.2 WALMART_STORESALES

Summary Metrics

MetricValue
Total Rows2,257,319
Distinct Stores4,577
Distinct Items Sold17
Total Units Sold3,352,022
Total Sales$29,435,812.51
Date Range2025-03-05 → 2025-12-01

Business Description

Store-level POS transactions capturing sales amount, units, item identifiers, store identifiers, and Walmart fiscal attributes.

Interpretation

  • LMNT sells in ~4,600 stores nationwide
  • 17 items actively selling in brick-and-mortar
  • Strong sales velocity with over 3.35M units and $29.4M in POS revenue
  • Dataset covers ~9 months of sales (aligned with program launch)

3.3 WALMART_OMNISALES

Summary Metrics

MetricValue
Total Rows8,251
Distinct Items17
Distinct Service Channels5
Distinct Order Channels2
Total GMV$26,625,400.03
Total Net Sales$26,625,400.03
Date Range2025-03-05 → 2025-12-01

Business Description

Daily ecommerce and omnichannel sales, including GMV, net sales, units, and service/order channel breakdowns.

Interpretation

  • Digital sales nearly match POS with $26.6M GMV
  • Same 17 items active online and in-store → unified assortment strategy
  • Coverage across 5 service channels indicates deep digital penetration
  • Time range matches POS, confirming consistent ingestion

3.4 WALMART_STOREITEM

Summary Metrics

MetricValue
Total Rows5,516,563
Distinct Stores4,584
Distinct Items16

Business Description

Store–item mapping table showing item availability, stocking flags, and merchandising attributes for each store.

Interpretation

  • LMNT items appear in ~4,584 stores, matching POS distribution
  • 16 unique items in availability mapping (vs. 17 selling)
  • Used for availability, distribution voids, and replenishment diagnostics

3.5 WALMART_STORETRAIT

Summary Metrics

MetricValue
Total Trait Records30,954,234
Distinct Stores4,956

Business Description

Store trait assignments describing operational, geographic, service, and format characteristics for Walmart stores.

Interpretation

  • Coverage exceeds LMNT’s selling footprint (~4,580 stores)
  • Useful for segmentation, modeling, and identifying expansion opportunities
  • High record volume reflects many-to-many trait assignments

3.6 WALMART_STOREDIMENSIONS

Summary Metrics

MetricValue
Total Stores6,192
Distinct STORE_NBR6,192

Business Description

Walmart’s complete store master with location, format, region, and operational attributes.

Interpretation

  • LMNT distributes to ~4,580 of Walmart’s 6,192 stores
  • Remaining ~1,600 stores represent expansion potential
  • Essential for accurate store segmentation and geographic rollups

3.7 WALMART_DCITEMS

Summary Metrics

MetricValue
Total DC-Item Records219,253
Distinct WM Items26
Distinct DCs47

Business Description

Distribution center inventory dataset detailing vendor pack quantities, wholesale pack quantities, costs, shipping/receiving activity, and DC-level coverage.

Interpretation

  • All 26 LMNT catalog items appear in the DC network
  • 47 distribution centers → strong national supply chain coverage
  • Supports DC operations, replenishment modeling, and inventory analytics

3.8 WALMART_CALENDAR

Summary Metrics

MetricValue
Total Calendar Records21,553
Date Range1990-12-29 → 2049-12-31

Business Description

Walmart’s full fiscal, retail, and Gregorian calendar mapping, including LY/YOY comparison fields.

Interpretation

  • Covers 60 years of dates, enabling long-term YOY analysis
  • Required for aligning sales to Walmart fiscal periods
  • Supports forecasting models and future-year dashboards

Source: Target

3.9 TARGET_ITEMDATABASE

Summary Metrics

MetricValue
Total Rows23
Distinct Target Items (Child TCIN)22
Distinct Parent TCINs2
Distinct UPCs22
Distinct Vendors2
Item Launch Date RangeApr 6, 2025 → Sep 21, 2025

Business Description

This table represents the authoritative Target assortment master for LMNT.Master catalog for LMNT products authorized for sale at Target. Includes Target IDs (TCIN, DPCI), UPCs, vendor info, pricing, lifecycle dates, ecommerce flags, and merchandising metadata. This is the authoritative Target assortment master for LMNT.

Profiling Interpretation

  • Target assortment includes 22 sellable child TCINs grouped under 2 parent TCINs, indicating limited bundle or variant hierarchies
  • One-to-one mapping between TCINs and UPCs suggests minimal pack duplication
  • Items launched between April and September 2025, confirming Target as a newer retail channel compared to Walmart

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3.10 TARGET_DAILY_SALES_TCIN_LOC

Summary Metrics

MetricValue
Total Rows626.6K
Distinct Items Sold (TCIN)19
Distinct Selling Locations2.0K
Distinct Reporting Channels3
Distinct Fulfillment Types7
Total Units Sold934.8K
Total Sales$10.7M
Sales Date RangeOct 2, 2025 → Dec 14, 2025

Business Description

Daily Target sales fact table captures item-location-level sales across store and digital channels. It includes revenue and unit measures with detailed attribution for reporting channels, fulfillment methods (store, ShipT, drive-up, etc.), and promotional classifications.

Profiling Interpretation

  • LMNT is actively selling 19 of the 22 authorized Target items, indicating near-full assortment activation
  • Sales span ~2.0K Target locations, representing broad national distribution
  • Presence of 3 reporting channels and 7 fulfillment types confirms strong omnichannel engagement
  • $10.7M in sales and ~935K units over ~2.5 months indicates a high-velocity early retail ramp
  • Sales window aligns with post-launch period, making this dataset ideal for launch performance analysis

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3.11 TARGET_DAILY_INV_TCIN_LOC

Summary Metrics

MetricValue
Total Rows2.36M
Distinct Items23
Distinct Locations2.04K
Inventory Date RangeOct 1, 2025 → Dec 14, 2025
Average Instock Percentage73.8%
Average Out-of-Stock Percentage0.43%

Business Description

Daily data on inventory (on-hand, on-transfer, on-purchase) and stock status (in-stock/out-of-stock) per item and location. Used for inventory health analysis, replenishment optimization, and service-level evaluation.

Profiling Interpretation

  • Inventory coverage slightly exceeds selling footprint, suggesting early-stage network stocking ahead of full activation
  • ~74% average instock rate indicates reasonable availability during launch, with clear room for optimization
  • Strong alignment between inventory and sales date ranges enables joint sales–availability analysis

4. Cross-Table Insights & Strategic Observations

This section synthesizes findings across all tables to answer key business questions.

4.1 Distribution Footprint Analysis

TableStoresCoverage
Total Walmart Fleet (STOREDIMENSIONS)6,192100%
Stores with Traits (STORETRAIT)4,95680%
Stores with Store-Item Mapping4,58474%
Stores with POS Sales4,57774%

What This Tells Us

  • LMNT has achieved strong national distribution – present in nearly 3 out of 4 Walmart stores within 9 months of launch.

  • Distribution and sales align tightly – 4,584 stores have LMNT on shelves, and 4,577 are actively selling. This suggests minimal “distribution voids” (stores with product but zero sales).

  • Expansion opportunity: ~1,600 stores – LMNT could potentially expand into the remaining 26% of Walmart’s footprint. These stores likely fall into:

    • Smaller format stores (Neighborhood Markets)
    • Geographic markets with lower CPG velocity
    • Stores not yet approved for LMNT’s category

Recommendation: Analyze store traits of the 1,600 non-selling stores to identify which are viable expansion targets vs. poor-fit formats.

4.2 Assortment & SKU Performance

MetricValue
Total Catalog Items26
Items with Store Sales17
Items with Digital Sales17
Items in DC Supply Chain26

What This Tells Us

  • Unified omnichannel assortment – The same 17 SKUs sell in-store and online, indicating a consistent customer experience.

  • Full supply chain readiness – All 26 catalog items are set up in Walmart’s DC network, even if only 17 are actively selling.

  • 9 SKUs are “zombie inventory” – These items exist in the catalog and DC system but have zero sales (see detailed table in Section 5.1). Reasons could include:

    • Items marked DELETE status (6 of 9 were deleted in May 2025)
    • Never launched to stores
    • Failed product tests
    • Seasonal/promotional items not yet activated

Recommendation: Review the 9 non-selling SKUs with merchandising team. If not part of a future launch plan, remove from catalog to clean up reporting.

4.3 Channel Mix: POS vs. Digital (Total Sales)

ChannelRevenue% of Total
POS (In-Store)$29.4M53%
Digital (Omni)$26.6M47%
Combined~$56M100%

What This Tells Us

  • Walmart is a major revenue driver – 56M in 9 months extrapolates to \~75M annualized from a single retailer.

  • Digital is nearly as important as in-store – Most CPG brands see 10-20% digital mix; LMNT’s 47% is exceptional and likely driven by:

    • Health-conscious customers shopping online
    • Subscription/repeat purchase behavior
    • Walmart+ membership penetration

  • Omnichannel strategy is working – Customers can discover LMNT in-store and reorder online (or vice versa).

Implication for analytics: Any Walmart reporting must include both POS and digital to accurately measure total performance. Analyzing only one channel would miss nearly half the picture.

5. Deep-Dive Business Analysis

This section provides actionable insights based on profiling results.

5.1 Non-Selling SKUs Analysis

We identified 9 items in the catalog for which no sales transactions exist:

Item NameStatusUPCObsolete DateObservations
LMNT ZS 4 GRF S 16OZDELETE810183490382025-05-13Grapefruit 4-pack can deleted May 2025
LMNT ZS ORNG ST 6CTDELETE810183490272025-05-13Orange stick 6-pack deleted May 2025
LMNT ZS RASBY ST 6CTDELETE810183490282025-05-13Raspberry stick 6-pack deleted May 2025
LMNT ZS 1 CTR S 16OZDELETE850055993102025-05-13Citrus single can deleted May 2025
LMNT ZS 4 BC LM 16OZDELETE810183490352025-05-13Black cherry lime 4-pack deleted May 2025
LMNT ZS 4 CTR S 16OZDELETE810183490362025-05-13Citrus 4-pack can deleted May 2025
LMNT ZS 4 WTR S 16OZACTIVE810183490372500-01-01Watermelon 4-pack — ONLY ACTIVE NON-SELLER
LMNT ZS CTRS ST 6CTDELETE810183490252025-05-13Citrus stick 6-pack deleted May 2025
LMNT ZS GRPFT ST 6CTDELETE810183490292025-05-13Grapefruit stick 6-pack deleted May 2025

Key Observations

  1. 8 of 9 were deleted in May 2025 – These appear to be a product rationalization or test that didn’t perform.

  2. 1 ACTIVE item with zero sales – LMNT ZS 4 WTR S 16OZ (Watermelon 4-pack) is still marked ACTIVE but has never sold. This could mean:

    • Item was just added to the catalog (late 2024) but not yet distributed
    • Test SKU waiting for launch
    • Data lag or missing transactions

  3. Mix of sticks and cans – Both format types appear in non-sellers, suggesting the issue isn’t format-specific.

Action Items:

  • Confirm with merchandising: Is Watermelon 4-pack (674256756) planned for launch?
  • If not, mark as DELETE to clean up reporting
  • Remove deleted SKUs from future catalog loads to reduce noise in analytics

5.2 Example State-Level Sales Performance

Revenue & Units by Month (Last 3 Months, Pivoted):

  • m0 = current month-to-date (December 2025, partial)
  • m1 = last full month (November 2025)
  • m2 = month before last (October 2025)
STATE_NAMEREVENUE_M0UNITS_M0REVENUE_M1UNITS_M1REVENUE_M2UNITS_M2
TEXAS$108,49314,067$382,85350,627$469,63061,645
FLORIDA$68,6297,697$225,42725,365$260,48229,189
CALIFORNIA$43,0554,832$138,69715,272$158,65217,222
NORTH CAROLINA$35,0463,946$117,24613,084$134,97115,133
GEORGIA$34,0313,810$114,70212,860$131,35514,701
OKLAHOMA$33,6723,759$116,98713,069$144,29316,223
TENNESSEE$33,0903,697$112,59712,564$130,90614,657
MISSOURI$30,7243,428$106,46911,911$122,69813,805
ARIZONA$30,6883,447$106,58711,914$121,37813,650
ARKANSAS$30,3463,384$103,03811,496$125,22914,004
(remaining 40 states omitted for brevity)………………

Top 10 States Account for $1.9M / Month

From the data above (using m1/November as baseline):

  • Top 5 states: TX, FL, CA, NC, GA → $1.13M (46% of November total)
  • Top 10 states: + OK, TN, MO, AZ, AR → $1.87M (76% of November total)

Geographic Insights

  • State Concentration

    • Top 5 states (TX, FL, CA, NC, GA) account for nearly half of total Walmart revenue
    • Smaller states show consistent but low velocity, suggesting distribution exists but velocity per store is low

  • Under-Penetrated Opportunity States
    States with decent size but lower relative revenue:

    • New York: $60K/month (population rank #4 nationally)
    • Washington: $65K/month (population rank #13)
    • Massachusetts: $31K/month (population rank #16)
    • New Jersey: $27K/month (population rank #11)

    These states may have:

    • Lower Walmart density (stronger regional competitors like Wegmans, H-E-B)
    • Demographic mismatch with LMNT’s target customer
    • Distribution gaps (not in enough stores yet)

5.3 Comparative Analysis: Walmart vs. Target

We also profiled Target’s data (separate data source). Here’s how Walmart compares:

Target Monthly Sales (2025)

MonthRevenueUnits
Oct 2025$4.58M397K
Nov 2025$4.07M355K
Dec 2025 (MTD)$1.16M101K

Walmart Monthly Sales (Est. from 9-month total)

MetricWalmartTarget
Avg Monthly Revenue~$6.2M~$4.3M
Avg Monthly Units~650K~380K

Key Takeaway: Walmart is outperforming Target by approximately 45% in revenue and 70% in unit volume.

Why the Difference?

  • Store count: Walmart has more stores where LMNT is distributed
  • Customer base: Walmart’s broader demographic may align better with LMNT
  • Digital mix: Walmart’s 47% digital vs. Target’s 20% digital (approximate)

Target Channel Split

October 2025:

  • Store (STR): $3.67M | 323K units (~80% of revenue)
  • Online / Fulfilled (FF): $0.88M | 72K units (~19%)
  • FC: ~$28K | ~2K units (<1%)

November 2025:

  • Store (STR): $3.27M | 291K units (~80%)
  • FF: $0.77M | 61K units (~19%)
  • FC: ~$28K | ~2K units (<1%)

Observation: Target’s digital mix (~20%) is less than half of Walmart’s (~47%). This suggests:

  • Walmart+ is driving more digital adoption
  • LMNT may benefit from Walmart’s stronger e-commerce platform
  • Target customers prefer in-store discovery

6. Recommendations & Next Steps

6.1 Immediate Actions (This Week)

1. Clarify Emerson Relationship

Owner: Phil / LMNT Leadership
Action: Confirm future state of Emerson data access

  • Will Snowflake share continue?
  • Do we need to prepare for alternative ingestion?

Why it matters: Losing access mid-project would derail analytics roadmap.

2. Export Historical Data as Backup

Owner: Brainforge Data Team
Action: Export all 9 months of Walmart data to LMNT-owned storage (S3/Snowflake)

Why it matters: Even if Emerson continues sharing, we should own our historical data.

3. Clean Up Non-Selling SKUs

Owner: LMNT Merchandising + Brainforge
Action:

  • Confirm Watermelon 4-pack (674256756) launch plan
  • Remove DELETE-status SKUs from future reporting models

Why it matters: Reduces noise in dashboards and prevents confusion about assortment.

6.2 Short-Term Initiatives (Next 2 Weeks)

4. Build Store-Level Performance Dashboard

Owner: Brainforge Data Team
Deliverables:

  • State-level revenue trends (m/m, YoY)
  • Top 100 stores by revenue
  • Distribution void analysis (stores with product but zero sales)

Why it matters: Enables merchandising and sales teams to identify underperforming markets.

5. Analyze Expansion Opportunity

Owner: Brainforge + LMNT Merchandising
Action:

  • Profile the 1,600 stores where LMNT is not present
  • Use WALMART_STORETRAIT to segment by format, region, demographics
  • Identify top 200 “best fit” stores for expansion

Why it matters: Provides a data-driven roadmap for growing Walmart distribution from 74% to 85%+.

6. Digital vs. In-Store Attribution Analysis

Owner: Brainforge Data Team
Action:

  • Break down OMNISALES by service channel (5 channels identified)
  • Identify which digital channels drive most revenue
  • Analyze customer behavior (first purchase in-store, reorder online?)

Why it matters: LMNT’s 47% digital mix is exceptional—understanding what’s driving it can inform strategy at other retailers.

6.3 Medium-Term Initiatives (Next 30 Days)

7. Compare Walmart vs. Target Performance

Owner: Brainforge Data Team
Deliverables:

  • Unified dashboard showing both retailers side-by-side
  • SKU-level comparison (which products sell better where?)
  • Channel mix comparison (digital vs. in-store)

Why it matters: Informs which retailer to prioritize for future launches and promotional investment.

8. State-Level Velocity Analysis

Owner: Brainforge Data Team
Action:

  • Calculate revenue per store by state
  • Identify “high velocity” states (e.g., Texas) vs. “low velocity” states (e.g., New York)
  • Recommend either:
    • Marketing investment (to boost velocity in existing stores)
    • Distribution expansion (to add more stores in high-velocity states)

Why it matters: Provides clear priorities for growth strategy.

6.4 Data Quality & Governance

9. Define Data Refresh Cadence

Owner: Brainforge + Emerson
Action:

  • Document how often Emerson updates the Snowflake share
  • Set expectations for data freshness (daily, weekly?)
  • Create alerting for data delays

Why it matters: Stakeholders need to know when data is “current” vs. “stale.”

7. Appendix: Technical Details

7.1 Snowflake Private Share Details

  • Share Name: LMNT_425 (Emerson-provided schema)
  • Access Method: Snowflake Private Share (zero-ETL)
  • Refresh Cadence: TBD (needs confirmation with Emerson)
  • Data Retention: Full history since March 2025 launch

7.2 Table Relationships

WALMART_ITEM_ATTRIBUTES (26 items)
    └─> WALMART_STORESALES (4,577 stores, 17 items)
    └─> WALMART_OMNISALES (8,251 daily records, 17 items)
    └─> WALMART_STOREITEM (5.5M store-item records)
    └─> WALMART_DCITEMS (219K DC-item records)

WALMART_STOREDIMENSIONS (6,192 stores)
    └─> WALMART_STORETRAIT (31M trait assignments)
    └─> WALMART_STORESALES (join on STORE_NBR)

WALMART_CALENDAR (21K date records)
    └─> WALMART_STORESALES (join on fiscal dates)

7.3 Data Volume Estimates

TableRowsApprox SizeMonthly Growth
WALMART_STORESALES2.3M~500 MB+250K rows/month
WALMART_OMNISALES8K~2 MB+800 rows/month
WALMART_STOREITEM5.5M~1 GBRelatively static
WALMART_STORETRAIT31M~2 GBStatic (reference)
WALMART_STOREDIMENSIONS6K<1 MBStatic (reference)

Total Dataset: ~3.5 GB (including all reference tables)

Graph View