The Walton family founded Walmart in 1962.
Sam Walton opened the first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas, on July 2, 1962. He had already operated variety stores and developed a retail strategy focused on low prices, efficient distribution, and serving smaller communities. His brother Bud Walton also played an important role in the company’s early growth.
The business expanded rapidly across the United States and later internationally. Walmart was incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., in 1969 and became a public company in 1970. The company changed its corporate name to Walmart Inc. in 2018, although the familiar store brand had already used “Walmart” for decades.
The Walton family remains closely associated with the company through ownership and philanthropy. Walmart’s huge market capitalization is tied to its enormous sales scale, retail network, supply chain, membership services, and growing e-commerce operations.