Walmart seeks small business pitches for shelf-ready products

Walmart is looking for new and unique product pitches from small business owners and entrepreneurs across the U.S.

As part of the Bentonville, Ark.-based company’s annual Open Call event , the retail giant will give winners a chance to reach millions of consumers through product placement on shelves at Walmart or Sam’s Club.

Applications can be submitted until July 15. If selected to pitch at corporate headquarters in September, finalists will receive notification the following month.

In addition to a one-on-one meeting with merchants from Walmart and Sam’s Club, selected Open Call entrepreneurs will receive mentoring from company leaders and gain business insights from special guests.

Business owners can also secure a "golden ticket" a deal for Walmart to sell their products in stores or online. The opportunity offers access to a vast customer base, enabling growth. After earning golden tickets, Open Call winners often go on to grow their manufacturing footprints and create jobs within their local communities, according to Walmart.

Made in the USA

Launched in 2014, the initiative is central to Walmart’s $350 billion commitment to bolster U.S. manufacturing by sourcing shelf-ready products made, grown or assembled domestically.According to the company, more than two-thirds of its annual product spend goes toward goods made, grown or assembled in the U.S.

Thanks in part to Open Call, Walmart continues to make progress toward sourcing even more of these products. Over the years, the program has provided thousands of small and medium-sized businesses with the chance to become Walmart suppliers and reach millions of new customers with their U.S.-made products.

At last year's Open Call, Walmart and Sam's Club merchants heard more than 1,000 pitches from over 700 businesses hailing from all 50 states. More than 180 pitches resulted in 130-plus "golden tickets," representing deals for suppliers to sell their products at Walmart or Sam’s Club locations or online at Walmart.com. In addition, more than 470 products earned further consideration for deals in the future, the company said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqIWY-ORGLA

President and CEO John Furner commented, "Investing in U.S. manufacturing is right for our customers and the country's economy, because it helps deliver our customers the goods they need, when they need them, at affordable prices, while it is expected to support the creation of more than 750,000 jobs.”

Within New Jersey, Walmart has 70 retail stores and 24,980 associates. Its impact on the state’s economy includes spending $15.9 billion with local businesses, supporting more than 107,000 supplier jobs in Fiscal Year 2024.

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