Walmart Awarded Golden Tickets to Suppliers at Open Call
Walmart hosted 125 prospective U.S. suppliers at Sam Walton Hall to pitch products for retail placement.
Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Manufacturing
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Walmart brought 125 companies to Bentonville for its annual Open Call event, resulting in 34 businesses receiving golden tickets for product placement. The event featured 160 meetings between prospective suppliers and buyers from Walmart and Sam's Club.
Why it matters
The event serves as a central pillar in Walmart's commitment to source more U.S.-made goods. By integrating domestic manufacturers into its supply chain, the company aims to sustain its domestic manufacturing footprint.
Walmart has invested $259 billion toward U.S. product manufacturing through the end of last year, supporting an estimated 750,000 domestic jobs. Two-thirds of all items sold at Walmart are currently made, grown, or assembled in the United States.
The players
Walmart
This multinational retail corporation operates a chain of hypermarkets and grocery stores across the United States.
Sam's Club
This membership-only retail warehouse club is an American chain owned and operated by Walmart.
Ben Moore
He is the founder of Ugly Fruit and a former participant who returned to the event as a mentor.
The details
Companies from 35 states and Puerto Rico participated in the pitch process at Sam Walton Hall. Applicants prepared for the event by participating in earlier regional sessions and a formal application screening process.
Timeline
2023: Ugly Fruit founder Ben Moore secured a $1.5 million deal.
2025: Ben Moore returned to the Open Call event as a mentor.
October 7, 2026: The Open Call event was held in Bentonville.
Market Landscape
This event follows the pattern set by Walmart's domestic manufacturing investment initiative to increase the supply of U.S.-made goods. The initiative positions the retailer to emphasize local production as a key differentiator against competitors reliant on global supply chains.
Shoppers can expect to see an increasing volume of U.S.-made products on store shelves as the new suppliers secure retail distribution. This shift supports the broader domestic manufacturing ecosystem while providing customers with a wider variety of goods produced within the country.
The takeaway
Supporting local manufacturers allows large retailers to build resilient supply chains while fostering domestic job growth. Suppliers looking to enter major retail markets can utilize these pitch events to gain direct access to corporate buyers.
What happens next
Walmart is expected to release the final tally of products accepted into its retail distribution network in the coming days.
Further reading
Learn more about local industrial developments at Bentonville Manufacturing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Talk Business & Politics.
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