Walmart is inviting about 850 U.S. entrepreneurs to virtually pitch their products in its seventh annual Open Call competition.
Open Call invites entrepreneurs with U.S.-manufactured products to apply for the opportunity to virtually meet with Walmart buyers on Oct. 1, 2020. The event, being held virtually for the first time this year due to COVID-19, kicks off Walmart’s celebration of U.S. Manufacturing Month.
This year, more than 4,800 businesses representing 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia, and Mozambique applied to Open Call, a 44% increase in submissions from 2019. The businesses selected to participate in Open Call will now start preparing for their 30-minute virtual one-one-one pitch meetings.
Participants in Open Call could secure deals ranging from a handful of local stores to supplying hundreds of stores and Sam’s Clubs as well as Walmart.com and Walmart Marketplace. In addition to the pitch meetings, the one-day program includes a series of breakout sessions, many of which will be open to the general public.
Some of the businesses invited to this year’s Open Call include:
• Freedom Deodorant, Las Vegas – Sanitizing wipes with essential oils
• Backyard Brine, Cutchogue, N.Y. – Garlic Dill pickles
• Amboseli Food, LLC, Layton, Utah – Tangy Sumac Spice Seasoning
• Semper Fi Veterans, LLC, Exton, Penn. – Free Range Duck Eggs
• Lick You Silly Pet Products, Glen Ridge, N.J. – Premium All-Natural Beef Liver Dog Treats
• Cat in a Box, Ashland, Mass. – Cat furniture
In January 2013, Walmart committed to help boost job creation and U.S. manufacturing through buying an additional $250 billion in products supporting American jobs by 2023. Walmart’s Open Call is one way in which the company continues to invest in this commitment.