Nate Pingel, B.B.A.’16

Passionate Purchaser

Merchandising Buyer, Pet Supplies, Meijer

Nate Pingel began his career at an early age, working in his mom’s Subway restaurant. He learned the ropes by doing everything from prepping food to making subs to managing inventory. 

This experience gave him a deep passion for the retail environment, as well as a thorough understanding of business, and ultimately led him to his position at Meijer where he currently manages the pet supplies category as the merchandising buyer.

Pingel left the sandwiches behind when he started his journey at Meijer in 2016, working first in the books and movies department where he supported advertising and promotional execution. In the last eight years, he has worked his way through multiple departments, including electronics, school and home office, sporting goods, outdoor cooking and hard home. His passion for his field paid off when he was recognized as a Top 200 Retail Housewares Executive two years in a row, earning the award in 2022 and 2023.

In his current role, Pingel has turned his attention to the animal world, bringing the best experience to pet owners of all species, from dogs and cats, to birds, to fish. His customer-first mentality means that he’s always looking for ways to enhance the customer experience, leading to many positive contributions to the pet department at Meijer.

Favorite WMU Professor: 

“Dr. Frank Gambino. His vision of how to truly integrate industry into the classroom was not only best in class, it led to real-world experience to ensure every student was set up for a successful career after college.”