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Walmart

77 major milestones

American multinational retail corporation operating hypermarkets, discount department stores, grocery stores and Sam's Club; headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. Founded by Sam Walton and James "Bud" Walton.

2 Funding Rounds

Company Timeline

Years 0-4

First Walmart store opens in Rogers, Arkansas

Sam Walton opens the first Wal-Mart Discount City store in Rogers, Arkansas, marking the start of the Walmart chain.

Year 0 • 1962

Second Wal‑Mart store opens in Harrison, AR

Walton opens the second store in Harrison, Arkansas as the chain expands within the state.

Year 2 • 1964

Years 5-9

Walton family owns 24 stores; sales $12.7M

By 1967 Walmart had grown to 24 stores and recorded about $12.6–12.7 million in sales.

Year 5 • 1967

First expansion outside Arkansas

Walmart opens its first stores outside Arkansas (Sikeston, Missouri and Claremore, Oklahoma), beginning regional expansion.

Year 6 • 1968

Company incorporated as Wal‑Mart Stores, Inc.

The company formally incorporates as Wal‑Mart Stores, Inc., consolidating the growing chain under a corporate structure.

Year 7 • 1969

Becomes publicly traded

Walmart begins trading publicly (over-the-counter trading in 1970), enabling capital for expansion; early public share prices reported historically.

Year 8 • 1970

First distribution center and Home Office open in Bentonville

Walmart opens its first distribution center and central home office in Bentonville, Arkansas, centralizing logistics and management.

Year 9 • 1971

Years 10-14

Listed on the New York Stock Exchange (WMT)

Walmart is listed on the New York Stock Exchange; at that time the company had ~51 stores and about $78 million in sales.

Year 10 • 1972

Expansion into Texas; 125 stores and $340.3M sales

Walmart expands into Texas; company reports ~125 stores, 7,500 associates and $340.3 million in sales.

Year 13 • 1975

Years 15-19

First corporate acquisition: Mohr‑Value stores

Walmart makes its first corporate acquisition acquiring Mohr‑Value stores (Missouri and Illinois) and continues geographic expansion.

Year 15 • 1977

Launches pharmacy, auto service and jewelry divisions; acquires Hutcheson Shoe

Walmart diversifies into pharmacy, auto service and jewelry departments and acquires Hutcheson Shoe Company.

Year 16 • 1978

Reaches > $1 billion in annual sales

Walmart surpasses $1 billion in annual sales and reaches ~276 stores across 11 states.

Year 17 • 1979

Hits $1B annual sales milestone (company emphasizes speed of growth)

Walmart reports $1 billion in annual sales (noted as reaching the milestone faster than other companies at the time); 276 stores and ~21,000 employees.

Year 18 • 1980

Years 20-24

First Sam's Club opens (Midwest City, Oklahoma)

Walmart debuts Sam's Club, a membership-based warehouse club format, expanding into wholesale-style retail.

Year 21 • 1983

Launches Buy American program

Walmart starts the 'Buy American' / 'Sam's American Choice' initiatives to stimulate domestic sourcing for some product lines.

Year 23 • 1985

Years 25-29

Becomes most profitable U.S. retailer

By 1988 Walmart is noted as the most profitable retailer in the U.S., and rapidly scaling technology (satellite communications, barcode readers).

Year 26 • 1988

David Glass named CEO; first Walmart Supercenter opens

Sam Walton steps down as CEO, David Glass becomes CEO, and Walmart opens its first Supercenter (Washington, Missouri), combining full supermarket and general merchandise.

Year 26 • 1988

Nationwide footprint achieved (expands into California and coasts)

Walmart expands coast-to-coast and becomes the nation's No. 1 retailer; U.S. sales had quadrupled in the prior five years to ~$32 billion.

Year 28 • 1990

Acquires The McLane Company

Walmart acquires McLane Company, a foodservice distributor (later sold to Berkshire Hathaway in 2003).

Year 28 • 1990

Walmart Visitor Center opens (Sam Walton original store site)

The Walmart Visitor Center opens on the site of Sam Walton's original store as part of company heritage and community engagement.

Year 28 • 1990

First stores outside U.S.: Mexico (joint venture with Cifra)

Walmart begins international expansion with a Sam's Club in Mexico City through a joint venture with Cifra; also acquires Western Merchandisers.

Year 29 • 1991

Years 30-34

Sam Walton awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

President George H. W. Bush presents Sam Walton with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on March 17, 1992.

Year 30 • 1992

Death of founder Sam Walton

Sam Walton dies on April 5, 1992; his son S. Robson (Rob) Walton becomes chairman on April 7, 1992.

Year 30 • 1992

Walmart International Division formed; hits $1 billion sales week

The International Division is created (Bobby Martin named president) and Walmart records its first $1 billion sales week in December 1993.

Year 31 • 1993

Acquires 122 Woolco stores in Canada

Walmart enters Canada by purchasing 122 Woolco stores from Woolworth, accelerating international expansion.

Year 32 • 1994

Nearly 2,000 discount stores; $93.6B sales and 675k associates

By 1995 Walmart reports $93.6 billion in sales, 1,995 discount stores, 239 Supercenters, 433 Sam's Clubs, 276 international stores and ~675,000 associates.

Year 33 • 1995

Launches walmart.com and enters China

Walmart.com is founded to allow U.S. customers to shop online and Walmart opens its first stores in China (joint venture).

Year 34 • 1996

Years 35-39

First $100B+ sales year; added to Dow Jones Industrial Average

Walmart reports its first $100+ billion sales year ($118.1B) and replaces Woolworth on the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Year 35 • 1997

Introduces Neighborhood Market format

Walmart pilots Neighborhood Market (grocery-focused) concept with three stores in Arkansas to compete in supermarket space.

Year 36 • 1998

Acquires ASDA (United Kingdom)

Walmart enters and expands in the UK by acquiring supermarket chain Asda, positioning Walmart internationally.

Year 37 • 1999

H. Lee Scott named CEO; U.S. sales double since 1995

Lee Scott becomes President and CEO in 2000; U.S. sales have grown strongly and global footprint expands.

Year 38 • 2000

Years 40-44

Tops Fortune 500 as largest U.S. company

For the first time Walmart is ranked first on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. companies by revenue.

Year 40 • 2002

Ranked among most admired companies

Walmart is consistently recognized by Fortune as one of the most admired companies (2003–2004 mentions).

Year 41 • 2003

Sales exceed $300B; large global footprint

Walmart reports $312.4 billion in sales, operates thousands of facilities globally and employs over 1.6 million associates.

Year 43 • 2005

Launch of $4 generic prescription program

Walmart launches a $4 generic drug prescription program to lower healthcare costs for customers.

Year 44 • 2006

Begins sustainability commitments and energy experiments

Walmart announces sustainability goals (zero waste, renewable energy, sustainable products) and pilots eco‑stores with wind and solar.

Year 44 • 2006

Years 45-49

Launches Site‑to‑Store service

Walmart.com launches Site to Store, enabling online purchases with in‑store pickup to tie e‑commerce and physical store network together.

Year 45 • 2007

Rebrands with 'Save Money. Live Better.' campaign

Walmart introduces new advertising and the slogan 'Save Money. Live Better.' and commissions research on customer savings.

Year 45 • 2007

Mike Duke becomes CEO; global expansion continues

Mike Duke succeeds Lee Scott as CEO as Walmart continues international investments (e.g., Chile stake) and surpasses $400B in annual sales (reported about this period).

Year 46 • 2008

Legal & safety incident: Valley Stream Black Friday trampling (2008)

Following the November 2008 trampling death of an employee at a Valley Stream, NY store, OSHA cited Walmart for inadequate crowd management; legal action and safety scrutiny followed.

Year 46 • 2008

Unveils new 'Walmart' logo with spark

Walmart debuts a refreshed wordmark and the 'spark' symbol as part of a modernized brand identity.

Year 46 • 2008

50/50 partnership with Bharti for India market

Walmart enters a 50/50 joint venture with Bharti Enterprises to access the Indian retail market.

Year 47 • 2009

Acquires Vudu (video streaming); expands e‑commerce & global programs

Walmart confirms acquisition of Vudu, a video streaming company (reported estimated price ~USD 100M); also Bharti Walmart JV opens first India store (Bharti Walmart).

Year 48 • 2010

Acquires 51% of Massmart (South Africa)

Walmart acquires a majority stake in Massmart, giving access to many African markets; global store count surpasses 10,000 units.

Year 49 • 2011

Years 50-54

50th anniversary

Walmart celebrates 50 years of operations since the first store opened in 1962.

Year 50 • 2012

Commits to buying $250B of US‑made goods over 10 years

Walmart announces a commitment to purchase $250 billion in goods manufactured in the United States over a 10-year period.

Year 51 • 2013

Acquires remaining stake in Bharti Walmart (India) and Best Price wholesale

Walmart acquires Bharti Walmart Private Limited, including Best Price cash & carry operations, consolidating its India presence.

Year 51 • 2013

Employee strikes in major U.S. cities

Walmart employees staged strikes in several major U.S. cities in June 2014 demanding higher wages and better conditions.

Year 52 • 2014

Doug McMillon succeeds Mike Duke as CEO

Doug McMillon becomes CEO of Walmart; Greg Foran becomes President & CEO of Walmart U.S.

Year 52 • 2014

Acquires 100% stake in Yihaodian (China e‑commerce)

Walmart purchases the remaining stake in Chinese e‑commerce firm Yihaodian to strengthen its China online business.

Year 53 • 2015

Announces $2.7B investment in U.S. workforce

Walmart announces a $2.7 billion investment across two years to raise wages and invest in U.S. workforce programs.

Year 53 • 2015

Major associate wage increases for 1.2M associates

As part of a multi‑year, $2.7B U.S. workforce investment, more than 1.2 million Walmart and Sam's Club associates receive pay increases.

Year 54 • 2016

Launches Walmart Pay and Culinary & Innovation Center

Walmart launches Walmart Pay (mobile payment) and opens a Culinary & Innovation Center in Bentonville for product development.

Year 54 • 2016

Acquires Jet.com and Heyneedle; launches training academies

Walmart acquires Jet.com (and Heyneedle subsidiary), opens training Academies, and increases wages for more than 1.2M associates as part of its workforce investment.

Year 54 • 2016

Years 55-59

Acquisitions: Moosejaw, ModCloth, Bonobos, Parcel

Walmart acquires several e‑commerce and specialty brands to broaden online assortment and last‑mile capabilities.

Year 55 • 2017

Free two‑day shipping launched; Store No. 8 tech incubator founded

Walmart launches free two‑day shipping on millions of items and establishes Store No. 8, a technology incubator to advance retail innovation.

Year 55 • 2017

Acquires Parcel (last‑mile delivery) and expands delivery capabilities

Walmart acquires Parcel to accelerate same‑day and last‑mile delivery capabilities in major metro areas.

Year 55 • 2017

Launches Project Gigaton

Walmart launches Project Gigaton asking suppliers to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one gigaton across the supply chain.

Year 55 • 2017

Reorganizes as Walmart Inc.; major digital & M&A moves

Company legal name changes to Walmart Inc. Walmart acquires Flipkart (India) and acquires fashion and e‑commerce assets (Eloquii, Bare Necessities, Art.com); divests Brazil business and pursues UK strategic options.

Year 56 • 2018

Strategic divestitures and refocus of international portfolio

Walmart announced divestiture of Brazil business and pursued UK strategies (including proposed Asda–Sainsbury's merger talks) as part of portfolio optimization.

Year 56 • 2018

Launches Walmart Health pilot (first clinic Dallas, GA)

Walmart opens its first Walmart Health location in Dallas, Georgia, piloting in‑store health clinics for primary care and related services.

Year 57 • 2019

Walmart insources advertising business, launches InHome & NextDay delivery

Walmart establishes Walmart Connect (insourced ad business), launches InHome Delivery pilot and free NextDay delivery options from Walmart.com; opens first Walmart Health clinic.

Year 57 • 2019

Insources advertising business: Walmart Connect

Walmart brings advertising in‑house under Walmart Connect, positioning itself to monetize shopper data and ad inventory.

Year 57 • 2019

Argentina business sold to Grupo de Narváez

Walmart Argentina is acquired by Grupo de Narváez (divestiture of Argentina operations).

Year 58 • 2020

Launches Walmart+ membership program; responds to COVID‑19

Walmart launches membership program Walmart+; during the COVID‑19 pandemic it operates testing centers, sources PPE, adjusts store operations, and provides employee pay/benefits changes.

Year 58 • 2020

Acquires telehealth provider MeMD

Walmart acquires MeMD to expand telehealth offerings for customers and associates.

Year 59 • 2021

Announces Live Better U tuition benefit; $2B green bond offering

Walmart announces plans to pay 100% of college tuition and books for U.S. associates via Live Better U and announces an inaugural $2 billion green bond issuance.

Year 59 • 2021

Sells majority stake in Seiyu; completes Asda sale; invests in fintech & logistics

Walmart sells majority stake in Seiyu (Japan) to KKR and Rakuten, completes sale of Asda (UK), invests in drone delivery, fintech ventures and autonomous vehicle tech; launches GoLocal last‑mile service.

Year 59 • 2021

Administers tens of millions of COVID‑19 vaccines

Walmart and Sam's Club administered tens of millions of COVID‑19 vaccines in the U.S., with ~80% delivered in medically underserved communities.

Year 59 • 2021

Years 60-64

Scales InHome Delivery to 30 million U.S. homes; Project Gigaton passes halfway

Walmart reports InHome Delivery reaches 30 million U.S. homes and Project Gigaton is over halfway to its 1 gigaton supplier emissions reduction goal.

Year 60 • 2022

Fortune Global 500: world's largest company by revenue (Oct 2022)

Walmart is listed as the world's largest company by revenue on the Fortune Global 500; company reported being the largest private employer with ~2.1 million employees.

Year 60 • 2022

Company experiments with removing self‑checkout from some stores

Walmart pilots removal of self‑checkout systems from select stores, reflecting operational adjustments and customer experience changes.

Year 62 • 2024

Announces building names for new Walmart Home Office campus

Walmart announces names for new Home Office buildings and other facilities (Sam Walton Hall, Walton Family Whole Health and Fitness, and multiple building names reflecting company heritage).

Year 62 • 2024

Continued global operations across ~25 countries (as of 2023–2024)

Walmart operates stores in numerous countries (Canada, Chile, China, India, Mexico, many African and Central American markets), with mixed international results historically.

Year 62 • 2024

Reported fiscal-year revenue (recent historical figure)

Recent published fiscal figures show Walmart generating extremely large annual revenues (example: FY2024 reported ~$648.1B in third‑party reports).

Year 62 • 2024

Celebrates opening of new 350‑acre Home Office campus

Walmart celebrates the opening of a new large Home Office campus (350 acres) in Bentonville with new campus signage and facilities.

Year 63 • 2025

Unveils new brand identity and refreshed spark symbol (new wordmark)

Walmart unveils an updated logo and redesigned 'spark' symbol and a custom wordmark 'Everyday Sans' as part of a brand refresh designed for digital legibility.

Year 63 • 2025