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In line with its global women’s economic empowerment initiative, Walmart India plans to double sourcing volumes from women-owned businesses in the next five years. The company plans to open 50 more stores in the country by 2020. Its global initiative aims to source $20 billion in products from women for its US business and double sourcing from women internationally.
Recently, the company unveiled a “women-owned” logo in collaboration with a non-profit organisation WEConnect International, to identify products made by women-owned businesses. Through this initiative, certified businesses that are at least 51 per cent women-owned, operated and controlled by women, can display the logo on their product packaging to be sold across Walmart stores in the country.
Krish Iyer, President and CEO, Walmart India, said research done in the US showed that when customers identify products sourced from women-owned businesses they develop greater amount of trust. “This is an initiative to help bring recognition to products made by women-owned businesses. Sourcing from women-owned businesses contributes to our reputation for great assortment and quality local products. The idea behind increasing sourcing from women-owned businesses is to develop a pipeline of women suppliers, as we expand our stores in the country.” he added.
Besides this, the company has a host of other initiatives such as training women for retail sector, in factories and farming with partners.
Jenny Grieser, Senior Director, global women economic empowerment programme at Walmart Inc, said, “One of our global initiatives is to train one million women and give them skills so they can move up at retail chains and factories. India is an important part of this initiative. This is good for business as women in business are growing.” She said the company will work with partners to identify women-owned businesses, make them part of the supply chain and train them to develop capacity and scale up their businesses.
Walmart India, which opened its 21st cash-and-carry store in August in Agra, is looking to locate its stores in States such as Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
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