History of Walmart

Walmart was founded by Sam Walton, who opened the first Wal-Mart Discount City store in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962. Before that, Walton had run a variety store in Bentonville, Arkansas, where he developed his focus on low prices, high volume, and careful cost control. The company went public in 1970, providing the capital to expand rapidly across small towns in the American South and Midwest.

Walmart's early growth was driven by its investment in distribution centres, logistics, and inventory technology, which allowed it to keep costs lower than its competitors. The company opened its first Sam's Club warehouse store in 1983 and its first Supercenter, combining groceries with general merchandise, in 1988. By 1990, Walmart had become the largest retailer in the United States.

Walmart expanded internationally in 1991 with a joint venture in Mexico, and later entered Canada, the United Kingdom through the acquisition of Asda in 1999, China, and other markets. Some of these ventures were later scaled back, including the sale of Asda in 2021. In 2018, Walmart acquired a majority stake in the Indian e-commerce company Flipkart, one of its largest international investments.

Walmart's size has also brought sustained criticism over wages, labour practices, and its impact on small local businesses. Today, it operates more than 10,000 stores worldwide alongside a growing e-commerce business and the Walmart+ membership programme, and it remains one of the largest private employers in the world.