Deerfield, Illinois-based Walgreens will hold a Supplier Diversity Summit, a virtual showcase for diverse businesses and entrepreneurs to share their retail offerings.
The virtual event, taking place the week of March 28, provides diverse vendors the opportunity to connect with the Walgreens merchandising team, share their products and receive feedback with the ultimate goal of being stocked on shelves in their local areas.
During the virtual summit, Walgreens will work to increase sourcing from suppliers that are at least 51 percent owned, operated and managed by individuals who are disadvantaged, disabled, military veterans, LGBTQ+, minorities and/or women.
“Meeting the needs of our diverse patients and customers is imperative to our role as America’s community healthcare destination,” said Alethia Jackson, SVP of environmental, social and governance and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance.
“We are looking forward to connecting with diverse suppliers that will ensure our shelves benefit everyone, providing a wider selection of products and services.”
The summit will focus on products across grocery and household, beauty and personal care, health and wellness and general merchandise, among other categories. Vendors can find additional information about the virtual event and apply to join here.
The Supplier Diversity Summit aims to bring diverse businesses from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, to evaluate opportunities to build more locally relevant and diverse product offerings for Walgreens customers and deeper collaboration with new suppliers for the future.
All sourcing and product submissions will be made through RangeMe, an online product discovery and sourcing platform. ECRM will qualify suppliers, create curated meeting schedules and facilitate face-to-face virtual meetings with Walgreens buyers so that suppliers can introduce new products into the marketplace. All meetings will be conducted through ECRM’s virtual meeting platform, ECRM Connect.
Operating nearly 9,000 retail locations across America, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Walgreens serves about 10 million customers each day. The company’s pharmacists play a role in the U.S. healthcare system by providing a range of pharmacy and healthcare services, including those that drive access to care for the nation’s medically underserved populations.
To best meet the needs of customers and patients, Walgreens offers a true omnichannel experience, with fully integrated physical and digital platforms supported by the latest technology to deliver high-quality products and services in communities nationwide.
