Walmart Selects 850 Entrepreneurs to Pitch their U.S. Manufactured Products at First-Ever Virtual Open Call Event
September 04 2020 - 2:40PM
Business Wire
More than 4,800 businesses applied for the
chance to pitch a Walmart Merchant on Oct. 1
The wait is over for entrepreneurs who submitted their
applications for Walmart’s seventh annual Open Call event as
approximately 850 small and medium-sized businesses received their
official invitations to pitch Walmart merchants at Walmart’s annual
merchandising event on Oct. 1.
This year, more than 4,800 businesses representing 49 states,
the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia and
Mozambique applied for the chance to pitch a Walmart merchant, a
44% increase in submissions from last year. The businesses selected
to participate in Open Call will now start preparing for their
30-minute virtual one-one-one pitch meetings and their chance to
realize the American Dream.
"As a female entrepreneur, who has been blending yummy spices
for customers on the internet for years, I am excited to be
selected to participate in Walmart's Open Call," said Sylvia
Kapsandoy, CEO of Amboseli Foods, a specialty food seasoning
manufacturer based in Utah. "This is such an incredible opportunity
to potentially introduce more people to USimplySeason seasonings.
It’s the opportunity I've been dreaming of!"
Participants in this year’s first-ever virtual Open Call event
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 designed to
inform, empower and encourage business owners of all sizes. Many of
the sessions will be open to the general public as the virtual
nature of this year’s event makes the program accessible to more
businesses and convenient for them to participate regardless of
location.
An extra-special surprise
Walmart surprised several dozen unsuspecting applicants with
their Open Call invitations in an extra-special way: Applicants
were invited to join a Zoom meeting for their state on Friday
morning, August 28, where they were told they would receive
“updates and important information” about their Open Call
application.
The unsuspecting business owners joined the Zoom meeting
expecting to hear about next steps in the application process and
were surprised with the news that they had already secured their
spot at this year’s Open Call event instead. The reactions ranged
from stunned to enthusiastic, as the big break these companies have
been looking for was suddenly within reach.
Some of the businesses invited to this year’s Open Call
include:
- Freedom Deodorant, Las Vegas, NV – Sanitizing wipes with
essential oils
- Backyard Brine, Cutchogue, NY – Garlic Dill pickles
- Amboseli Food, LLC, Layton, UT – Tangy Sumac Spice
Seasoning
- Semper Fi Veterans, LLC, Exton, PA – Free Range Duck
Eggs
- Lick You Silly Pet Products, Glen Ridge, NJ – Premium
All-Natural Beef Liver Dog Treats
- Cat in a Box, Ashland, MA – Cat furniture
A commitment to American jobs
In January 2013, Walmart announced its commitment 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.
Join the celebration
Wish these companies and other local entrepreneurs luck on their
journey to Open Call by joining the conversation on social channels
using #WalmartOpenCall.
About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save
money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in retail stores,
online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 265
million customers and members visit approximately 11,500 stores
under 56 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites. With
fiscal year 2020 revenue of $524 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2
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 and on
Twitter at twitter.com/walmart.
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