Walmart facts for kids
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"Spark" symbol used since 2025
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Wordmark used since 2025
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Formerly
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| Public | |
| Traded as | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Predecessor | Walton's Five and Dime |
| Founded | July 2, 1962, in Rogers, Arkansas, U.S. |
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| Headquarters |
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United States
36°21′56″N 94°13′03″W / 36.36556°N 94.21750°W |
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Number of locations
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10,373 stores 601 warehouse clubs |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Services |
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| Revenue |  US$713.20 billion (2025) |
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Operating income
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US$29.348 billion (2025) |
| US$19.436 billion (2025) |
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| Total assets | US$260.82 billion (2025) |
| Total equity | US$97.421 billion (2025) |
| Owner | Walton family (44.8%; mainly via Walton Enterprises) |
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Number of employees
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2,100,000 (2025) |
| Divisions |
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Walmart Inc. is a very large American company that runs big shops all over the world. It operates giant shops called supercenters, discount department stores, and neighborhood grocery stores. It also runs pharmacies where people get medicine, as well as gas station spots for cars. The main headquarters of the business is located in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company began in 1962 when two brothers named Sam Walton and James "Bud" Walton opened their first shop in Rogers, Arkansas. Walmart also owns and manages Sam's Club warehouse locations, where members can buy food and goods in huge amounts.
Walmart is the second-largest company by revenue in the entire world. It is also the largest private employer on Earth, with 2.1 million workers. The business appears at number one on important rankings like the Fortune 500 and Fortune Global 500. It became a famous trillion-dollar company thanks to creative ideas and product innovation. Even though many people own shares in the business, the Walton family still owns a very large share. The family controls more than half of the company through Walton Enterprises and personal savings.
For many years, people bought and sold shares of Walmart on the New York Stock Exchange. In late 2025, the company moved its trading listing to the Nasdaq. Walmart is an important member of big financial groups like the Dow Jones Global Titans 50 and the S&P 500. By 1988, it was already the most profitable shopping business in the United States. Soon after, it became the largest retailer by total sales across the nation. At first, Walmart only built stores in southern and midwestern states. Today, it has thousands of busy stores across many countries.
Contents
- How Did Walmart Grow into a Global Store?
- Green Projects and Modern Changes
- Changes and New Ideas: 2011 to 2019
- Recent Years and Future Retail
- What Are the Different Divisions of Walmart?
- Products, Brands, and Online Growth
- How Is the Company Run?
- Modern Technology and Helpful Tools
- Helping Communities and Economic Impact
- Sports and School Sponsorships
- Images for kids
- Related Pages
How Did Walmart Grow into a Global Store?
Early Beginnings and First Stores
In 1945, a hard-working businessman named Sam Walton bought a small store. He had previously worked for J. C. Penney. His new shop was a Ben Franklin store purchased from the Butler Brothers. Sam believed that selling goods at very low prices would attract many buyers. When customers bought items in large amounts, his business could still make money. He faced high rents, but he found ways to purchase goods directly from cheaper suppliers. This allowed his shop to beat rival businesses on price. During his first year, the shop made $105,000. In five years, sales climbed to $250,000. When his building lease ended, he moved to Main Street in Bentonville, Arkansas. He named that store Walton's Five and Dime. Today, this historic shop is preserved as the Walmart Museum.
Sam Walton opened the first official Wal-Mart Discount City on July 2, 1962. It was located on Walnut Street in Rogers, Arkansas. Sam got ideas by visiting other stores like Ann & Hope. Kmart founder Harry B. Cunningham also studied these same modern shops. Walton was inspired by FedMart, an early chain run by a businessman named Sol Price. Sam chose the name Wal-Mart because he liked the short sound of the FedMart name. The original building is now used for other shops. The business soon opened larger locations nearby. Within five years, the business grew to 18 stores across Arkansas. In 1968, Walmart expanded outside Arkansas into Sikeston, Missouri and Claremore, Oklahoma.
Growing Across the Country
Walmart became an official corporation under Delaware General Corporation Law in late 1969. In 1970, it took the corporate name Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. That year, it opened its main office and a big warehouse in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company had 38 stores and employed 1,500 people. It soon became a public company trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Its growing stock had its first stock split in 1971. Walmart expanded quickly into Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi. When it entered Texas in 1975, it had 125 stores and thousands of workers.
During the 1980s, the company built experimental giant centers called Hyper-Marts. These combined a regular discount store with a big supermarket and fun game areas. By 1987, Walmart was 25 years old and had 1,198 stores. The company built new supply warehouses close to its stores to deliver goods fast.
The company finished its own private satellite network in 1987. This satellite system linked every store with the main office in Bentonville. Managers could track store inventory and count sales within seconds. In 1988, Sam Walton chose David Glass to become the new leader of the company. Walton stayed on as chairman to help guide major choices. The very first official Walmart Supercenter opened in Washington, Missouri that same year.
These giant Supercenters helped the company sell huge amounts of fun toys. By 1998, Walmart sold more toys than Toys "R" Us.
Reaching Worldwide Shoppers
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Walmart became more profitable than older rivals like Kmart and Sears. By 1990, it became the top retailer in the United States by sales.
Walmart soon expanded into large states like California and Pennsylvania. By 1995, every American state had a Walmart store, with Vermont being the final one. The company also expanded abroad by opening stores in Mexico in 1991 and Canada in 1994.
Stores opened in South America, including Argentina and Brazil. In 1999, Walmart bought the British supermarket chain Asda for $10 billion.
In 1997, Walmart joined the famous Dow Jones Industrial Average group of companies.
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In 1998, Walmart introduced smaller grocery shops called Neighborhood Markets. By 2005, the company sold about one-fifth of all groceries in America.
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In 2000, H. Lee Scott became the top leader of Walmart. In 2002, Walmart reached the top spot on the famous Fortune 500 list.
By 2005, the business ran more than 6,200 stores around the world. Most families in America lived less than 60 miles from a store.
People talked about how big stores changed small towns. Some economists noted that local small shops faced challenges when giant stores arrived. However, experts saw that local shops that offered special services could still do very well. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina struck, Walmart sent 1,500 supply trucks with food and water to help communities. Researchers found that private companies often delivered emergency supplies faster than government teams like the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Author Charles Fishman wrote a book called The Wal-Mart Effect in 2006. His book explained how Walmart changed global trade and shipping.
Green Projects and Modern Changes
Environmental Care and Energy
In 2005, Walmart announced plans to protect nature and save energy. The company wanted to improve its energy efficiency across all buildings. It worked to make delivery trucks run farther on less fuel. The company aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and send less garbage to landfills. Leader Lee Scott said the store wanted to rely on renewable energy and create zero waste. Experimental stores tested clean wind turbine power and photovoltaic solar panels on roofs. The company used biofuel heaters, water-cooled cooling cases, and water-saving gardens. Walmart also became a massive seller of organic food and clothing. In Texas, the company formed Texas Retail Energy to buy wholesale clean electricity.
New Looks and Catchy Slogans
Walmart updated its stores in 2006 to look cleaner and brighter. Some stores offered fine foods, shiny electronics, and fresh snacks.
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In 2007, Walmart introduced its famous advertising slogan: "Save money. Live better." This line replaced its older motto: "Always Low Prices, Always". Economic researchers at Global Insight found that Walmart lowered costs for typical families.
In 2008, the company took the hyphen out of its name and added a bright yellow spark symbol. Stores proudly displayed the fresh Walmart sign. New stores in Walmart Canada also added this modern design.
Helpful Benefits and Digital Media
In 2009, Walmart shared bonuses with all hourly employees. The company offered workers retirement plans, health benefits, and helpful discounts. The store stayed strong even during a tough economic recession. In 2010, Walmart bought the movie service Vudu, Inc. to explore digital films.
Changes and New Ideas: 2011 to 2019
Walmart has thousands of delivery trucks driving every day. In Buckeye, Arizona, trucks were tested that ran on biofuel made from cooking grease.
The company tried new projects, such as home food boxes and shopping partnerships in Kenya with Naivas.
In 2014, Doug McMillon became the chief executive of Walmart. He worked hard to bring modern digital tools into stores.
The company also installed huge amounts of solar power on store roofs. It added clean systems with large energy storage batteries.
In 2016, Walmart closed some small test shops to focus on its best Supercenters and online shopping. The company bought the popular shopping website Jet.com for $3.3 billion. Jet.com founder Marc Lore joined Walmart to guide American online sales. The company also used secure computer tracking to follow food shipments in China.
Walmart bought outdoor brand Moosejaw and clothing company Bonobos. It also bought Parcel in Brooklyn to speed up deliveries. In 2018, Walmart launched its Spark delivery service using independent drivers.
Walmart officially renamed its parent corporation Walmart Inc. in early 2018.
Walmart closed some older Sam's Club locations and turned them into online delivery hubs. It raised starting wages for workers and improved employee family support. The company also teamed up with television groups like Epix to study streaming media.
In 2019, Walmart launched free one-day package shipping for orders over $35. It stopped selling harmful electronic vaping items to protect community health. It also opened special health centers in Arkansas to offer affordable checkups.
Walmart also stopped selling live pet fish in stores to care better for animals.
Recent Years and Future Retail
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During the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic health crisis, Walmart adjusted store hours so workers could sanitize shelves. The company managed lines to help everyone practice safe social distancing. Workers received special paid leave and cash bonuses. Shoppers began ordering groceries on their phones to pick up outside. Online sales jumped quickly as families stayed home.
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Walmart added an easy service called Carrier Pickup for returning items. The company created a financial tool with Ribbit Capital to help shoppers manage money. It bought smart digital tools from Thunder Industries and fashion preview software from Zeekit. It also shared its Spark delivery network with other companies.
Walmart tested self-driving vehicles with Ford to deliver packages to homes.
In 2022, Walmart added technology from Memomi and Volt Systems to track products. It partnered with Paramount to offer Paramount+ films with its Walmart+ membership.
The company raised hourly pay for store workers and funded education programs.
In 2023, Walmart made over $611 billion in sales. It announced plans to install electric vehicle chargers at thousands of stores.
In 2024, Walmart decided to remodel 650 stores and open 150 brand-new locations. It achieved its Project Gigaton goal by cutting carbon emissions with its global suppliers. The company adjusted self-checkout machines to ensure shoppers received friendly service.
In 2025, Walmart refreshed its logo, making the blue color slightly darker.
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Walmart added the Peacock entertainment service to Walmart+ so members could enjoy family movies.
Walmart transferred its stock listing to the Nasdaq Global Select Market in late 2025. It joined the elite Nasdaq-100 index in early 2026.
Store managers received valuable company stock awards. In late 2024, Walmart bought television maker Vizio to expand digital media.
When trade rules and import taxes changed, Walmart worked hard to keep shelf prices low for families. The store carefully managed its shipments to protect customers from sudden costs.
What Are the Different Divisions of Walmart?
Walmart organizes its operations into four large branches: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, Sam's Club, and Global eCommerce. In America, it operates Supercenters, Discount Stores, and Neighborhood Markets. Across the globe, it manages different local supermarkets, wholesale markets, and convenience shops.
Walmart U.S.
Walmart U.S. is the company's largest branch, bringing in hundreds of billions of dollars every year. It runs thousands of stores across the country. Most Americans live very close to an active Walmart. The leader of Walmart U.S. is David Guggina.
Walmart Supercenter
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Walmart Supercenters are giant stores that sell fresh groceries, clothes, games, and tools. They feature a full supermarket alongside regular merchandise. Supercenters often include a garden center, a pet shop, an eye care clinic, and a pharmacy. Many have photo shops, bank branches like Woodforest National Bank, and car care centers.
Inside, families often find fast food choices like McDonald's, Subway, Burger King, Wendy's, or Domino's. Some Canadian stores have Tim Hortons bakeries. Other stores have Claire's accessories or fun GamePlay arcades.
Many locations feature handy fuel pumps run by brands like Murphy USA or Walmart itself.
The very first Supercenter opened in Missouri in 1988. The biggest Supercenter covers two whole floors in Albany, New York.
A regular Supercenter holds around 120,000 different products on its shelves.
Walmart Discount Store
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Walmart Discount Stores are medium-sized department stores. They sell clothes, toys, sports gear, and packaged snacks.
In 1990, the company also tested closeout stores called Bud's Discount City. Over time, many discount stores were transformed into larger Supercenters.
Walmart Neighborhood Market
Walmart Neighborhood Market stores are smaller grocery shops. They are about one-fifth the size of a giant Supercenter.
These stores focus on fresh fruit, vegetables, milk, bread, and household cleaning supplies. They make everyday grocery trips fast and easy.
Past Store Concepts
Walmart once tested stores named Supermercado de Walmart to serve Hispanic neighborhoods in Texas and Arizona. It also tried a wholesale shop called Más Club.
The company briefly tested small shops called Walmart Express in little towns. It also owned the Amigo supermarkets chain in Puerto Rico before selling it in 2022.
Shopper Services and Programs
In 2006, Walmart started selling helpful generic medicine for only $4 per prescription. This program helped families afford important health supplies from makers like Ranbaxy Laboratories and Cipla.
Walmart tried a digital movie store before turning to other entertainment services.
In 2015, Walmart launched curbside grocery pickup. Workers pack items into cars for free.
Walmart tested package delivery to homes with drivers from Uber and Lyft.
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Walmart launched its Walmart+ membership program to offer free home delivery, fuel savings, and video streaming.
Stores Across the United States
Walmart operates stores in every single state across the nation:
- In Texas, Walmart runs hundreds of Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets.
- In Florida, shoppers visit hundreds of stores and Sam's Club clubs.
- In California, Walmart operates hundreds of busy retail locations.
- In Arkansas, the company maintains stores and its main corporate home.
- Smaller states like Vermont, Delaware, and Rhode Island also have Walmart stores.
Walmart International
Walmart International manages thousands of shops in 19 countries outside the United States. Chris Nicholas leads this global team.
Central and South America
Walmart operates hundreds of stores in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
In Chile, Walmart owns stores under the name Walmart Chile, including popular Lider supermarkets.
In Mexico, Walmart runs Walmart de México y Centroamérica, operating Bodega Aurrera shops and Supercenters.
Walmart previously owned supermarket chains like Bompreço in Brazil and Changomas in Argentina.
Canada and Africa
In Canada, Walmart Canada runs hundreds of Supercentres and discount stores headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario. The first Canadian stores opened after Walmart bought Woolco from the Woolworth group.
In Africa, Walmart bought Massmart Holdings Ltd in Johannesburg, South Africa. It runs stores in countries like Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, and Zambia.
Asia
Walmart operates hundreds of stores and warehouse clubs across China. The company built a special center in Beijing to protect food safety.
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In India, Walmart worked with Bharti Enterprises and bought a majority of the online store Flipkart. Through Flipkart, it supports popular shopping apps like Myntra and travel sites like Cleartrip. Walmart also owns a major share of the payment platform PhonePe.
Walmart had stores in Indonesia with Lippo Group and in Germany with Wertkauf, which closed due to regional business changes.
United Kingdom and Japan
In the United Kingdom, Walmart owned the grocery chain Asda in Leeds for many years before selling most of its shares.
In Japan, Walmart owned the Seiyu supermarket company before selling most of its ownership to KKR and Rakuten.
The company follows strict business conduct laws and works carefully with international officials to keep trade fair.
Sam's Club
Sam's Club is a membership warehouse where families and business owners buy items in large packs. The very first club opened in 1983 in Midwest City, Oklahoma. The chain was named after company founder Sam Walton.
Global eCommerce
Walmart's online division is based in California, with technology hubs in San Bruno and Sunnyvale. It also operates global tech offices in Shanghai, Leeds, and Bangalore.
Products, Brands, and Online Growth
Store Brands
Walmart sells many popular private brands made specially for its shelves. In 1991, it introduced Sam's Choice drinks created with Primo Water. Today, families often buy Great Value food, Equate health items, and Parent's Choice baby supplies.
Online Shopping Growth
Walmart expanded online by buying websites like Jet.com, Hayneedle, and outdoor shop Moosejaw. These digital tools let customers order products to their doors or pick them up at neighborhood stores.
How Is the Company Run?
The main Walmart headquarters is located in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company built a campus with bike trails and modern offices for 15,000 workers.
Walmart calls its workers "associates." Friendly greeters welcome shoppers at the doors. Workers wear vests featuring the spark symbol.
The company uses smart tracking systems so items move directly from factories to store shelves. Customers can also order items on the internet and pick them up using the Site-to-Store service.
Company Leaders
Walmart is guided by a board of directors. Greg Penner serves as the chairman, and John Furner serves as president and CEO.
Board members include leaders from business and technology:
- Gregory B. Penner, chairman of Walmart
- Cesar Conde, media leader with NBCUniversal
- Timothy P. Flynn, financial expert from KPMG
- Sarah Friar, technology leader at OpenAI
- Carla A. Harris, investment advisor at Morgan Stanley
- Tom Horton, leader who guided American Airlines
- Marissa A. Mayer, technology executive from Yahoo!
- Doug McMillon, former chief executive of Walmart
- Bob Moritz, accounting leader with PwC
- Brian Niccol, chief executive of Starbucks
- Randall Stephenson, former leader of AT&T
- S. Robson "Rob" Walton, former board chairman
- Steuart Walton, business investor
Years ago, leader Don Soderquist helped preserve the company's traditions and friendly values.
Competitors
Walmart competes with other large stores. In North America, rivals include Target, Kroger, Aldi, Meijer, and Trader Joe's. It also competes with warehouse clubs like Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club. Online, it competes closely with internet shopping sites.
Modern Technology and Helpful Tools
Walmart Global Tech builds software and systems that power stores worldwide.
Artificial Intelligence Tools
Walmart teamed up with OpenAI so shoppers can find items using ChatGPT. It also worked with Gemini so families can discover items through smart digital conversations.
Open Software and Big Data
Walmart programmers share helpful coding projects on GitHub under the Apache license. The company uses computer systems to track store shelves and predict which supplies families will need during snowstorms or holidays.
Helpful Robots in Warehouses
Walmart uses smart robots to organize warehouse boxes and clean floors. The company partnered with Symbotic to build fast sorting machines that send packages quickly to homes and stores.
Helping Communities and Economic Impact
Walmart supports communities during emergencies. During Hurricane Katrina and the health crisis, it gave food, medicine, and millions of dollars to aid families.
Economists note that Walmart helps families save money on food, clothing, and household goods. These savings help shoppers stretch their family budgets. The company also buys goods from American factories to support domestic jobs. Through its Live Better U program, Walmart helps its workers earn high school diplomas and college degrees for free.
Walmart continues to install solar energy and work with suppliers to protect rivers and forests.
Sports and School Sponsorships
Walmart supports sports programs and athletic events. It is an official partner of Major League Soccer and tournament matches. In Canada, Walmart Canada supports soccer teams, with athlete Jonathan David acting as an ambassador. The company also supports the Arkansas Razorbacks athletic teams at the University of Arkansas.
Images for kids
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Trying out a virtual reality training setup at a Walmart Academy in Texas.
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Map showing the distribution of Walmart stores across the United States.
Related Pages
In Spanish: Walmart para niños
- Big-box store
- Lukas Walton
- Walmart greeter
- Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach
- Walmarting
