Uncle Sam's army: Walmart in the American imagination
Walmart began as a small mom and pop store in Arkansas in the 1950s and has evolved into one of the largest retailers in the world today. The chain’s major hallmark: selling goods at prices lower than local mom-and-pop stores. (Sources: WEF Reports, Statista, Business Insider, Bloomberg)
Curated By: Madhu Kapparath
Walmart founder Sam Walton purchased his first store - a branch of a local chain called Ben Franklin - in 1945 in Newport, Arkansas. He tapped into low-cost suppliers and passed on the savings to the rural, small town consumer. Though sales boomed and generated revenue, Walton faced lease agreement issues and had to shut shop. But he created history with his new store, ‘Walton's Five and Dime’ that opened in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas in 1950. The store is now the Walmart Museum.
