Walmart Accepting U.S.-Made Product Pitches for 11th Annual Open Call
Walmart is again putting the United States first as it opens the application period for its 11th annual Open Call event. The retailer will accept product pitches for items made, grown or assembled in the U.S. for possible inclusion on its physical or digital shelves, or those of Walmart-owned Sam’s Club, now through July 15.
Open Call 2024 will be held Sept. 25 and 26, with each chosen entrepreneur participating in mentoring sessions with Walmart leaders and listening to presentations from special guests. They will also have a one-on-one pitch meeting with Walmart and/or Sam's Club merchants.
“Open Call offers an extraordinary growth opportunity for small and medium businesses. Entrepreneurs who secure a ‘golden ticket’ — a deal for Walmart to sell their products in stores or online — can gain access to a vast customer base, enabling significant growth,” wrote Jason Fremstad, Walmart’s SVP of supplier development, sourcing, in a company blog post. “After earning golden tickets, Open Call winners often go on to grow their manufacturing footprints and create jobs within their local communities.”
During last year’s Open Call event, Walmart and Sam's Club merchants heard more than 1,000 pitches from more than 700 businesses hailing from all 50 states. Since the program’s inception in 2014, thousands of small and medium-sized businesses have been granted that golden ticket.
Each week, about 240 million customers and members visit Walmart’s approximately 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites in 19 countries. The Bentonville, Ark.-based company employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Progressive Grocer also named Walmart one of its Retailers of the Century.
