Companies see Walmart as the holy grail of retailers because of its vast size. One product that is sold in Walmart can mean the difference between prospering and going out of business. Walmart is built on low cost and efficiency, meaning that even if a company manages to get its product in Walmart, it has to keep its costs incredibly low or face termination of its contract.
The chances of striking a deal with Walmart are slim for a new company because there is limited shelf space in its physical stores and online marketplace.

Walmart is trying to make thing easier for both companies and individuals with its Get On the Shelf contest, which will allow you to submit an invention idea and have it voted on. The top 3 most popular products will be featured on Wallmart.com and the grand prize winner will be featured on the Walmart.com homepage and receive shelf space at select Walmart stores.

Voting for submitted products begins on March 7 and the contest site already features user submitted videos that range from technology products such as Sifteo cubes to the simple Baby & Me bath towel. Although company submitted video are more professional looking than user submitted ones, there’s no reason why a simple looking video can’t show off your product idea.