Harvest Group is proud to announce the acquisition of Next Step Club Solutions, a boutique brokerage firm specializing in Costco and the club channel. This strategic move strengthens Harvest Group’s national footprint, deepens long-standing relationships with Costco buyers, and enhances our ability to support clients navigating the unique club retail environment.
Why Next Step?
Founded in 2019 by Steve Freeman, Next Step is a Costco-focused sales and solutions agency that has carved out a niche as a high-touch, results-driven “concierge broker,” expertly guiding brands through initial product concepts to national Costco rollouts. Steve brings 30 years of Costco-specific experience, including key roles at Resource Marketing and Advantage Solutions, making him one of the industry’s most seasoned Costco experts.
The team at Next Step has led major brand wins, including working with their client partners on the development of Kirkland Signature items. They’ve helped turn regional tests into multimillion-dollar programs and secured “first call” status with buyers across a wide range of Costco departments.
“Steve and his team at Next Step have built something special. They hold strong, long-standing relationships with Costco buyers nationwide and understand the nuance of operating within a club retail environment. This acquisition gives us stronger coverage across all Costco regions and brings expertise in taking brands from initial launches to national programs.”
What This Means for Clients
Through this acquisition, Harvest Group clients will benefit from:
- Expanded Coverage: Increased regional presence, improving access to Costco and leverage when advocating for client items.
- Enhanced Costco Expertise: A leadership team with deep experience across multiple Costco departments and categories.
- Scalable Growth Positioning: Deep experience helping clients grow from regional rotation to national distribution.
- Integrated Strategy: Opportunities to further integrate Costco into their total commerce strategy, ensuring consistent messaging, execution and performance across their business.
“Harvest Group’s reputation for delivering outstanding results for its clients and customers made it an easy decision to join forces with them. Their values, culture and commitment to Costco closely align with our core principles. With Next Step’s experience and Harvest’s tremendous capabilities, we will now be able to expand our service to our existing client partners while positioning ourselves for growth with new products, new clients and innovation.”
Ready to Grow at Costco?
As an integrated commerce agency serving brands across all major retailers, Harvest Group seamlessly aligns Costco strategy with broader retail efforts – bridging the gap for brands across in-store, digital commerce, retail media, and social platforms.
Whether you’re launching at Costco, scaling from regional to national distribution, or looking to connect your club strategy with broader commerce initiatives, our team is ready to help.
Reach out to our team at hello@harvestgroup.com or fill out our Contact Us form.
