TROY, Mich. – March is Women's History Month and a huge global retailer is launching a major initiative to help women-owned businesses see the major changes they are making to their product labeling.
In honor of this month, Walmart customers in stores and online will notice a new logo on its packaging of products from women-owned businesses. Businesses nationwide will receive a "Women-Owned" label on its packaging in Walmart stores.
One Michigan business that is set to receive the new logo is HMS Manufacturing; a business headquartered in Troy that creates innovative houseware products.
"It's important because I believe the consumer wants to know that women are behind the design and innovation and manufacturing of these products," said Janet Sofy, owner of HMS Manufacturing.
Walmart said its goal for the unique "Women-Owned" logo is to help customers easily identify products made by women-owned businesses sold through any retailer.
Of the thousands of products from women-owned businesses that Walmart carries, the company selected six products to feature the logo this month.
"It's a really important initiative not only for me but for women across the world, it clearly shows that Walmart and other retailers are behind backing and supporting women owned businesses," Sofy said.
Janet's family and women-owned business creates designs and manufactures innovative household products of all kinds.
Some of the unique products they have created include, a hamper and laundry basket combination; it is used so people could move a large amount of laundry down to their washing machine and back to their room folded, a dish drain; that allows you to dry your dishes, pots, pans and wine glasses, and a colorful storage cart that allows homeowners to spruce up their home.
Nationwide women-owned businesses contribute 1.3 trillion dollars to the U.S. economy and women are responsible for more than 80 percent pf consumer decisions made globally.
"Primarily all of our products are made across the united states so we support jobs and people across the U.S.," Sofy said.
Walmart also launched a new webpage dedicated to showcasing all of their products from women-owned business: hmsmfg.com.