Meijer to Host General Merchandise and Apparel Supplier Event
Michigan-based retailer Meijer is seeking submissions for its latest Supplier Diversity event focused on general merchandise and apparel.
In partnership with RangeMe, Meijer’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. Earlier this year, Meijer hosted its first Sustainability Supplier Summit to find new and eco-friendly items to add to the chain’s inventory.
"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.
Diverse or locally-owned brands with retail-ready products in the general merchandise or apparel categories can apply here by Sunday, Sept. 18. As part of the application process, vendors must submit brief, 3-minutes-or-less videos that provide background on their business and products. An example video can be found here. The videos can be created on smartphones and don't need to be professionally produced but 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
Once applications for the event are submitted, Meijer teams will review and select finalists. Finalists will submit additional details via RangeMe, and attend a training session before pitching their products live to Meijer merchants at a virtual event this fall.
Based in Grand Rapids, Mich., Meijer was founded in 1934 and operates 262 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.