Walmart held its first “Made in the USA” open call on July 8, 2014, at its headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. More than 500 manufacturers came to pitch USA-made products for Walmart stores, Sam’s Club and Walmart.com.
The event
- About half of the suppliers were new to Walmart, said Michelle Gloeckler, executive vice president of consumables and U.S. manufacturing lead for Walmart U.S.
- “We hosted over 800 meetings with suppliers where almost 200 Walmart merchants and buyers listened to product pitches,” Gloeckler said.
- Suppliers also attended sessions on labeling and packaging, product compliance and how to become a Walmart supplier.
The event was part of Walmart’s pledge to spend an additional $250 billion over 10 years on products that support USA manufacturing. The company said it would get there by buying more of the USA-made goods it already carries, adding new USA-made products and supporting the reshoring of items it now buys from abroad.
“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 CEO of Walmart U.S. Walmart said items made, sourced, assembled or grown in the USA already account for about two-thirds of what Walmart U.S. spends on products.
Walmart kept holding the open call in later years and moved it online in 2020 (our coverage).
Source & credit
Source: Plastics Today: “Walmart ups commitment to buy more ‘Made in USA’ with first-ever open call for suppliers”, July 9, 2014.
Additional sources: Progressive Grocer: “Walmart Issues ‘Made in the USA’ Open Call for Suppliers”, July 2014; Sourcing Journal: “Walmart’s ‘Made in the USA’ Open Call Draws More Than 500 Suppliers”, July 2014.