In January of 2013, during the National Retail Federation’s annual conference held in New York, Wal-Mart made a significant and noteworthy announcement. Bill Simon, the former head of Wal-Mart’s U.S. group announced plans to buy an additional $50 billion in U.S. sourced products over the next ten years. 
Since that time, Wal-Mart has continued on a broad strategy to encourage its existing or new suppliers to source more products within the United States. The retailer also broadened its monetary commitment. Such efforts have included hosting open supplier summits where suppliers can learn from one another while pitching new product ideas to Wal-Mart buyers.
Last week, Chain Store Age featured a posting indicating that this global retailer is now in the process of planning for another supplier event to be held in early July. In the report, Cindi Marsiglio, Vice-President of U.S. manufacturing indicated before a meeting of targeted suppliers: “Second to price, customers care where their products come from. Our customers want to buy products closest to their communities.” Categories being singled out include baby and infants, food and consumables as well as pet care.
The Wal-Mart U.S. Manufacturing event is currently planned for July 7-8 in Bentonville Arkansas. Event details are still being worked out with registration expected to be opened in April. More information can be garnered at the following Wal-Mart web link.
Supply Chain Matters continues to applaud Wal-Mart for both its large monetary commitment and far-reaching efforts to promote further sourcing of U.S. manufactured products. We urge current or perspective U.S. suppliers to take advantage of such a program.
We also commend Walmart’s efforts to promote U.S. sourcing of American-made products.
The reshoring efforts by Walmart are good for the U.S. economy, American manufacturing and job creation. Wal-Mart’s 10 year $250 billion initiative to supply it’s customers with more Made-in-USA goods is the biggest opportunity one company has provided to U.S. manufacturing.
We encourage suppliers to visit the Reshoring Initiative website to see if reshoring makes economic sense for them.
The Reshoring Initiative Can Help
In order to help companies decide objectively to reshore manufacturing back to the U.S. or offshore, the not-for-profit Reshoring Initiative’s free Total Cost of Ownership Estimator can help corporations calculate the real P&L impact of reshoring or offshoring. http://www.reshorenow.org/TCO_Estimator.cfm