BENTONVILLE, Ark., Oct. 26, 2023 — Walmart has concluded its tenth annual Open Call event, with more than 700 businesses from around the country pitching over 1,000 products made, grown or assembled in the U.S. to Walmart and Sam's Club merchants. At this year's Open Call, more than 180 pitches resulted in “golden tickets” representing deals for suppliers to sell their products on Walmart or Sam’s Club shelves or online at Walmart.com. In addition, more than 470 products are under further consideration for deals in the future.
"Open Call is a key part of Walmart's 10-year, $350 billion investment in items made, grown or assembled in the U.S.," said John Furner, President and CEO, Walmart U.S. "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.”
Open Call 2023 was a special one. As Walmart's tenth Open Call, this year's event marked a decade of opportunities for small and medium businesses to become Walmart suppliers, resulting in job creation and manufacturing growth in communities throughout the U.S. Open Call 2023 also occurred during Manufacturing Month, when America celebrates its manufacturers and manufacturing workforce.
"It was great to see over 700 suppliers from all 50 states in Bentonville this week for our tenth Open Call," said Jason Fremstad, Senior Vice President of Supplier Development, Sourcing at Walmart. "Already, more than two-thirds of Walmart's annual product spend is on goods made, grown or assembled in the U.S. With Open Call, Walmart is taking this investment even further."
When finalists weren't pitching, they attended breakout meetings, including sessions with Walmart executives, to learn about pitching best practices and the resources Walmart offers to business owners. Finalists also got to hear from speakers including Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner, and television host and narrator Mike Rowe.
On the road to Open Call, Walmart embarked on another leg of its "Walmart: Made Local" trailer tour. The tour was a multi-city celebration of Manufacturing Month and the company’s tenth annual Open Call event. On the way to Bentonville, the trailer stopped in Atlanta and Dallas to connect with entrepreneurs and share information on Walmart's commitment. In Atlanta, local media, community members and suppliers joined Walmart's event at the Russell Innovation Center of Entrepreneurship (RICE), where Walmart presented an $800K grant to help RICE continue to support diverse entrepreneurs. In Dallas, the trailer visited the Dallas Small Business Expo, before ending the tour in Bentonville as Open Call began.
You can learn more about Walmart’s commitment to American jobs here.
About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer helping people save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 240 million customers and members visit more than 10,500 stores and numerous eCommerce websites in 19 countries. With fiscal year 2023 revenue of $611 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy, and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart, on X (formerly known as Twitter) at twitter.com/walmart, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/walmart/.
