Walmart Hosts 13th Annual Open Call in Bentonville

The retailer selected 54 entrepreneurs to sell products at Walmart or Sam's Club locations.

Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Local Shops

Bold vector editorial illustration of a cardboard shipping box and artisan tools, representing small businesses gaining retail distribution. — Walmart selected 54 small business owners for retail distribution following its 13th annual Open Call sourcing event in Bentonville, Arkansas. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you prefer that retailers prioritize stocking products made in the United States?

Walmart brought nearly 150 entrepreneurs to Bentonville for its 13th annual Open Call sourcing event. During the sessions, 54 participants earned Golden Tickets to have their products featured on store shelves and online platforms.

Why it matters

The event supports American manufacturing by providing a direct pipeline for small businesses to reach a massive retail audience. It helps Walmart maintain its commitment to sourcing goods made, grown, or assembled within the United States.

The 150 attending entrepreneurs represented 35 states and Puerto Rico across categories like food, home, and pets. Currently, two-thirds of Walmart's annual product spend is on goods made, grown, or assembled in the United States.

The players

Walmart

This multinational retail corporation operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores.

Sam's Club

This American chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs is owned and operated by Walmart.

Sam Walton

He was the American businessman who founded the Walmart and Sam's Club retail chains.

The details

Entrepreneurs pitched products directly to merchants and attended breakout sessions with mentors to discuss business scaling. The items selected for future retail distribution span sectors including personal care, baby products, and sporting goods.

October 15, 2026: Walmart held the 13th annual Open Call event in Bentonville.
1985: Sam Walton launched the Buy American initiative.
Fiscal 2026: Two-thirds of Walmart's product spend was on U.S.-made goods.

Culture Shift

This event reflects a sustained shift toward domestic sourcing in the retail industry, building upon the framework of the Buy American initiative. By providing direct access to shelf space, the retailer is actively shortening the supply chain to prioritize local production over traditional global manufacturing models.

Shoppers in Bentonville and nationwide can expect to see new, locally sourced products from these 54 entrepreneurs hitting store shelves soon. This initiative may introduce unique food, beverage, and household items that were not previously available in local markets.

The takeaway

Supporting domestic small businesses allows for a more diverse selection of goods and helps keep production within the United States. Consumers interested in unique, locally produced items should keep an eye on new inventory labels at their local retailers.