Walmart was founded by Sam Walton in 1962, with its first store opening in Rogers, Arkansas.
Walton opened the first Wal-Mart Discount City on July 2, 1962, emphasizing low prices and high sales volume. The company expanded through rural and small-town markets before moving into larger metropolitan areas and international operations.
Walmart’s scale comes from a large store network, centralized purchasing, distribution centers, and its bargaining power with suppliers. Its businesses include supercenters, discount stores, Sam’s Club warehouses, e-commerce, and financial and advertising services.
Walmart is often confused with Sam’s Club, but Sam’s Club is Walmart’s membership-based warehouse division. The company changed its legal name from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. to Walmart Inc. in 2018. Its enormous retail revenue and global footprint have made it one of the world’s largest and most valuable publicly traded companies.