[divider height="20"]
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers worldwide by offering quality affordable merchandise that helps people live better in every way they count. In fiscal 2017, Walmart operated 4,813 supercenters in 28 countries. Our broad assortment includes apparel, general merchandise, grocery, health and beauty aids, hardware and home improvement products, pet supplies, toys and books. Walmart employs 2.3 million Associates worldwide. You can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Walmart+ is a rival service that offers free shipping and discounts on grocery purchases. In addition to offering a similar selection of products, Walmart+ also boasts some unique features like early access to exclusive deals, same-day delivery on eligible online orders, discounted access on Express two-hour delivery options, and savings on fuel. But what makes it different from Amazon Prime? Here are five things you need to know about Walmart+.
1. First Dibs on Must-Have Deals
The biggest difference between Walmart+ and Amazon Prime is that Walmart+ gives customers the opportunity to shop for deals even earlier than Prime members do. This includes exclusive deals, such as $5 off a $25 purchase on certain brands of diapers.
2. Same-Day Delivery
In contrast to Amazon Prime, where deliveries come within one day, Walmart+ delivers within three hours. However, Walmart+ does not offer same-day delivery on every product. Instead, it focuses on delivering essentials, like food, medicine, household supplies, and pet care.
3. Fuel Savings
With Walmart+, you’ll save money on gas thanks to the fact that you don’t pay for gas while shopping. You just pay for the merchandise and the cost of delivery. If you’re worried about paying for gas while shopping, Walmart+ allows you to set up auto payment plans.
4. Early Access to Exclusive Deals
Walmart+’s exclusive deals include items like baby wipes, laundry detergent, and dish soap. These deals aren’t available to everyone, but they can be accessed through your smartphone or tablet before anyone else.
5. No Shipping Fees
Unlike with Amazon Prime, there’s no fee for using Walmart+ when you order more than $35 worth of goods. The only exception is if you live in an area that doesn’t have a store near you.
Amazon has been working hard to make its own drone delivery system work. Now, it’s ready to test out its new delivery drones in real life.
According to Business Insider, Amazon will begin testing its new delivery drones in Seattle this week. The company already has its own patent for a “delivery drone” and began quietly developing the project last year.
Amazon says it will use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to drop off packages during peak hours, when package volume is high and ground transport isn’t efficient. It could take weeks for the FAA to approve these tests, which will start in Seattle first.
Amazon says it wants to eventually expand the program to other cities across the U.S., including New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Amazon’s plan is to use the drones to deliver small packages in 30 minutes or less. They would carry smaller packages weighing up to 5 pounds — much lighter than today’s drones.
The drones would fly at around 50 mph and reach heights of 1,000 feet above the ground.
Amazon says it won’t charge any extra fees for its drone delivery services.
The retail giant says it hopes to launch its drone delivery service by 2018.
It’s unclear how much Amazon will spend on its own drone delivery system.
How much is Walmart+?
Walmart announced today it’s launching a membership program called Walmart+. You can pay $99 per year for access to movies, TV shows, music, games, news, cooking tips, fitness advice, and more. There are no ads and members receive unlimited free shipping. A one-time fee gets you three months of access, while a yearly subscription gives you access forever.
You can pay either once upfront or monthly. If you choose monthly payments, there’s a $12.95 monthly fee (about $1.50 per month), plus taxes and fees. For those paying upfront, there’s no monthly fee, but you’ll pay a one-time $99 fee.
The service is designed to compete with Amazon Prime, which costs $119 per year. But Walmart says it offers something unique: “Membership includes thousands of digital videos and songs, including exclusive originals like ‘Cooked Right’ and ‘On My Feet,’ along with award-winning documentaries, kids programming, live events, original series and more.”
How does Walmart+ compare to Amazon Prime?
Amazon’s Prime membership isn’t cheap — it starts at $119 per year — but there are some perks that make it worth it. One of those perks is Amazon Prime Video, which gives members unlimited access to thousands of movies and TV episodes. If you love watching movies, it makes sense to pay $12 more per month to watch as many as you want.
However, Amazon Prime doesn’t stop there. Members can also listen to songs from Amazon Music Unlimited for free, while they wait for their next shipment. There’s no monthly fee for Amazon Music Unlimited either, making it one of the cheapest ways to stream music online. In addition, shoppers can use Amazon Subscribe & Save to save money on hundreds of items they regularly buy.
If you don’t want to spend much time browsing, you can just sign up for Amazon Fresh, which delivers groceries straight to your door. All you have to do is place an order once every week, and you’ll receive a notification whenever your delivery day arrives.
The biggest downside to Amazon Prime is that it’s limited to people living within certain areas, such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Boston, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Phoenix, Seattle, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Denver, Salt Lake City, Kansas City, Columbus, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Nashville, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Las Vegas, San Diego, Sacramento, Long Island, Providence, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dayton, Indianapolis, Toledo, Grand Rapids, Richmond, Norfolk, Greensboro, Jacksonville, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Albuquerque, El Paso, Fresno, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, San Jose, San Juan, Anchorage, Boise, Corpus Christi, Des Moines, Hartford, Huntsville, Jackson, Mobile, Mesa, Montgomery, Newark, Northern Virginia, Orange County, Panama City, Pensacola, Reno, Riverside, Rochester, Scranton, Syracuse, Tulsa, Vancouver, and Wilmington.
Working at Walmart
We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to everyone. We do not discriminate against qualified individuals because of race, religion, color, sex including pregnancy, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, genetic information, disability, marital status, amnesty history or political affiliation.
Distribution Centers
Walmart operates 210 distribution centers throughout the United States. These facilities serve as hubs of activity for our businesses. We operate one of the largest distribution networks in the world and ship general merchandise and dry grocery products to our customers every day. A major part of our logistics strategy is to ensure we can respond quickly to local needs in times of emergency. This includes stocking up on supplies during disasters like hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes. In addition, our distribution centers are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and are well suited to handle large volumes of goods.
Walmart
Wal-Mart Discount City (also known as “WDC”) was founded in 1962. In 1969, it merged with Sam Walton’s first retail venture, Sam Walton’s Clothes Co., creating the largest retailer in America. In 1970, Walmart became a publicly traded corporation. Its initial public offering raised $100 million. By 1973, the company had opened its first store outside of Arkansas. During the 1980s, the company expanded aggressively throughout the United States. In 1990, it acquired rival chain Kmart. In 1993, it began selling gasoline under the name Wawa. In 1994, it entered into a joint venture with Carrefour, France’s second-largest grocery retailer. In 1997, it purchased Asda Stores, Britain’s third-largest supermarket chain. In 1998, it bought another British grocer, TK Maxx. In 1999, it sold off its stake in the joint venture. In 2000, it added Canada’s Safeway to its portfolio. In 2001, it announced plans to open stores in China. In 2002, it sold its interest in TK Maxx. Also in 2002, it launched its first international division, called International Division. In 2003, it acquired several smaller retailers, including SuperValu, Southeastern Grocers, and Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company. In 2004, it bought a majority interest in Brazil’s Wal-Mart de Brasil. In 2005, it bought out the remaining shares of the joint venture. In 2006, it bought out the rest of the Brazilian business. In 2007, it bought out the remainder of the Chinese business. In 2008, it bought out the Canadian business. In 2009, it bought out the Australian business. In 2010, it bought out the Mexican business. In 2011, it bought out the South Korean business. In 2012, it bought out the Indian business. In 2013, it bought out the Japanese business. In 2014, it bought out the German business. In 2015, it bought out the French business. In 2016, it bought out the Dutch business. In 2017, it bought out the Swedish business. In 2018, it bought out the Swiss business. In 2019, it bought out the Austrian business.
History
The story of Walmart began in 1962 when Sam Walton founded a small chain of five family-owned discount stores called Sam’s Club. In 1969, Sam and his wife Helen moved the headquarters of the company to Bentonville, Arkansas, where it continues today.
In the early days, Sam Walton focused on retailing goods at low prices. He believed that customers would pay full price for items they needed and that discounts would encourage people to buy things they didn’t necessarily want or need. During the 1960s and 1970s, Wal-Mart operated primarily under the slogan, “Every day low prices.”
By the 1980s, Wal-Mart had become one of America’s largest retailers, and it expanded into grocery and general merchandise. By 1990, it had grown to include over 2,200 stores across the United States and Canada.
Over the course of the 20th century, Wal-Mart grew rapidly, acquiring smaller rivals such as Kmart, T.J. Maxx, and Home Depot. Many critics say that Wal-Mart’s growth reflects poorly on American capitalism. They argue that Wal-Mart exploits workers and uses unfair labor practices to cut costs. Others counter that Wal-Mart provides jobs and benefits to many Americans.
Sam Walton died in 1992. After his death, his son Rob took control of the company and changed the direction of the company towards a much larger emphasis on groceries. Although the company continued to expand, it did not grow nearly as fast as it had during Sam Walton’s lifetime.
In 2002, Wal-Mart acquired rival retailer Target Corporation for $72 billion in stock. As part of the deal, Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel became chairman of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s board of directors. On January 23, 2005, Wal-Mart announced that it would acquire another large competitor, BJ’s Wholesale Club, for $11.3 billion.
On May 9, 2010, Wal-Mart reported annual earnings of $13.6 billion, compared to $16.9 billion the previous year. Its net income rose to $5.8 billion, or $1.74 per diluted share, compared to $4.7 billion, or $1 per diluted share, in 2009. Sales climbed 4% to $485.2 billion, while same-store sales fell 0.3%.
1969–1990: Incorporation and growth as a regional power
Walmart grew rapidly during the 1990s, becoming one of the world’s leading retailers. In 2004, Forbes magazine named Walmart the “world’s most admired corporation,” based on customer satisfaction surveys conducted by Harris Interactive. At the end of 2005, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. operated 4,945 retail units worldwide, including 2,839 inside the United States. Its revenues totaled $448.5 billion in 2005, making it the second-largest retailer in the world behind Carrefour SA of France.
By the early 2000s, Walmart had become the world’s largest retailer, surpassing Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P). However, A&P continued to grow in the following decade because it did not face competition from low-cost foreign competitors such as Wal-Mart, Target Corporation, Costco Wholesale Corp., and Home Depot, Inc..
In 2004, Walmart surpassed Kmart as the nation’s largest discount chain.
The company began expanding internationally in 1993, opening several stores in Latin America and Asia. In 1997, Walmart entered China through a joint venture with Beijing Guanxi Investment Holding Co. Ltd. and established its first international distribution center there. In 1998, Walmart acquired Asda, the British subsidiary of Australia’s Wesfarmers Ltd., for £3.2 billion ($4.7 billion).
In 2001, Walmart launched its first supercenter format in the United States, followed by a Neighborhood Market concept in 2002. Supercenters are larger than traditional superstores, while Neighborhood Markets are smaller versions of full-sized supermarkets. They offer groceries, general merchandise, pharmacy, gasoline stations, restaurants, and banking facilities.
In 2003, Walmart introduced its first dollar stores in the United States, known as Family Dollar locations. These stores sell products priced at $1 each or less. In 2006, Walmart purchased 51% of Flipkart, India’s largest online market place, for $16 billion. This deal gave Walmart access to the Indian e-commerce market.
On September 16, 2007, Walmart announced plans to acquire rival Sam’s Club for $11.6 billion, creating the world’s biggest retailer. The acquisition closed on December 31, 2008.
1990–2005: Retail rise to multinational status
Walmart spent about $1 billion on renewable power sources during those years, including wind farms in Iowa, Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee. By 2006, the company had installed enough solar panels to generate one megawatt of electricity.
In 2009, Walmart began purchasing electricity generated by wind turbines built in Canada.
The company also developed a program called “Project Greenlight,” which encouraged employees to use less paper, water and chemicals. They also offered incentives such as gift cards to customers for recycling products like batteries and light bulbs.
Walmart even experimented with selling hybrid cars to employees.
2005–2010: Initiatives
Walmart announced several environmental initiatives in early 2006. Its primary goal was to spend $500 million a year over five years to increase fuel economy in its trucks by 25 percent over three and double it within ten. This initiative required significant changes in how the company operated, including reducing the number of stores open 24 hours per day and closing some underperforming locations.
The company also set up a green purchasing program and began working toward meeting the standards of the Energy Star Program. To meet these requirements, Walmart invested in equipment upgrades, such as refrigerators and freezers that use less electricity and water. The company also improved lighting and air conditioning systems, installed high-efficiency dryers in its laundry facilities, and replaced incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights.
In addition, the company worked to make its stores greener. For example, it converted many of its restrooms into public rest rooms and eliminated paper towels and plastic bags.
Branding and store design changes
Walmart Inc. announced plans to remodel about 4,200 U.S. stores over the next three years, starting with the introduction of a new look into its stores. The retailer said it wanted to make its stores easier to navigate and offer customers a greater selection of products. It also planned to improve customer service and lower prices.
The plan came just weeks after the company reported disappointing quarterly earnings due to falling sales. CEO Michael Duke told investors during a conference call that the company needed to change how it marketed itself to attract younger shoppers.
On April 28, 2007, Walmart opened its first store under the new branding in Plano, Texas. The store includes a sushi restaurant, a wine shop, a jewelry counter, a computer repair center, and a health clinic where customers can receive flu shots. The store also features televisions mounted above shelves displaying product information. Customers can use touch screens to find items such as clothing and groceries.
In addition to the Plano store, Walmart opened several others throughout the United States, including one in New York City. Other locations include Atlanta; Baltimore; Boston; Chicago; Dallas/Fort Worth; Denver; Houston; Los Angeles; Miami; Minneapolis; Nashville; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco; Seattle; Tampa Bay, Florida; Tucson, Arizona; Washington D.C.; and West Palm Beach, Florida.
By late July, the company had completed renovations in 5,700 stores nationwide, according to media reports.
Acquisitions and employee benefits
On March 20, 2009, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced that it was paying out bonuses to every full and partial-time hourly store associate in the United States. The total bonus pool amounted to approximately $1 billion, paid out over three pay periods totaling six weeks. Each store received anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 per employee. The money came from the company’s profits, which totaled about $4.3 billion in 2008.
Walmart had been criticized for years for paying low wages and offering little incentive to employees. But in 2007, the company began giving bonuses to workers after record sales. By 2009, it was paying out $10,000 bonuses to some associates, up from $2,000 in 2006. At the same time, the company was cutting back on health insurance costs for employees, making it easier for them to qualify for coverage under federal law.
In February 2010, Wal-Mart bought video-streaming firm Vudu, Inc., for an estimated $100million. The deal gave the world’s largest retailer access to a growing market of online movie rentals. Vudu had already raised $130 million from investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ investment vehicle, Bezos Expeditions LLC.
In May 2011, Walmart acquired the Israeli start-up Zeekit for $200 million. The company makes software that allows shoppers to try clothes on virtually before buying them. The technology could help retailers better understand what consumers want, helping them improve customer service and marketing campaigns.
The acquisition followed a similar one earlier in the year, when Walmart purchased Jet.com for $3.3 billion.
2011–2019
In 2006, Walmart began piloting its Neighborhood Market concept in several markets across the United States. These stores combined groceries with pharmacies, electronics, furniture, clothing, toys, books, pet supplies, and general merchandise. They were designed to offer convenient shopping options for people living in neighborhoods without nearby grocery stores. By 2010, Walmart had opened about 500 Neighborhood Markets nationwide.
The company announced plans to expand the number of locations to 2,500 stores by 2012. This plan included opening up to 1,000 new Supercenters, as well as remodeling existing ones.
On August 14, 2013, Walmart announced that it would be acquiring 77 percent of Flipkart, India’s leading e-commerce website, for $16 billion. The deal closed on September 4, 2014.
2020s: Continuing growth and development
In the early 2000s, Walmart experienced rapid expansion and growth, which led to a number of changes within the company. From 2002 to 2004, Walmart grew from $90 billion to $120 billion. During this period, Walmart became one of the largest retailers in the world, overtaking Target and Costco. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing; there were challenges along the way.
The decade saw a lot of change, including a shift away from traditional retailing towards eCommerce. There were also major issues such as the Great Recession, which hit hard throughout the United States. As well, there was the rise of Amazon, which began to challenge Walmart’s dominance in online retailing.
Operating divisions
As of 2016, Walmart’s operating divisions include Walmart U.S., Sam’s Club, Walmart International, and Global eCommerce. The company operates 4,921 retail locations in the United States, including 2,766 supercenters, 1,836 neighborhood markets, and 875 Sam’s Clubs.
In addition, Walmart owns over 10 million shares of stock in Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and another 5.2 million shares of stock in Sam Walton Company, both publicly traded companies.
Walmart U.S.
The retailer is the world’s largest corporation based on revenue, employing 2.3 million people worldwide and generating $521 billion in annual revenues. In addition to its namesake chain, it operates Sam’s Club, Asda stores in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Northern Marianas, American Samoa, Wallis and Futuna, Niue, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Tahiti, Easter Island, Falkland Islands, Antarctica, Guyana, Greenland, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, DRC, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Western Sahara, Comoros, Seychelles, Maldives, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
Walmart Supercenter
Supercenters are hypermarkets with sizes ranging from 69,000 to 270,000 square feet (about 6,400 to 24,600 square meters), but average about 178,000 square foot (16,500 square meter). They carry groceries, clothing, hardware, electronics, toys, furniture, sporting goods, home improvement items, auto parts, pet supplies, books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, video games, household appliances, food products, and many other items.
Many supercenters also include a full-service supermarket featuring meats, produce, dairy, frozen foods, deli, bakery, prepared meals, snacks, beverages, health and beauty aids, pharmacy, and a variety of grocery store staples. Supercenters typically offer one or more convenience stores such as Circle K, 7-Eleven, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Mobil, Marathon, Amoco, Texaco, Chevron, Phillips 66, Valero Energy, and others, as well as a full-service restaurant, usually a fast-food chain such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Arby’s, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Jamba Juice, Panera Bread, Krispy Kreme, Cold Stone Creamery, Sonic Drive-In, Baskin-Robbins, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews, Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr., Jack in the Box, IHOP, A&W Restaurants, Denny’s, Applebee’s, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Olive Garden, TGI Friday’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Bonefish Grill, Long John Silver’s Seafood Restaurant, Longhorn Steakhouse, Ruby Tuesday, Texas de Brazil, Outback Steakhouse, Bennigan’s, Chilis Mexican Kitchen, El Torito, Moe Joe’s Southwest Grill, Ponderosa Steak House, and others.
Some supercenters also offer a variety of additional services including laundromats, dry cleaners, car repair shops, tire centers, banks, ATMs, pharmacies, medical clinics, hair salons, nail salons, tanning salons, photo studios, and other retail businesses.
The term “superstore” refers to a larger version of a traditional discount department store, often found in suburban areas. Unlike regular discount department stores, however, superstores generally do not offer any shopping services beyond those offered at conventional supermarkets; although they sometimes provide limited services such as a bank branch, a post office box rental, and a copy center.
A few superstores also offer a wider selection of consumer electronics, computers, computer peripherals, and related accessories, along with a separate section dedicated to home theater equipment, televisions, and audio systems.
Most superstores are located near major highways, allowing customers easy access to nearby neighborhoods. Some superstores are enclosed malls, while others are freestanding buildings. Most superstores are anchored by a large anchor tenant, such as Target, Best Buy, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Sears, OfficeMax, Staples, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, Pier 1 Imports, TJ Maxx, Ross Dress For Less, and/or Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Walmart Discount Store
The term “discount retail chain” refers to large retailers such as Wal-Mart, Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Sam’s Club. These chains usually operate under the name “Discount” or “Wal-Mart” in smaller towns and cities where there is no local competition. Some larger stores offer groceries, hardware, clothing, furniture, toys, sporting goods, books and music.
These stores offer low prices and often sell items that are hard to find anywhere else. Most of these stores are located in rural areas, but some are located near urban areas. Some of these stores specialize in certain products, while others sell almost anything.
In addition to selling merchandise, many of these stores also provide customer service, including repair facilities, pharmacies, food courts, dry cleaners, car rental agencies, gas stations, banks, and even health clinics.
Walmart International
As of July 31, 2022, Walmart plans to hire about 880,000 employees in over 25 countries outside the US. This includes hiring about 600,000 people in Mexico, where it already employs nearly half a million. About 200,000 of those jobs are expected to go unfilled because there aren’t enough qualified applicants.
The announcement came just days after President Trump signed a deal with Mexico aimed at stopping illegal immigration into the US. In return for $1.3 billion in aid, Mexico agreed to step up enforcement along its southern border with Guatemala and El Salvador, while the US pledged to build the wall.
Walmart says that the majority of positions will be filled through internal promotions and transfers. But some roles will require candidates to relocate to one of the company’s foreign offices.
To apply, you’ll need to submit a resume via email and upload a cover letter and salary requirements. You can apply online starting today.
But don’t start packing just yet — the company says it won’t make any final decisions until next spring.
Central America Walmart
Walmart also owns 51 percent of CARHCO, which, according to the company’s most recent 10K filing, operates under four banners—Paiz, Despensa Familar, Maxi Dispensa, and Walmart Supercenter—in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize. In addition, it controls Carrefour S.A., which operates under the Carrefour banner in Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy, Antigua & Barbuda, Montserrat, Anguilla, Turks & Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, and the United States.
Chile Walmart
Gourmet Giant Buys Biggest Grocer in Latin America”
In 2008, Chilean food giant Empresas CMPC bought the supermarket chain Mercadona, the leading grocery retailer in Chile. The acquisition gave it control over one third of all supermarkets in the country. In 2011, the company changed its name to Grupo Bimbo SAB de CV.
The following year, it launched another major expansion into Brazil, where it entered the market through a joint venture with Brazilian retail group BRF. The deal allowed the latter to open up to 10 hypermarkets and 2,500 stores under the Bimbo brand.
Mexico Walmart
Walmart plans to open 299 stores across Mexico over the next five years, according to a report published by Bloomberg News. The retailer announced it would invest $1 billion in Mexico over the next three years, including $500 million in fiscal 2020 alone.
The announcement came as part of Walmart’s plan to spend $10 billion in Latin America over the next five years. In addition to opening 299 stores in Mexico, the company plans to expand its presence in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
In August 2018, Walmart opened its first store in Mexico City. By October 2018, it had expanded to 16 cities in Mexico.
Canada Walmart
Walmart began operating in Canada in 1994 when it purchased the assets of Woolworth Canada, including the Canadian operations of the former chain of department stores called Woolco. The company had already sold off most of the US store divisions to K mart. In 2004, the company expanded into Quebec by purchasing La Maison Simons. By 2009, the company owned over 200 stores throughout Canada.
In 2013, Walmart opened up shop in Ontario and Alberta, bringing the total number of stores to 242, making it the third largest retailer in Canada behind Loblaw Companies Limited and Metro Inc.
On October 10, 2017, Walmart announced plans to acquire Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation for $13.4 billion. This deal closed on December 20, 2017.
In 2018, Walmart announced plans to open its first Supercenter in Toronto, Ontario.
As of August 30, 2019, Walmart operates 342 stores across Canada. These include 243 Supercenters and 99 discount stores.
Africa Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) announced on Tuesday that it had agreed to acquire Massmart Holdings Ltd., one of South Africa’s largest retailers, for approximately $4.3 billion. The acquisition gives the world’s biggest retailer its first foothold in Africa, where it plans to open up to 400 stores across the continent over the next decade.
The announcement marks another milestone for Walmart, which has been steadily expanding into emerging markets around the globe. Last month, it bought Indian e-commerce firm Flipkart for about $16 billion. And earlier this year, the company acquired Jet.com, a New York City–based online retail site focused on selling fashion and home goods, for about $3.3 billion. In 2016, Walmart opened its first store in China.
As part of the transaction, Massmart shareholders will receive 0.726 shares of Walmart stock for each Massmart share held, representing a premium of roughly 11% to Massmart’s closing price of R1.91 on Monday. The transaction values Massmart at approximately $6.5 billion, based on the average trading volume during the five days prior to the announcement.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in a statement that the acquisition would give the company access to a large population of consumers in Africa and boost sales growth there. He added that the move would help the company expand into new international markets while maintaining strong margins.
“We know that our success depends on being able to compete effectively against global rivals like Amazon,” he said. “This acquisition allows us to accelerate our strategy to become a leading provider of affordable everyday essentials to customers throughout sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.”
Massmart operates nearly 300 stores under brands such as Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Spar, Checkers, Shoprite Checkers, Carrefour, Woolworths, and Shoprite. Its portfolio includes supermarkets, hypermarkets, department stores, specialty stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, liquor stores, hardware stores, and clothing stores.
Walmart executives are optimistic about the potential impact of the acquisition. They believe that the company could eventually sell products directly to African shoppers via mobile devices, allowing it to bypass local distributors.
China Walmart
Walmart has joint ventures in China including Baoji Wumart Group Co., Ltd. (BJWM), which operates 72 stores under the Walmart Supermarket banner; Beijing WalMart International Trade Co., Ltd. (BWIT); and Guangzhou Wanjie Retail Holdings Co., Ltd. (GZWR). BWIT operates 36 stores under the Walmart Neighborhood Market banner. BJWM operates 336 stores under the Walmart Superstore banner and GZWR operates 37 stores under the Walmart Express banner.
As of July 31, 2022, Walmart operates 372 stores under the following banners: Walmart Supercenter (336 stores), Sam’s Club (36 stores), Walmart Neighborhood Market (37 stores), Walmart Express (37 stores), and BJWM (72 stores).
In addition, Walmart has majority stakes in several wholly owned subsidiaries. These include Beijing WalMart International Trade Company Limited (51%), Shanghai WalMart International Trade Company (50%), Chongqing Yifang Import & Export Company Limited (100%), Shenzhen WalMart International Trade Company Ltd. (99.9%), Chengdu WalMart International Trade Company Co., Ltd. (98.8%), and Huizhou Wumart Import & Export Company Limited.
India Walmart
Walmart Plans Biggest Retail Push Yet With Flipkart Deal”
Walmart Inc. plans to open about 2,500 stores in India over the next five years, including several hundred in its biggest push into the world’s second-largest economy yet, according to people familiar with the matter.
The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer aims to eventually control half of India’s $1 trillion retail market, with the potential to reach $5 trillion globally within 10 years, the people say. Its latest move could help it compete with Amazon.com Inc., China’s JD.com Inc. and others seeking to expand internationally.
In recent months, the world’s largest retailer has been scouting for sites to build stores, eyeing cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad, according to three sources with knowledge of the discussions. Most recently, it held talks in New Delhi, where officials from both companies met with government representatives, one person said.
Walmart declined to comment.
A spokeswoman for Flipkart didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The company has already opened 150 small format stores across India since launching in 2007, and now operates 5,600 stores.
After completing the acquisition, Walmart will continue to run those shops under its existing brand name, though it will likely add some new ones, according to another source.
