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DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens plans to hold a Supplier Diversity Summit the week of March 28, the company said on Wednesday. The virtual event will give diverse vendors a chance to connect with the Walgreens merchandising team, share their products and receive feedback. Ultimately, the goal is for them to have their products stocked on the shelves of Walgreens stores in their local communities.
During the virtual summit, Walgreens will work to increase sourcing from suppliers that are at least 51% 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, senior vice president 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, the 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 and innovative products into the marketplace. All meetings will be conducted through ECRM’s virtual meeting platform, ECRM Connect.
