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BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Over the past 10 years, the retail giant Walmart has used its vast physical and digital shelf space to spotlight products made or owned by women. Central to this initiative is the Women-Owned logo—a simple yet powerful mark that signifies quality and tells a story of entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusive business practices.
The Women-Owned logo was born out of a simple yet transformative question: What if the world’s largest retailers could unite to help women-owned businesses stand out on the shelves? The concept quickly emerged in collaboration with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and was spearheaded by early conversations with Walmart. Elizabeth Vazquez, CEO of WEConnect International, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting women-owned businesses with qualified buyers, recalls those formative discussions:
“We brainstormed with Walmart and WBENC on a way to help businesses owned by women stand out. But first we needed evidence that a women-owned logo would be helpful to all our stakeholders.”
Walmart’s extensive focus groups provided that evidence. When presented with nearly identical products—one bearing the Women-Owned logo—customers overwhelmingly chose the item with the logo, associating it with higher quality. With this strong customer validation, the logo went to press and has since become a globally recognized symbol. Today, only independently vetted brands that are at least 51% women-owned, operated, and controlled are eligible to display the logo—a mark of excellence that transcends borders and languages.
Over the past decade, the impact of the Women-Owned logo has grown exponentially. It now appears on countless products, websites, business cards, and Walmart.com, elevating brands and offering them a platform to share their unique stories. The initiative aligns with Walmart’s core mission of transitioning local opportunity to the global stage, ensuring that the best suppliers—regardless of size or background—can thrive.
“Building inclusive global value chains that represent the end users is not charity. It is simply good business for Walmart, and all companies, to have access to all of the world’s best suppliers,” Vazquez said. “We need to be more proactive in encouraging the women of the world to compete for these exciting opportunities, and the Women-Owned logo is one of those important tools that can really help!”
Success stories across continents demonstrate the benefits of this initiative. In Canada, LouLou Lollipop proudly carries the certification; in Mexico, the family-run Sweet Life innovates with products inspired by personal challenges; and in India, Nectar Fresh is making waves in health and wellness.
In the United States, Frey Farms—whose owner Sarah Frey began her journey as a teenager with Walmart—has leveraged the partnership to introduce industry firsts, from personal-sized watermelons to unique autumn offerings. Hilary Long, vice president of sales and marketing at Frey Farms, noted: “The Women-Owned logo and Walmart’s initiative have literally spiderwebbed through the food industry. In produce, in CPG, in the stores—people do care. When women are telling their story, that’s a great thing to have out there.”
