Industry Insights
Net 30, October 2026: What we heard at Walmart Open Call
A yes from the buyer is the start. What founders asked next at Walmart Open Call, the four questions to settle before accepting a retail order, the free Retail Growth Budget, and two production runs funded for an organic chocolate maker.
In this article
Last week, the Bridge team was asked to join Walmart’s supplier finance team in Bentonville at Open Call to help answer the question “What do I do once I win shelf space?”
Open Call is Walmart’s biggest sourcing event of the year, and a lot of founders walked out of their meetings with a yes. Emily Reeves, our VP of Capital Solutions, heard the same next question in almost every conversation: now what?
This issue is for brands asking “How do I make the shelf space I won profitable?”
How we can help
After a yes, the to-do list gets long fast. Do I need a broker, and which one? Which co-manufacturer can actually handle Walmart volume? Is it time to raise, and from whom?
We work with a wide network of retail brokers, manufacturers and investors, and we know what each one does best. If you’re weighing someone or don’t know where to start, grab 15 minutes with me here and I’ll give you a short list and any introductions you’d like.
Before you say yes to a retail order
Whether it’s your first Walmart order or the jump to national, the questions are the same. The numbers just get bigger each time.
- Can your manufacturer deliver? Confirm capacity, lead times and the ship date in writing.
- Does the margin hold? Know your landed cost per unit after freight, tariffs and retailer deductions.
- How will you pay for production? Map the cash from your first deposit to the day the retailer pays you.
- Are you planning for the reorder? It often starts before the first order is paid.
We put the full checklist and budget into a free guide, The Retail Growth Budget. It breaks down what going national, adding SKUs or adding a retailer really costs, from production and tariffs to marketing per store. It also has a regional vs. national cash example and a worksheet you can fill in with your own numbers.
Get the Retail Growth Budget →
Funding of the month
This month’s funding goes to an organic chocolate maker that sweetens with raw honey instead of refined sugar. It’s launching in a new national grocery chain and restocking its Walmart shelves at the same time, which means paying for two production runs before either retailer pays. We funded both from our $500M fund for brands in retail, so both orders ship on time and in full.
On the shelf
A brand we’ve been enjoying lately is Sanzo, and it’s taking up a lot of the office fridge. It’s a sparkling water made with real fruit, built around flavors you don’t usually see in the soda aisle, like lychee, calamansi, yuzu and mango. Founder Sandro Roco started it in 2019 to bring the Asian flavors he grew up with to mainstream shelves.
The calamansi is the one that keeps disappearing from our fridge first. Highly recommend!
About Bridge
Bridge specializes in production financing for brands in retail. We cover up to 100% of the COGS on your upcoming orders, and thanks to our partnerships with Walmart, Sam’s Club, Dollar General, Best Buy and Chipotle, we’re able to get brands the best rates in the market.
We’ve funded over $900M for brands and have only one goal: making sure the capital stack never becomes the reason you lose the win.
Regards,
Mike
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Written by
Mike Gelb
Mike founded The Consumer VC, a podcast and newsletter about investing in consumer startups, and now leads partnerships for the consumer brands at Bridge. Author of Net 30.
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