Walmart seeks homegrown products with first-ever Canada Growth Summit
Walmart Canada is set to host its first-ever Canada Growth Summit this summer.
On July 9, Canadian suppliers and entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch their products directly to Walmart Canada’s merchants and be listed with the retailer.
The event follows those in other Walmart markets including the United States, Chile, India, Mexico and Africa.
Applications are open now and close May 9.
"Since 1994, Walmart Canada has been proud to work with Canadian suppliers across the country, buying billions of dollars' worth of Canadian-made products," said Venessa Yates, president and CEO, Walmart Canada, in a press release. "Our first Canada Growth Summit comes on the heels of announcing our historic $6.5 billion investment and will help to set the stage for our continued growth in Canada. More importantly, it reinforces our longstanding focus on partnering with Canadian suppliers and developing deep relationships with them as we work to better serve our customers."
The summit will take place at Walmart Canada's Store Support Centre (head office) in Mississauga, Ont.
Selected suppliers will be invited to pitch their product to their potential merchant partner at the event, which will also include: keynote presentations hosted by the Walmart Canada leadership team, educational supplier development sessions and networking opportunities and support to list products on Walmart Canada's online Marketplace.
"Being listed at Walmart can be transformational for businesses and entrepreneurs. Through our first Canada Growth Summit, we're honoured to be giving Canadian suppliers a platform and opportunity for scale as they pitch their products directly to our merchants," added Sam Wankowski, chief merchandising officer for Walmart Canada. "We're looking forward to discovering even more homegrown talent and to bring the best of these products to our shelves and online for our customers to enjoy at every day low prices."
The announcement comes as many Canadians continue to boycott American products at the grocery store in response to U.S. tariffs.
