Canadian entrepreneurs pitch for a spot on Walmart Canada’s shelves
At its headquarters in Mississauga, Ont. on Wednesday, Walmart Canada hosted its first-ever Growth Summit—a day-long pitch event filled with tears, cheers and plenty of cowbell.
Selected from a group of more than 500 online entries, 120 Canadian businesses across several different categories were invited to pitch their products directly to Walmart Canada merchants for their chance at a “golden ticket.”
Companies that received a ticket will have their products listed with the big-box retailer. If they are not selected for in-store placement, they will have the opportunity to join Walmart Canada’s online marketplace.
(For participants of the inaugural summit, Walmart Canada said it was waiving the referral fee, which is a percentage of the sale price on each item sold through Walmart.ca.)
Several pitches took place simultaneously behind closed doors. Those who emerged with a golden ticket (some in happy tears, others in amused disbelief) were met with cheers from Walmart employees, confetti and cowbell ringing. (The event follows similar initiatives in other Walmart markets, including the United States, Chile, India, Mexico and Africa.)
One of the day’s big winners was Aaron Johnstone, co-founder and CEO of Peacasa, a London, Ont.-based brand of chickpea-based chips. Inspired by the Mediterranean snack "Socca," these high-protein chips are crafted with high-quality ingredients and contain five to eight grams of plant protein per serving. They’re available in Sea Salt, Honey Dijon, and Salt & Vinegar.
“This is the perfect next step for our mission to make healthier snacks more accessible to people in Canada,” he told Canadian Grocer, moments after he had been handed a golden ticket. “It sucks when you want to eat healthier and maybe it’s too expensive, so you really see Walmart as being a partner to help us take that next step towards our mission … the affordable price structure they offer is going to be great to offer healthier snacks to more people.”
To kick off Summit, which also included keynote presentations, interviews with a couple of the retailer’s current suppliers and a surprise visit from Ontario Premiere Doug Ford, Walmart Canada’s chief merchandising officer Sam Wankowski offered words of encouragement to the participants.
“Each and every one of you should be enormously proud of yourselves. You’ve been hand-picked from 500 companies across Canada because your products and your offerings are unique,” said Wankowski. “But products aren’t the only thing that got you here. You’re here because you share Walmart’s entrepreneurial spirit. You’re a Canadian business, with a unique story. You’re striving for excellence, you have high expectations and you see opportunity.”
During his part of the morning presentation, Walmart Canada’s chief growth officer Joseph Godsey introduced two key customer profiles: Grace and Celeste.
Grace represents the “customer,” who values quality and convenience. A busy mom, she’s willing to pay a bit more for better products and relies on online shopping and delivery to save time.
Celeste, on the other hand, is budget-conscious and seeks the best value in-store. She prioritizes price, assortment, and a quick, convenient shopping experience.
“As an omnichannel retailer, our goal is to help them find what they need, when they need it—no matter how they choose to shop with us,” said Godsey, explaining how the retailer’s recent investments in its online platforms and supply chain will help get the participants’ products to Walmart customers.
Wankowski wrapped up the morning presentations with three pieces of advice for the participants:
1. Always start with the customer.
2. Focus on delivering value.
3. Stay open minded and curious.
“We can’t wait to write this next chapter together because we believe in you … I can’t wait to see your success with Walmart Canada,” he said.
