If you’ve ever dreamed of potentially reaching thousands of customers with your American products, now is the time to act: Walmart is accepting applications for its 6th annual Open Call, scheduled for June 18th-19th at the company’s Home Office campus in Bentonville, Ark. Apply today by visiting Walmart-jump.com for the opportunity to secure a face-to-face pitch meeting with a Walmart buyer. The application deadline is April 30.
“I was hoping to leave with an opportunity to partner with Walmart, but to my absolute surprise, we landed a deal that day for 2,500 stores to carry six flavors of our Hummus Dressings,” said Jesse Wolfe, founder, and CEO of Orlando-based O’Dang Hummus, who attended Open Call in 2017. “That day changed my life forever. Walmart Open Call was one of the most pinnacle moments in my business and personal life and set our business on fire. We have grown to become one of the fastest growing salad dressing food brands in the country thanks to Walmart giving us a chance, and I personally am so thankful for my Walmart team who helped us every step along the way. I would absolutely encourage any small business owner to apply and take part in this year’s Open Call.”
This year’s Open Call attendees could secure deals ranging from a handful of stores in local markets to supplying hundreds, even thousands of stores, Sam’s Clubs and Walmart.com. The two-day event informs, empowers and encourages attendees while providing effective networking opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
“Our customers tell us that products made, sourced or grown in the U.S. are important to them and we work year-round to identify local suppliers and source products that our customers are proud to buy,” said Cindi Marsiglio, Walmart’s vice president of Merchandise Services and U.S. Manufacturing. “Walmart’s Annual Open Call gives us a unique opportunity to meet entrepreneurs from across the country and discover new, niche and innovative products that fill a need for our customers and support jobs right here in America.”
During the 2018 Walmart Open Call, nearly 600 meetings were held with product pitches including toys, apparel, natural health and beauty aids, and food. Prospective suppliers traveled from 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. More than half of the attending businesses self-identified as diverse, including nearly 25 percent identifying as women-owned.
In January 2013, Walmart announced its commitment to help boost job creation and U.S. manufacturing through buying an additional $250 billion in products supporting American jobs by 2023. Walmart’s Open Call is one way in which the company continues to invest in this commitment. Last year, Walmart spent $8 billion with Florida suppliers, supporting more than 116,000 local jobs.
Apply for Open Call today and join the conversation on your social channels by using #WalmartOpenCall
About Walmart in Florida
Walmart helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online and through their mobile devices. In Florida, we serve customers at 386 retail units and online through Walmart Online Grocery, https://www.walmart.com/ and our family of brands. We are proud to employ 105,888 associates in Florida. Walmart supports local businesses, spending $8 billion with Florida suppliers in FYE 2019 and supporting 116,428 Florida supplier jobs. Walmart continues to be a leader in employment opportunity, sustainability, and corporate philanthropy. In FYE 2018, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation contributed more than $81.9 million in cash and in-kind donations to local nonprofits in Florida, and our Florida associates volunteered more than 53,900 hours with local causes. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting our corporate website and our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter channels.
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