Walmart Supports American-Made Products With New Program
Walmart has unveiled its Grow with US, a new program designed to provide U.S. small businesses with the training, mentorship and resources they need to find success with the retail giant.
Grow with US is a voluntary four-step program that gives small businesses access to the following:
- Step 1: Learn — Walmart’s Supplier Academy offers a free tailored curriculum designed to help small businesses succeed in Walmart’s U.S. stores and online Marketplace. The program consists of 30 e-learning modules across four distinct learning paths: Welcome to Walmart 101, Retail Ready Capabilities, Business Fundamentals and Advanced Learning.
- Step 2: Get Discovered — Businesses can showcase their products through Walmart’s product discovery opportunities, including its annual U.S. Open Call, its RangeMe product discovery tool or Walmart Marketplace.
- Step 3: Mentorship — Select participants are matched with experienced mentors to help navigate the retail landscape.
- Step 4: Financing — Eligible small businesses can apply for financial support through Walmart’s Early Payment Program and Bridge Marketplace.
Grow with US is part of Walmart’s expanding commitment to small-business development around the world, including Crece con Walmart in Mexico and Vriddhi in India.
American small businesses interested in participating in Grow with US can get started by registering with Walmart as a small business by providing a voluntary SBA certification or requesting small-business verification through Walmart.
According to the company, more than 60% of Walmart U.S. suppliers are small businesses.
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In addition to Grow with US, Walmart recently revealed that applications for its annual Open Call event will open June 24. Open Call offers U.S.- based small- and medium-sized businesses the chance to pitch their shelf-ready products — made, grown or assembled in the United States — directly to Walmart and Sam’s Club merchants.
While the event takes place Oct. 7-8, in Bentonville, Ark., aspiring suppliers don’t have to wait to see whether they’ll get an opportunity to pitch their products to Walmart. During the month of May — a.k.a. Small Business Month — Walmart is hitting the road with pop-up pitch events that give entrepreneurs the chance to meet with Walmart buyers, get real-time feedback and potentially get a pass to the main event in Bentonville.
This year’s Road to Open Call events will be held:
- May 1: Orlando, Fla.
- May 9: Kansas City, Mo.
- May 13: Baltimore
- May 21: Austin, Texas
In an exclusive interview with Progressive Grocer, the EVP of the Walmart U.S. food business, John Laney, recently highlighted the company’s unique product discovery ecosystem. “Our merchants are continuously on the lookout for new, innovative items, and we discover them in many ways – from our current suppliers; to our annual Open Call event where suppliers pitch items that are made, grown or assembled in the U.S.; to even social media,” noted Laney. “New items should solve a customer problem or surprise and delight them, and always provide value.”
Each week, approximately 270 million customers and members visit Walmart’s more than 10,750 stores and numerous e-commerce websites in 19 countries. With FY2025 revenue of $681 billion, the company employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named the company one of its Retailers of the Century.
