Title: Sam’s Club and Walmart Call for Puerto Rican Suppliers to Participate in Open Call PR 2023
Subtitle: Local entrepreneurs to gain opportunity to showcase their products to store buyers
Date: [Insert Date]
Sam’s Club and Walmart, the American chain of wholesale stores, have announced the launch of Open Call PR 2023, inviting local suppliers in Puerto Rico to present their manufactured, processed, distributed, or harvested products to store buyers. This initiative aims to increase Walmart Puerto Rico’s investment in local products, supporting the growth of local entrepreneurs and contributing to the country’s economic development.
Interested suppliers can register for Open Call PR 2023 by visiting the website walmartpr.com/opencall. The website provides event details for the sixth consecutive year of the initiative, with the registration deadline set for September 30, 2023.
Viviana Mercado, Senior Manager of Corporate Affairs at Walmart Puerto Rico, confirmed that the sixth edition of Open Call PR will take place in person on November 1, 2023 at the company’s headquarters in Carolina. Entrepreneurs aspiring to become suppliers will have the opportunity to hold individual meetings with chain buyers to present their products.
Mercado emphasized, “We invite all local product companies that want to join our large network of suppliers to register for the event. As more than 300 suppliers did in past editions, they can establish or expand business relationships with Walmart and Sam’s Club and even have the opportunity to export part of their production to stores of the chain in the United States.”
Jenniffer Garland, senior director of Walmart Puerto Rico, highlighted their focus on acquiring more local products, stating, “Aware that the growth of local businesses has a multiplier effect on the economic development of Puerto Rico, at Walmart we continue to focus on acquiring more local products and actively promote them in our stores through various strategies, such as the ‘Made here, for you’ seal, so that consumers can identify them and take them home.”
Garland added that all suppliers will be provided with training and guidance to ensure their offers are attractive and aligned with the requirements of the chain.
Through previous editions of the Open Call PR program, Walmart Puerto Rico has exceeded its initial goal of increasing the purchase of merchandise from Puerto Rican companies. The company aims to substitute 5% of imports with local merchandise annually, further expanding its investment in locally-produced products.
Mercado expressed confidence in the success of Open Call PR 2023, stating, “We feel very enthusiastic and confident that we will be able to continue receiving new, high-quality local products on our shelves that replace imported merchandise. Our commitment of more than three decades to contribute to improving the quality of life of the communities on the Island remains unwavering.”
The Open Call PR initiative allows Walmart Puerto Rico to work closely with local suppliers, stimulating commercial activity and job creation to significantly contribute to the island’s economic development. By supporting local entrepreneurs, the company aims to help Puerto Rican families save more and live better.
For more information regarding Open Call PR 2023, interested individuals can access walmartpr.com/opencall.