Walmart and the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) hosted 30 small businesses in Atlanta on June 24, 2025, to pitch USA-made, shelf-ready products to the retailer.
The event
- Atlanta was the last of seven 2025 “Road to Open Call” stops. Others included Kansas City, Baltimore, Austin and Columbus.
- The businesses represented food and beverage, beauty, safety and consumer goods. Many are entrepreneurs RICE supports.
- Applications for Walmart’s main Open Call, set for Oct. 7-8 in Bentonville, Ark., opened the same day. Walmart and Sam’s Club buyers hear pitches there.
- Walmart said it works with more than 1,200 Georgia suppliers and spent more than $26 billion with them last year.
“These events serve as a bridge, helping business owners refine their pitches.”
Mark Espinoza, Walmart senior director of public affairs
Why it matters for Made in USA
Open Call is one of the few direct paths for a small USA manufacturer into a national retailer. Walmart has run it since 2014 and says thousands of businesses have become suppliers through it.
FAQ
What is Walmart Open Call?
An annual event, run since 2014, where USA entrepreneurs pitch products to Walmart and Sam’s Club buyers.
When was the 2025 Open Call?
October 7-8, 2025, in Bentonville, Arkansas.
What was the Atlanta event?
The last of seven Road to Open Call stops, held June 24, 2025, at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs.
Source & credit
Source: On Common Ground News, June 24, 2025: “30 small businesses pitch their ‘Made-in-USA’ products to Walmart at Atlanta event”