Meijer will host its first Sustainability Supplier Summit, giving vendors nationwide the opportunity to showcase their sustainable products—from food to pets to home goods—for Meijer merchants to consider offering on shelves.
The event will be held virtually June 20-23 and comes on the heels of a recent survey Meijer conducted to identify environmental issues relevant to the retailer and its customers. Sourcing from companies with a strong commitment to sustainability, as well as expanding the retailer's offerings of sustainable products were among the most notable topics.
"At Meijer, we understand that to be a good company, we must be a good neighbor, which is why we integrate environmental sustainability into our daily operations," said Peter Whitsett, Meijer executive vice president of merchandising and marketing, in a statement. "But so much of what we do in this space extends beyond what customers see on our shelves, which was why we felt it was time to seek out sustainability-focused vendors to help us expand our significant base of sustainable product offerings."
The Meijer Sustainability Summit aims to expand its sustainable product offerings and will focus on categories storewide. Meijer merchants are targeting 38 different certifications on vendor products, or their manufacturing and procurement processes. For example, seafood merchants are looking at vendors following the Best Aquaculture Practices, and the grocery and consumable merchants are looking for vendors who participate in the Rainforest Alliance Certification Program.
Certified vendors with retail-ready products can apply by Tuesday, April 26 for consideration here.
Once applications for the event are submitted, Meijer teams will review and select the vendors they would like to meet at the virtual summit. Suppliers not chosen for the summit will still be accessible through the Range Me registration tool and may be reviewed by Meijer merchants again in the future as business needs change.
Related: Hy-Vee to Host Best of Local Brands, Pet Products Summits; Meijer Contributes $1M to Kids’ Food Basket.