Walmart debuts ‘Grow with US' program for small businesses

This story was originally published on Retail Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Retail Dive newsletter.
Dive Brief:
Walmart debuted its Grow with US initiative, which provides U.S. small businesses with training, mentorship and resources to grow in collaboration with the retail giant, according to a press release.
With the program, Walmart is offering participating businesses access to mentors, its Supplier Academy curriculum and financial support via its Early Payment Program and Bridge Marketplace. Small businesses will also have a chance to present their businesses at product discovery opportunities like its U.S. Open Call event, RangeMe product discovery tool or the Walmart Marketplace, according to the press release.
In June, Walmart will begin accepting applications for its annual Open Call event in October, during which small and mid-sized businesses can promote their products to Walmart and Sam's Club merchants, per the press release.
Dive Insight:
Walmart's Grow with US program is part of its broader efforts to reach small businesses, which comprise more than 60% of its American suppliers. Ahead of its Open Call event in Bentonville, Arkansas, Walmart is hosting a series of pop-up events in May, where businesses can meet with Walmart buyers, receive feedback on their ideas and potentially win a pass to its October Open Call, the release said.
The company's Grow with US is part of its small business development efforts globally, including Crece con Walmart in Mexico and Vriddhi in India, the release noted.
'Small businesses are the backbone of our communities and there are countless stories of how businesses … are finding long-term growth and success with Walmart,' John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., wrote in a blog post. 'We're excited to continue providing support for and championing the achievements of these businesses every step of the way.'
The Walmart initiatives come at a time when small businesses are bracing for the impacts of President Donald Trump's looming trade war. Unlike Walmart, small businesses lack the power to negotiate with suppliers, nor can they withstand wholesale and manufacturing price increases, according to Greg Stoller, master lecturer at the Boston University Questrom School of Business.
While some executives have been trying to persuade President Trump to reverse course, small businesses have taken a different route: the courts. Last month, several small businesses teamed up to challenge President Trump's tariffs in the U.S. Court of International Trade.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

CNBC

30 minutes ago

• CNBC

The Israel-Iran conflict and the other big thing that drove the stock market this week

It's been a tense and dynamic week for the world at large. The market action on Wall Street over the past four sessions was been anything but that. For the week, the S & P 500 lost 0.15%, the tech-heavy Nasdaq ticked up 0.21%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was basically flat, up a mere 0.02%. Beneath the surface, though, there was plenty of news for investors to digest. Here's a closer look at the biggest market themes during the holiday-shortened trading week. 1. Geopolitics: The major news story was — and still is — the intensifying war between Israel and Iran. The big question on everyone's mind is whether the U.S. will get involved. As of Friday, reports indicate that while President Donald Trump is actively reviewing options to attack Iran, nothing has been authorized. The White House has said Trump he will make a decision in the "next two weeks". As a result of the Israel-Iran conflict, investors spent the week keeping an extra close eye on the movement in safe-haven assets like gold and the dollar, as well as risk assets such as oil. Gold prices pulled back this week after their initial spike last Friday, which is when Israel's first attack on Iranian nuclear infrastructure jolted markets. The U.S. dollar index , meanwhile, strengthened this week but still remains near multiyear lows. Oil rose again for the week, with international benchmark Brent crude climbing nearly 4%. For those looking to gauge what the market thinks will happen with Iran, look to oil. The commodity is currently acting as something of proxy on the odds of the conflict intensifying and America directly entering the fray. 2. Fed updates: The other big theme of the week centered on the health of the U.S. economy in the lead up to Wednesday afternoon, when we got the Federal Reserve's latest interest rate decision and revised economic projections. Ultimately, the Fed kept its benchmark lending rate unchanged on Wednesday following its two-day policy meeting. The decision followed lackluster updates on the state of the consumer and the housing market , along with lower-than-expected inflation readings the week prior. As we outlined earlier this week , the Fed is in a tough spot when it comes to abiding by its dual mandate of ensuring price stability and low unemployment. The state of play requires nuance. On the one hand, there is evidence in support of rate cuts, namely some cracks in the consumer — even if the consumer has remained largely and impressively resilient — and the Fed's own updated outlook for lower real GDP growth and higher unemployment this year. On the other hand, the Fed is now expecting higher inflation this year than it did in March, which would support the need for higher interest rates. Given these dueling dynamics and the uncertainty around tariff impacts, the central bank's decision to keep interest rates steady makes sense. While the Fed certainly doesn't want to wait too long and make the same mistake we saw coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, we must acknowledge that the causes of a potential rebound in inflation are different this time around. Tariffs will likely push up prices, but that may be a one-time increase, as opposed to the sustained inflation we saw exiting the pandemic, which was driven by massive supply chain disruptions and shifts in consumer behavior. As a result, we believe the apparent bias to be more worried about the job market and overall economic growth — and therefore cut rates later this year — makes sense, too. Indeed, the Fed's updated projections still pencil in two rate cuts in 2025, the same as in March despite the aforementioned revisions to its inflation and growth outlook. Fed Governor Christopher Waller made the case Friday that the cuts should start as early as July, arguing that the inflation risk posed by tariffs is not significant and ensuring resiliency in the labor market should be a higher priority. Waller's argument is basically that it's better to move now than wait for a jump in unemployment. Our biggest focus at the Club is staying nimble, given the highly volatile nature of geopolitics at the moment. No doubt, rate decisions are important to think about, but they're only one small part of the investing puzzle to navigate each day. For this reason, we continue to focus more on individual company fundamentals and industry trends rather than higher-level dynamics, important as they are to shaping our worldview. Cybersecurity stocks are one example that we highlighted this week. Another example would be the news we got from Club names Meta Platforms and Amazon this week on their artificial intelligence efforts. We think the implications that AI will have on the cost structures, revenue opportunities and efficiency gains should weigh far more heavily in the minds' of long-term investors than whether the Fed will cut in July or September. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long META, AMZN. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.

Newsweek

2 hours ago

• Newsweek

Donald Trump's Approval Rating Underwater in 15 States He Won

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Donald Trump's approval rating is underwater in 15 states he won in 2024, including all seven swing states, according to analysis by The Economist. Why It Matters Trump flew to victory in November, winning the Electoral College in 31 states, and improving his share of the vote in every state but two. But the latest polls signal potential vulnerability for the president. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters upon arriving at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J., Friday, June 20, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters upon arriving at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J., Friday, June 20, 2025. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP What To Know In key battlegrounds such as Michigan (-11), Nevada (-12), North Carolina (-8), Wisconsin (-13), Arizona (-12), Pennsylvania (-12), and Georgia (-6), Trump's net approval rating—the percentage of voters who approve of him minus those who disapprove—is firmly negative. These battleground states were pivotal in the 2024 election but now show a troubling decline in Trump's support. Beyond the swing states, Trump is also underwater in other states he carried in 2024, including Texas (-8), Ohio (-6), and Utah (-5). Trump's net approval ratings are also slightly negative in Missouri (-2), Indiana (-3), Florida (-3), Kansas (-4), and Iowa (-4). This means that in 15 states Trump carried in 2024, his net approval rating now stands below zero. Unsurprisingly, Trump's net approval rating is deeply negative in many Democratic-leaning states, reflecting widespread disapproval among voters in these areas. For example, D.C. (-73), California (-31), New York (-24), Maryland (-36), Massachusetts (-36), and Washington (-28) show some of his lowest net approval figures. Even smaller Democratic states such as Rhode Island (-36) and Vermont (-29) exhibit strong opposition. However, Trump retains strong approval in more solidly Republican states, posting positive net ratings in Alabama (+12), Alaska (+10), Arkansas (+25), Kentucky (+9), and South Carolina (+16). Trump's highest overall approval rating is in Arkansas. The drop comes amid a broader downward trend in Trump's approval rating in recent days, fueled by backlash to his "Liberation Day" tariffs, his hardline immigration agenda—including the mistaken deportation of Maryland resident Kilmar Ábrego García to El Salvador—and a wave of ICE raids that have sparked nationwide "No Kings" protests. That includes Newsweek's tracker, which shows Trump's net approval rating at -4 points, with 47 percent approving and 51 percent disapproving. That is down from earlier this month when Trump's net approval rating sat at -2 for more than a week. Other polls have also shown Trump's approval rating trending downwards. The Economist's tracker shows Trump's net approval rating at -12, down from -7 at the start of June. And the latest YouGov/Economist poll, conducted between June 13-16 among 1,512 adults, put Trump's approval rating at 41 percent, down 2 points since last week, with 54 percent disapproving, up 2 points. The latest Morning Consult poll, conducted between June 13-15 among 2,207 registered voters, put Trump's approval rating at 46 percent, down from 47 percent last week, with 52 percent disapproving, up from 51 percent. And in the latest J.L. Partners poll, conducted on June 16-17, Trump's approval held steady at 46 percent. But disapproval was up 11 points to 51 percent since their last poll in February. Approval also held steady in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll (June 11-16) at 42 percent, but his disapproval rose by 2 points to 54 percent. A HarrisX/Harvard survey, on June 11-12, registered a more noticeable shift as approval slipped to 46 percent, down from 47 percent in May, while disapproval rose to 50 percent from 48 percent. Still, a handful of polls recorded slight gains for Trump, though largely within the margin of error. In the latest Echelon Insights poll (June 17-18) and Fox News poll (June 13-16), Trump approval rating was up 2 points, while disapproval was down by 1 point compared to last month. And in the most recent RMG Rsearch poll, conducted between June 11-19, put his approval rating up one to 53 points, while his disapproval rating remained the same at 46 points. What Happens Next Trump's approval ratings are likely to fluctuate in each state over time.

Miami Herald

2 hours ago

• Miami Herald

Walmart delivers Amazon some really bad news

While Walmart (WMT) has been the industry leader for many decades when it comes to general retail, there's been proof as of late that Amazon (AMZN) is coming for its crown. In February 2025, it was reported that Amazon had dethroned Walmart in quarterly revenue for the first time ever, scoring $187.8 billion in Q4 2024, while Walmart brought in $180.5 billion. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter While Amazon has long been nipping at Walmart's heels, this marked a new level of competition between the retail giants, and it's a war that will likely be riveting to watch as it continues to develop. Related: Walmart responds to outrage over return of a harsh policy In an effort to compete with Amazon's Prime service, which originally launched in 2005, Walmart launched its own service in 2020 called Walmart+, which offered free shipping, Scan and Go perks in the Walmart app, and fuel discounts at participating stations. The problem, of course, is that Amazon had a 15-year head start - but that doesn't mean Walmart shouldn't aim for a slice of the pie. That said, Amazon Prime last reported 180 million subscribers as of March 2024, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, while Walmart+ is estimated to have about 17.2 million, per a Morgan Stanley survey. But it looks like Walmart just might have gained an edge on Amazon. New data taken over the last year reveals that a survey of Amazon Prime members opted to buy their groceries online from Walmart instead of via Amazon, per Coresight Research. More Retail: Huge retail chain suddenly closing hundreds of storesMajor retailer scores huge benefit from Joann bankruptcyHome Depot, Target, Ulta and more strike back at retail crime The survey, which included 2,004 U.S. consumers Coresight spoke with April, as well as the insights culled from similar-sized groups over a seven-year period, shows that just shy of 60% of Prime subscribers bought groceries online from Walmart in the last year. In that same period, only 52% of Prime members turned to Amazon for their grocery shopping. But Walmart saw 79% of its Walmart+ subscribers buy groceries online during that time, showing stronger loyalty. Related: Walmart shares new service that's better than Amazon Online grocery shopping overall is dropping, but just slightly, with Coresight reporting that 53.6% of respondents bought groceries online last year, as compared to 56.3% during the prior year. While Walmart has long been known for catering to the needs of lower-income customers, it showed a surprising new trend in 2024: it's also attracting more affluent consumers. A growing base of new customers drove strong growth for Walmart's grocery business in the first half of 2024, per data from a Brick Meets Click report called Profiling the Online Shopper: eGrocery Purchase Patterns in the U.S. In the meantime, Walmart recently shared that it will enrich grocery offerings as part of its new "Store of the Future" rollout, including a Hispanic bakery section, a fresh tortilla maker, a sushi station, and more. Amazon also is taking steps to continue to pull in grocery customers, such as allowing them to buy items from Whole Foods, and Amazon Fresh in a single order. Related: Walmart takes a major step in a bold new direction The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.