For the first time ever, Walmart is opening its doors to more than 500 manufacturers today at its world headquarters during the company¡¯s ¡°Made in the USA¡± open call. During the event, suppliers will meet with the company¡¯s senior leaders and merchants to pitch their products for stores, clubs and online.

¡°In an unprecedented event, we are opening our doors and making our buyers available to meet with suppliers with one goal in mind: buy more American products,¡± said Bill Simon, president and chief executive officer of Walmart U.S. ¡°When we buy new products, suppliers hire people to make those products. These American jobs build families and communities, and they help our country thrive. That¡¯s really what our domestic manufacturing commitment is all about.¡±

Over 10 years, Walmart will spend an additional $250 billion on products supporting domestic manufacturing and American jobs. Walmart will accomplish this goal by pursuing a multi-pronged approach that includes increasing what it already buys of U.S. manufactured goods, sourcing ¡®new to Walmart¡¯ U.S. manufactured goods, and supporting the re-shoring of manufacturing of the goods it currently buys.

Examples of products being pitched today include:

¡öSleeping Bags
¡öSocks
¡öBed Sheets
¡öShower Curtains
¡öT-shirts
¡öTrash Bags
¡öTV Wall Mounts
¡öCar Adaptors for Electronics
¡öOffice Supplies
¡öPlastic Toys

¡°By hosting the open call, we will be able to discover new products that we didn¡¯t know were out there,¡± added Simon. ¡°We¡¯re excited to find new items that will delight our customers at prices they can afford. This is not a program or a promotion ¨C this is economics. For many products, the math simply works.¡±

The Open Call is about more than just manufacturers pitching products. One of Walmart¡¯s goals for the event is for people to leave better informed than when they arrived. To help achieve this aim, the company¡¯s experts will host a series of educational breakout sessions on key merchandise topics, including:     

¡öLabeling and Packaging
¡öProduct Compliance
¡öSustainability
¡öHow to be a Walmart Supplier
¡öThe Walmart Customer
¡öSupplier Diversity

¡°Increasing Walmart¡¯s purchases that support American jobs makes sense for our customers, our communities and our company,¡± said Michelle Gloeckler, Walmart¡¯s executive vice president of consumables and U.S. manufacturing. ¡°Our customers have told us they want to buy products that support their communities, and with changes in energy and automation processes overseas, it is increasingly cost-effective and efficient to manufacture closest to the point of consumption. We can better respond to trends and customer demand while providing great products at affordable prices.¡±

According to data from Walmart¡¯s suppliers, items that are made, sourced, assembled or grown in America already account for about two-thirds of what Walmart U.S. spends to buy products.

By: DocMemory
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