Meijer will host its first virtual Localization Summit on April 1, giving Midwest businesses an opportunity to showcase their offerings to the retailer’s merchants. The event will focus on the following categories: grocery, including fresh, deli, and bakery; baby; beauty and personal care; and over-the-counter and wellness.
"We are proud to be a Midwestern retailer and want to carry products that highlight our communities," said Peter Whitsett, Meijer executive vice president of merchandising and marketing, in a statement. "Each Meijer store should represent its customers and the community that makes those customers unique. This event gives us the chance to source products from our customers' hometowns, which makes their shopping experience even more meaningful."
This comes after Meijer’s successful Supplier Diversity Summit in November, during which Meijer merchants met with nearly 250 suppliers to diversify their vendor base and better serve customers.
"Many small, local businesses offer great products but can be hesitant to approach a major retailer because they are not necessarily ready to distribute to hundreds of stores," said Jamie Akemann, group vice president of global sourcing, indirect procurement, supplier diversity, and product quality at Meijer, in a statement. "This is the perfect opportunity for those businesses. The point of this summit is to bring in local businesses and accommodate what they can do now, while also building a partnership to help them grow in the future."
Businesses that manufacture or grow retail-ready products in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan or Wisconsin can apply by Friday, Feb. 19. Once applications for the event are submitted, Meijer teams will review and select the vendors they would like to meet at the virtual summit.
Related: Meijer Surprises Customers With Free Groceries; Meijer Opens Neighborhood Market.