Walmart energizes women-led businesses

By the end of 2016, the Walmart Foundation and Walmart China are expected to donate more than 91 million yuan ($14.2 million) to the Women's Economic Empowerment program.

Launched in 2011, the program is designed to make a substantial difference to women beneficiaries in three key areas: Sourcing, training and diversity.

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation launched the initiative to help improve the lives of women around the world by providing training, market access and economic opportunities to one million women by 2016.

One of the main aims is to support women to grow their business by increasing sourcing from women-owned businesses. Now, there are 45 women-owned businesses and suppliers in China for Walmart.

Last year, Walmart Stores Inc's Global Sourcing Department set up a booth at the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province. China's largest trade fair was chosen to meet up with potential supplier firms owned by women.

About 200 companies visited the booth. And 110 of them were invited to have a one-on-one session with representatives from supplier firms, 60 of which were women-owned. Their product portfolios were reviewed by the concerned sourcing teams to assess business potential.

Cai Yuerong, president of Calson Investment Ltd, the first women-owned shoe company in China, said Walmart is its largest customer. "We've grown to $300 million in sales. We are investing in more factories and providing employees, most of whom are women, with more opportunities."

The world's largest retailer by sales has directly sourced products and services worth $637 million from 45 Chinese women-owned businesses in the past year, up 44 percent year-on-year.

Dan Bartlett, executive vice-president of corporate affairs for Walmart Stores Inc, said by 2016, the company is expected to source $20 billion from women-owned businesses for Walmart US and double its worldwide sourcing from the businesses.

The retailer has launched another program to help train Chinese women in retail. It announced the launch of the Women Retail Training Camp program in partnership with China Chain Store and the Franchise Association, building on their previous cooperation for the Future Retail Star Training Program.

By the end of 2016, Walmart Foundation will invest $5.2 million in the Chinese market to train 45,000 people, including 36,000 women. This program will cover 10 provinces. The company announced donations totaling 12.85 million yuan for the two programs at a ceremony held in Beijing in late October.

The US retailer donated 11.34 million yuan since 2010 and in October this year to China's Women's Development Foundation for the latter's "Her New Ventures Project - Walmart's Revolving Fund for Mothers' New Ventures".

The project is designed to provide a revolving fund for mothers and technical support as well as training, to help women in impoverished regions with employment and knowledge about entrepreneurship.

The project adopts the model of a small fund for revolving use to develop business activities with training and communication activities in 11 provinces and cities, including Shaanxi, Hubei and Fujian, covering more than 4,000 women and their families.

wangzhuoqiong@chinadaily.com.cn