Walmart seeks new products in online battle with Amazon

• Hundreds of inventors have flocked to Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville to find out if the country needs a few more secret sauces, prettier mouse pads or “instant hair gel” packets for the on-the-go clubber.

The 500 businesses selected to take part in Walmart’s fourth annual “Open Call” Wednesday have already been offered spots on the company’s online portals, as it battles Amazon for billions of dollars in revenue. Visits with Walmart’s marketing team, though, could land any number of entrepreneurs shelf space in nearly 4,700 brick- and- mortar stores.

“It’s a high- stakes game,” Scott Hilton, Walmart’s executive chief revenue officer for e-commerce, said as the meeting opened.

Amazon on Wednesday held its own event for online sellers. Through its portal, it gives any would- be sellers step- by- step online guidance on how to receive and fulfil orders.

With auditions, Walmart does it differently, and its physical stores handle a f i nite number of goods. Bringing potential sellers to headquarters for Wednesday’s crash course in marketing reinforces Walmart’s path to making money.

“A little margin on a lot of volume. Not a lot of margin on a little volume,” Walmart president and CEO Doug McMillon said.

McMillon’s a udi e nce Wednesday i ncluded all sorts of businesses. Former NFL football player Jarvis Green wants to sell restaurant- quality shrimp and seafood.

Micah Specialty Foods, of Cleveland, features a kitchen marinade that originated in Ghana. Jessica Gore, of Dallas, brought a cleaning spray for little kids’ fingers.

“We want to make deals f or products across t he board,” Markley said. “We’re looking at toys. Food. Apparel.”

If past practice holds, would- be sellers will know quickly if they’ve won shelf space, a previous successful presenter said.

“If you have something promising, they’ ll let you know right away. They can usually predict i f something will be a hit,” said Ben Rendo, who brought to Walmart’s first open call a gadget that helps people carry multiple grocery bags in one trip.