Walmart Inc. is the largest retail company in the world. The company, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, has thousands of stores in the United States and other countries. Its stores include discount stores, which sell general merchandise; supercenters, which sell groceries and general merchandise and also operate specialty shops and restaurants; and Sam’s Clubs, a chain of warehouse clubs—that is, discount retail stores that charge customers an annual membership fee to shop. Some of Walmart’s stores also offer financial services. Walmart stores also sell merchandise through company websites.
Sam Walton , a retail merchant, along with his brother, James Lawrence Walton, opened the first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962. The chain of stores expanded outside of Arkansas in 1968. In 1970, Walmart became a publicly owned company. The first Sam’s Club opened in Midwest City, Oklahoma, in 1983. Walmart’s first international store, in Mexico City, opened in 1991. Walmart’s international stores operate under a number of different names.
As Walmart has grown, the company has faced criticism over its business practices and its impact on communities. Some critics have argued that Walmart hurts smaller businesses, treats its employees unfairly, and relies too heavily on foreign-made products. Walmart, however, has argued that its stores benefit communities by providing career opportunities and by making goods available at low prices. Walmart has donated large amounts of money to programs that promote education, health care, and other services in the communities where it has stores.
