Meijer is relaunching its Lift Local Supplier Event by giving local businesses found in states with Meijer stores the opportunity to showcase their offerings to Meijer buyers and procurement teams virtually.
"Our partnerships with vendors in our footprint allow us to directly impact our local economies," said Peter Whitsett, Meijer executive vice president of merchandising and marketing, in a statement. "By featuring local products, we're able to support small businesses while providing our customers with a greater sense of community, offering items that resonate with their values and culture. This event helps us find those unique products and continue sourcing locally."
The virtual event will run between July 19-21 and will include grocery, baby, beauty, and personal care, and over-the-counter and wellness categories. Businesses located in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Wisconsin are encouraged to apply.
"After a successful first event, we're excited to further grow our community of local business vendors," said Jamie Akemann, group vice president of global sourcing, indirect procurement, supplier diversity, and product quality at Meijer, in a statement. "This isn't just an opportunity for fully-developed brands, but a chance for us to build relationships with small, local businesses and invest in their long-term success."
This event comes in the wake of Meijer's third Supplier Diversity event in March, where the procurement team met with over 200 minority-, LGBTQIA+, woman-, veteran-, and disability-owned businesses.
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