Walmart History Essay

History Walmart Stores Inc, which is popularly branded and referred to as Walmart was first established in 1962. This is the year that the first Walmart store opened its doors to customers. Prior to this, Sam Walton, the founder of the store had operated a store called Walton’s 5 & 10 (Gereffi and Christian 576). The store was located in Bentonville, Arkansas and later became the company’s headquarters. In the early years, the company was regional as Sam Walton focused on growing it locally. In five years, the company had opened 24 branches, across Arkansas. This growth was driven by the high demand for retail products in the rural market, which was largely untapped (Riffel). This ensured that Walmart continued on a steady growth trajectory over the next decade.

At this time, the company had grown to 38 stores and over 1,400 employees. The company was listed in the New York Stock Exchange in 1970 and its shares then began to be traded publicly. Soon, the company expanded to other states including Kansa, Oklahoma, Missouri and Louisiana. However, the increasing demand for the product the company offered led to its expansion to the national platform. While marking its 25th anniversary in 1987, the company was operating over 1,100 stores and was continually growing in terms of revenue (Gereffi and Christian 576). As the company continued to grow, expansion into the international market was inevitable. Brazil, Argentina and the UK were among the first targets for Walmart (Riffel). Currently, Walmart operates in 27 countries, with over 11,000 stores and is continually acquiring new stores in more countries (Gereffi and Christian 576). In terms of revenue, Walmart ranks first globally and is employs over 2 million people from a variety of nationalities. The company continues to expand its reach and has invested heavily in growth