Walmart is ramping up its support for small businesses through a series of in-person events this May, as part of its wider ‘Grow with US’ initiative.
These pop-up sessions, scheduled ahead of the company’s flagship Open Call event in Bentonville, Arkansas, will offer entrepreneurs face time with Walmart buyers, feedback on their product ideas, and a chance to earn a spot at the October Open Call.
More than 60% of Walmart’s US suppliers are small businesses, and the company is aiming to deepen that relationship through development programmes at home and abroad. Its global efforts include Crece con Walmart in Mexico and Vriddhi in India, all designed to foster small business growth within local economies.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities,” said John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart US, in a blog post.
He praised the resilience and success stories of businesses that have partnered with Walmart, adding: “We’re excited to continue providing support and championing their achievements every step of the way.”
These initiatives are taking place against a challenging backdrop. With the possibility of renewed US-China trade tensions under a future Trump administration, small businesses are particularly vulnerable.
Unlike a retail giant like Walmart, they lack the leverage to negotiate better supplier terms or absorb rising production costs, noted Greg Stoller, a master lecturer at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business.
Some small business owners aren’t waiting for political tides to shift. In a move to protect themselves from the financial burden of tariffs, several firms recently filed a legal challenge in the US Court of International Trade, contesting the current trade policies.
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