Meijer to host general merchandise, apparel focused supplier event

Interested vendors must provide video submissions, describing their brand and products, by Sept. 18 to be considered.

8/29/2022

Meijer is continuing its commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion, as well as local industry, with an upcoming vendor recruitment event focused on general merchandise and apparel.

Meijer is seeking submissions from local and diverse-owned businesses for its latest supplier diversity event focusing on general merchandise and apparel. Interested vendors must provide video submissions, describing their brand and products, by Sept. 18 to be considered for the opportunity to pitch to Meijer merchants at a live virtual event this fall.

"While we've made great strides to ensure our vendors represent our customers in terms of both diversity and geography across our stores, we're excited to hold this event that specifically focuses on general merchandise and apparel," said Peter Whitsett, Meijer executive vice president of merchandising and marketing.

The retailer's latest supplier diversity initiative targets certified minority-, LGBTQ+-, woman-, veteran- and disability-owned businesses based anywhere in the country, as well as local Midwest vendors based within Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

Diverse or locally-owned brands with retail-ready products in the general merchandise or apparel categories can apply here. As part of the application process, vendors must submit brief, 3-minutes-or-less videos that provide background on their business and products. The videos can be created on smartphones and don't need to be professionally produced; however, they must include the following information:

Introduction of themselves and their business;
Detailed descriptions of the products they offer;
Background on their production and supply chain;
Recommended retail price; and
Qualified businesses can submit videos by Sunday, Sept. 18 for consideration.

Once applications for the event are submitted, Meijer teams will review and select finalists. Finalists will submit additional details via the retailer's partner, RangeMe, and attend a training session before pitching their products live to Meijer merchants at a virtual event this fall.

While they may not qualify for this event, diverse or local vendors carrying services or products outside of the categories mentioned above are encouraged to submit their information for consideration through the retailer's prospective vendor page. Interested vendors also can learn more about Meijer and its commitment to supplier diversity here.

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