How to Become a Wal-Mart Vendor
Wal-Mart is a powerhouse in the United States economy. If you have a product or service you want to introduce to the public, consider becoming a vendor for the Wal-Mart company. You can sell your product to Wal-Mart, who in turn sells it to consumers. The massive crowds that pass through Wal-Mart on most days can equal a lot of customers for your business. You may find a lot of competition when you apply for a spot, though.
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Instructions
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Report your company's financial standing to Dun & Bradstreet. This company records the financial standing of your company as well as other information that Wal-Mart finds useful when choosing a vendor. The report is a Supplier Evaluation Report. After you register, request an online report.
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Fill out the Online Product Submission form available at Wal-Mart's website. You must also submit an image of your product with that form. They will ask you for various bits of information like your UCC membership number (this identifies your bar code system), proof of liability insurance and your federal tax ID.
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Complete the online proposal application as well as the questionnaire on the Wal-Mart website. Print out these forms and mail them to Wal-Mart headquarters along with a certificate of insurance (visit your local Wal-Mart for the correct mailing address). The certificate of insurance needs to match the insurance information you included on your Online Product Submission form.
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Tips & Warnings
Walk through your local Wal-Mart before you start the application process. Get the scoop on the competition and see what you can do to compete with them. Look at the price and test the quality to see if you can make any changes to your current product. You may even ask people what they like about existing products you find in Wal-Mart and take their feedback to heart.
Consider how much merchandise you can create for Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart gets large quantities of customers every day that are going to look at and potentially purchasing your products. If your company can only afford to make 3,000 items a year, reconsider becoming a Wal-Mart vendor.
All application fees are the responsibility of you, the supplier. If Wal-Mart needs to order extra copies of your Supplier Evaluation Report, for example, they will charge you for the expense.
Keep a copy of every form you mail to the Wal-Mart Corporation.
