Walmart announces who gets on its shelves

Remember Walmart’s “Get on the shelf” contest? The US family-controlled retailer has now announced the three winners of the competition – all of whom will have the chance to see their products being sold on the company’s online stores.

The “grand prize” went to Philadelphia-based HumanKind Water, a bottled water company that uses its net profits to provide clean water.

Second prize went to PlateTopper, a kitchen product that helps store food, developed by Michael Tseng from San Francisco, and SnapIt, a screw kit designed by Nancy Tedeschi from Washington, that promises to fix eyeglasses in only 30 seconds.

All three products will be available on Walmart.com, while first-placed HumanKind Water will also be sold in some of the family business’s stores.

This should allow HumanKind Water – established only two years ago – to reach a big market thanks to Walmart, which is the biggest retailer in the world with revenues of $443.9 billion (€388.4 billion) in fiscal year 2012 and owns more than 600 stores only in the US.

Launched in January, the “Get on the shelf” contest saw more than 4,000 inventors, entrepreneurs and small business owners from across the US submitting videos to present their products and compete for the opportunity to win the top prize.

Inventions ranged from household wares to toys and food sauces, with more than one million people voting via texts or Facebook.

“Get on the shelf has brought out the best in American ingenuity and creativity with products that are clever, fun and useful,” Joel Anderson, non-family president and chief executive of Walmart.com, said in a statement.

“The three winners demonstrated a deep passion, incredible imagination, and sheer persistence in their journey.”