Walmart opened its first store in 1962.
Sam Walton opened the first Wal-Mart Discount City in Rogers, Arkansas, on July 2, 1962. Walton had already operated variety stores, but the new format focused on low prices and high sales volume. The first store established the discount-retailing model that became the foundation of Walmart's growth.
The business was incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., in 1969. It expanded across the United States by placing large stores in small towns and using sophisticated distribution systems to keep prices low. Walmart's first international store opened in Mexico in 1991 through a joint venture.
The company changed its legal name from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., to Walmart Inc. in 2018. Its retail sales, logistics network, and membership businesses make it one of the world's largest corporations. The 1962 opening date is different from the date of incorporation and from the founding of Walton's earlier retail career.