Walmart Inc

Walmart Inc. is a major American multinational retail corporation that operates a network of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery outlets across the United States and 23 additional countries. Its headquarters is located in Bentonville, Arkansas. Founded in 1962 by brothers Sam Walton and James "Bud" Walton in nearby Rogers, Arkansas, the company also owns and manages Sam's Club retail warehouses.

As of October 31, 2022, Walmart boasts 10,586 stores and clubs in 24 countries, functioning under 46 distinct brand names. It ranks as the world's largest company by revenue, as listed in the Fortune Global 500 in October 2022. Furthermore, Walmart holds the title of the largest private employer globally, with 2.1 million employees. As a publicly traded family-owned entity, Walmart is primarily governed by the Walton family, whose heirs collectively own over 50 percent of the company through their holding firm, Walton Enterprises, and their individual stakes.

Walmart made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange in 1972. By 1988, it had established itself as the most profitable retailer in the U.S. and achieved the title of the largest in terms of revenue by October 1989. Initially limited geographically to the Southern and lower Midwest regions, Walmart expanded to coast-to-coast stores by the early 1990s. Sam's Club opened its first location in New Jersey in November 1989, and the first California outlet commenced operations in Lancaster in July 1990. A Walmart store in York, Pennsylvania, marked the first main store inauguration in the Northeast in October 1990.

Walmart's international investments have yielded mixed outcomes. Its operations and subsidiaries in Canada, the United Kingdom, Central America, Chile, and China have thrived; however, its efforts in Germany, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and Argentina have ended in failure.