Walmart Casts Itself As "Retail American Idol" In Search For New Products

Your dream of putting hard work into inventing a new product so that it can be sold for bargain prices at big box stores around the country is about to come true. Walmart is holding a contest for inventors to compete for a spot on their shelves.

Walmart’s “Get on the Shelf” competition is along the lines of American Idol, except no one is singing and ostensibly, Simon Cowell is not there to berate anyone.

“That’s uncovering the next great singer, this is uncovering the next product,” Chris Bolte, vice president of @WalmartLabs, the retailer’s social media and e-commerce arm tells the L.A. Times. “This is a way for us to really provide our consumers with a voice on the kind of products that Wal-Mart carries.”

It’ll be up to the general public to decide what they want Walmart to sell, by voting on videos from the contestants on GetOnTheShelf.com. If you think your fantastic shampoo gun has what it takes, you’ve got until Feb. 22 to upload your entry.

Wal-Mart holds contest for inventors to offer their products [L.A. Times]
The grand prize product will be sold online and at certain Walmarts, while the second and third runners-up will see their products online.

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