Meijer will expand its third supplier diversity event to include diverse-owned service providers, as well as retail-ready products for its shelves.
The event, which will take place from March 29 - 31, will give diverse-owned businesses nationwide the opportunity to showcase their offerings for interested Meijer buyers and procurement teams. Certified minority-, LGBTQ-, woman-, veteran-, and disability-owned businesses with products or services in the listed categories can apply by Monday, February 7 for consideration.
"Our supplier diversity efforts reach beyond just the brands customers see on our shelves," said Peter Whitsett, Meijer executive vice president of merchandising and marketing, in a statement. "We aim to support diverse-owned businesses throughout our stores, from the products we offer to the signage we hang, and the services that keep the stores running. That's why we're excited to include a broad range of business categories in this event."
Diverse-owned brands with merchandise in the following retail categories can apply for the event:
• Beauty and personal care
• Over-the-counter and wellness
• General merchandise
• Grocery
Additionally, the retailer is accepting submissions from diverse-owned business service providers offering the following goods and services:
• Inbound transportation carriers
• Skilled trades for construction and facility maintenance
• All business services (marketing, HR, IT, and financial)
• Supplies, packaging, MRO, and signage
• Environmental, real estate, and new site services
• Store fixtures, manufacturing, and warehousing equipment
Meijer is partnering with ECRM and RangeMe to host the retail products portion of the event through the company's ECRM Connect virtual platform. Suppliers of non-retail goods and services will register through STARS, an application hosted by Viva, another third-party partner.
Once applications for the event are submitted, Meijer teams will review and select the vendors they would like to meet virtually. Suppliers not chosen for the event will still be accessible through the RangeMe or STARS registration tools and may be reviewed by Meijer buyers and business teams again in the future as business needs change.
Related: Albertsons Ramps Up Supplier Diversity Efforts; Diverse-Owned Brands Attract Consumer Interest, Gain Retail Support.