Event is marking its 10th anniversary this year

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart on Tuesday began accepting applications for its tenth annual Open Call event, inviting small business owners and entrepreneurs everywhere to apply for the opportunity to pitch their products to be sold on Walmart or Sam’s Club shelves or on Walmart.com. Applications are open until August 18, 2023.

“Open Call is at the heart of Walmart’s 10-year, $350 billion commitment to strengthening U.S. manufacturing by sourcing products that are made, grown or assembled in the U.S., and it was instrumental to Walmart achieving its previous $250 billion commitment,” Jason Fremstad, senior vice resident of Supplier Development, Sourcing wrote in a blog post. “Open Call will take place on October 24 and 25 this year, during Manufacturing Month 2023.

“This year’s application period is a special one as Walmart approaches a decade of providing Open Call opportunities. Open Call began back in 2014, when Walmart first opened its doors to more than 500 businesses with dreams of selling their U.S.-made products to millions of Walmart customers. Since then, Open Call has provided more and more opportunities, with over 1,100 small and medium businesses participating last year — making Open Call 2022 Walmart’s biggest one yet. Today, Open Call is the largest sourcing event for Walmart and Sam’s Club,” he added.

“Open Call presents an incredible opportunity for small and medium businesses to grow their businesses. Entrepreneurs who earn a “golden ticket” — signifying a deal for Walmart to sell their products on its shelves or online — reach new customers, enabling them to grow. Through Open Call, Walmart has helped thousands of small and medium businesses thrive, with many expanding their U.S. manufacturing footprints and creating new manufacturing jobs in the communities they call home.

In fact, over the course of Walmart’s 10-year commitment to U.S. manufacturing, Open Call will have provided over 9,000 opportunities for small and medium businesses to grow with Walmart,” he concluded.