Posted on 04/29/2025 2:04:55 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
❓What Happened: Walmart has announced new programs, including “Grow with US” and the 2025 Open Call, to expand support for American-made products and American small businesses, as President Donald J. Trump pursues a policy of supporting American producers through tariffs on foreign goods.
👥 Who’s Involved: Walmart U.S., led by President and CEO John Furner and CFO John David Rainey, alongside U.S. small businesses and entrepreneurs.
📍 Where & When: Announced on April 29, 2025, with Open Call events starting May 1 in Orlando, Florida, and the main event on October 7-8 in Bentonville, Arkansas.
💬 Key Quote: John Furner stated, “We’ve seen firsthand how investing in small businesses results in better assortment, better meeting the needs of our customer base, and supporting jobs and growth in communities.”
⚠️ Impact: Walmart’s initiatives showcase the success of Trump’s tariffs in encouraging domestic production, fostering job growth and economic resilience.
Walmart is supporting American-made products with the launch of new programs aimed at supporting American small businesses, underscoring the success of President Donald J. Trump’s tariff policies. On April 29, 2025, the retail giant shared its plans to expand initiatives like the “Grow with US” program and the 2025 Open Call, designed to help American entrepreneurs thrive. This strategic shift highlights how Trump’s tariffs are driving companies to prioritize domestic production, protecting both businesses and consumers from global trade disruptions.
The “Grow with US” program offers a four-step framework to provide U.S. small businesses with training, mentorship, and resources to grow alongside Walmart. John Furner, Walmart U.S. president and CEO, emphasized the benefits, stating, “We’ve seen firsthand how investing in small businesses results in better assortment, better meeting the needs of our customer base, and supporting jobs and growth in communities.” Furner also noted that over 60 percent of Walmart’s U.S. suppliers last year were small businesses, with the company anticipating thousands more will utilize its free resources in the coming years.
CFO John David Rainey recently revealed that more than two-thirds of products in Walmart U.S. stores are already domestically sourced, adding, “The third that we import comes from all over the world, but China and Mexico are the most significant.” Trump’s tariffs, including a 10 percent duty on imports and much higher rates on Chinese goods, are likely to incentivize a further shift in favor of American products, bolstering economic independence.
The 2025 Open Call, with applications opening June 24, will allow U.S.-based small and medium-sized businesses to pitch shelf-ready products directly to Walmart and Sam’s Club merchants. The main event, set for October 7-8 in Bentonville, Arkansas, follows several Road to Open Call events during Small Business Month in May, starting with Orlando on May 1, followed by Kansas City on May 9, Baltimore on May 13, and Austin on May 21, with additional events in Columbus on June 18 and Atlanta on June 24. Furner highlighted that participants at these pop-up events could “potentially score a fast pass to our main event in Bentonville,” offering a direct path to getting products on Walmart’s shelves.
Tech companies including Nvidia and IBM have already announced major investments in the U.S. since President Trump implemented his tariff policy, suggesting that, despite market grumblings, his overall strategy is working.
Winning
Great news
back to the future ?
Amazon is next …
I’m looking for a Made in America designation for products.
I don’t care about the cost
I think this is a big play by Walmart to take market share from Amazon who decided it was more important to raise prices and blame tariffs.
bttt
“On July the 4th, 1789 George Washington told the congress it is necessary for us to impose tariffs to protect the manufactories of our colonies. That was the first trade barrier. Now let us dispose for once and for all with the words that have been implanted on our minds, like “isolationist,” and “you are for restricted trade,” and “you are against global trade.”
The United States of America did not grow GREAT on global trade. The United States of America grew GREAT on the hard labor of the people who lived in those days and the wise protection barriers put up by President George Washington. Because immediately after the war the British tried to down the United States through so-called free trade which is nothing but piracy.
Free trade, ladies and gentlemen, is a one way street which allows other countries to dump their products on our markets to the detriment of our own people. That’s what free trade is, it’s strictly a one way street. The trade barriers were increased by Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley and all three presidents paid with their lives for their policy.
Disraeli was particularly incensed with Lincoln. Disraeli was the British Prime Minister at the time and he ordered British MI6 to assassinate Lincoln, which is what they did the same way British MI6 publicly executed President John F. Kennedy at a later time. Our founding fathers and our presidents saw the value of trade barriers. They realized that if we wanted to progress were not to be the dumping ground of the world.”
- Dr. John Coleman, estimated early 1990’s
Long ago, when “cheap” Japanese “transistor radios” suddenly showed up on American retail store shelves. Mine was a basic AM radio sold by Zenith? Think that’s right. In a time, when “the Orient” was of “corporate American” interest.
A few years later, I was invited to the home of a fellow who was the Vice-President of Sales for the Orient, for company _____. He had just returned from his tour of duty in the Orient, that was a precursor for his soon-to-becoming the President of said company. He would talk about some of his experience. While I was as interested in the large, glass enclosed cabinet in which he had placed several jade carvings, plus some emeralds? That entire collection was of gifts given to him, by foreign businesses and governments.
There are executives who think ahead, about, where they may engage production and who, and what, will be “affected”; but there are also executives who will mostly focus only on the “impact” of immediate costs (ie money).
Affected vs. Impacted; the traditionally accurate focus on the future vs. the usage for purposes of keeping up with appearances (”like” > “going forward”).
Seems like it
Sam’s kids were too greedy to stick with his pro-America policy.
In 1985 I heard a commencement speech, the gist of which was that people should shop at Wal-Mart because they avoided importing stuff from China. (I was a faculty member on a one-year appointment replacing someone on sabbatical—one of my colleagues called it the worst commencement speech he had ever heard.) If it was true then, it did not remain true for long.
Bezos already backed off displaying a “ tariff cost” line on his invoices, after a call from Trump
Sam’s kids were too greedy to stick with his pro-America policy.
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Sam’s kids are no match for Trump.
Back in the day Walmart proudly supported American products.
I remember Sam Walton and his “Proudly Made in the U.S.A.” banners all over the store.
I’m old enough to remember way back to last week (ie I wasn’t born yesterday) when Walmart, Target, and Amazon were wailing and gnashing teeth the tarrifs would be the next of the world.
Trump, or someone in Trump world must’ve told them to get bent, and now Walmart came out with this little PR campaign.
Always disappointing to me when people achieve success via American capitalism such as Pioneer Woman with her Walmart deal and have their merchandise made in China. You can’t use your success to lift American businesses? Same with Chip and Joanna Gaines with their Magnolia line at Target.
Sounds good!
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