On Thursday, Walmart’s ninth annual Open Call event came to an end, where over 1,100 businesses from across the U.S. pitched their domestically made, grown, or assembled products to Walmart and Sam’s Club merchants.
Over 330 of those pitches ended in a business deal. These new products will be made available on shelves, online at Walmart.com, or on Walmart’s Marketplace. An additional 280 products are still pending, and conversations continue for potential future deals.
“Investing in U.S. manufacturing is not only the right thing to do for the country’s long-term economic health, it's the right thing to do for customers today who are dealing with historic inflation,” said Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Walmart, in a statement. “We’re excited that more and more great products at strong price points are being produced in the U.S. Our $350 billion investment in items made, grown, or assembled in the U.S. helps deliver our customers the goods they need, when they need them, at affordable prices.”
In addition to one-on-one pitch meetings, Walmart executives and merchants spoke directly to food and product makers and brands in small breakout sessions, which allowed suppliers to learn about various topics and resources.
“We’ve met so many amazing small business owners through Open Call over the years, and this year is no exception,” said Scott Gutche, Walmart’s senior director of U.S. manufacturing, in a statement. “From Catrina’s Kitchen Southern Seasoned Flour to EZ-gro’s Spicy Salad Mix, Microgreen Growing Kit, we’re so excited about the new products and people that will be joining the Walmart supplier family.”
Open Call is the company’s largest sourcing event. This year’s finalists represented all 50 states including the District of Columbia. Nearly 60 percent of these business owners identified as diverse-owned businesses.
Related: Panelists: Walmart Endeavors to Lead in Innovation; Walmart Finalists to Pitch at Open Call Event
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