Walmart
Walmart Inc. (formerly Wal-Mart Discount City and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.), is a Bentonville, Arkansas-based "big box" discount department and grocery store chain founded in 1962, based on the success of previous discount stores operated by founder Sam Walton.
By the late 1960s, Walton had opened 18 Wal-Mart stores in Arkansas and one each in Missouri and Oklahoma. He incorporated the chain as Wal-Mart Inc. and built a distribution center and headquarters office in Bentonville. The company's shares debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in 1970. By 1975 it was operating 125 stores in 9 states generating $340.3 million in sales. By 1987 those numbers had grown to 1,198 stores with sales of $15.9 billion. The year the chain opened its first "Hyper-Mart" concept which included groceries, a pharmacy, and a video arcade. That concept later spread as "Wal-Mart Supercenters," which eventually replaced all but a handful of the original "Discount Stores".
David Glass succeeded Walton as CEO in 1988. The company surpassed Sears and Kmart as the highest-earning retailer in the U.S. in 1990. The chain expanded into Mexico and Canada in the next few years, followed by South American and Europe. The "Neighborhood Market", focused on competing with local grocery stores, debuted in 1998. H. Lee Scott succeeded Glass as CEO in 2000. By 2005 the chain reported $312.4 billion in sales from 6,200 locations.
In 1992 the company had replaced the hyphen in its logo with a five-pointed star. In 2008 the star was replaced with a 6-pointed asterisk shape and moved alongside the single word "Walmart". As part of the change the "Supercenter" name was phased out.
As of 2022 Walmart was operating from 144 retail locations in Alabama, including 101 Supercenters, 28 Neighborhood Markets, and 13 Sam's Clubs.
Related ventures
- Sam's Club, a warehouse-style discount retail chain launched in 1983
- Walmart Neighborhood Market, a grocery chain launched in 1998
- Murphy USA, a gas station chain long associated with Walmart
- Walmart Plus ("Walmart +"), membership program offering online ordering and free home delivery
Locations
Walmart
- Grants Mill Station, Irondale (closed 2007)
- Jasper Supercenter #287: 1801 U.S. Highway 78, Jasper
- Alabaster Supercenter #423: 630 Colonial Promenade Parkway, Alabaster
- Talladega Supercenter #432: 214 Haynes Street, Talladega
- Leeds Supercenter #562: 8551 Whitfield Avenue, Leeds
- Sylacauga Supercenter #730: 41301 U.S. Highway 280, Sylacauga
- Bessemer Supercenter #754: 750 Academy Drive, Bessemer
- Adamsville Supercenter: 2473 Hackworth Road, Adamsville
- Gardendale Supercenter #1201: 890 Odum Road, Gardendale (opened 2003; original location opened in 1984 in Suite 140 in Magnolia City Place)
- Hoover Supercenter #1229: Hoover Promenade, John Hawkins Parkway, Hoover (opened 2003)
- Homewood Supercenter #1481: Wildwood Centre South, Homewood
- Birmingham Supercenter #1711: Eastwood Village, 1600 Montclair Road, Eastwood (opened 2007)
- Hoover Supercenter #2111: 5335 U.S. Highway 280
- Birmingham Supercenter #2713: 5919 Trussville Crossing Parkway
- Sumiton Supercenter #2723: 690 U.S. Highway 78, Sumiton
- Calera Supercenter #3271: 5100 U.S. Highway 31, Calera
- Springville Supercenter #3386: 160 Springville Station Boulevard, Springville
- Chelsea Supercenter #4330: 16077 U.S. Highway 280, Chelsea
- Hueytown Supercenter #4497: 1007 Red Farmer Drive, Hueytown
- Pell City Supercenter #5113: 165 Vaughan Lane, Pell City
- Pelham Supercenter #5262: 2181 Pelham Parkway, Pelham
- The Plaza at Riverchase, Hoover (opened 2003, closed)
- Western Hills Mall, Fairfield (opened 2006, closed 2016)
- 9248 Parkway East, Roebuck (opened 2004)
Sam's Club
- Wildwood Centre South, Homewood
- Grants Mill Road, Irondale (closed)
Walmart Neighborhood Market
- Hoover Neighborhood Market #3184: 3320 Lorna Road, Hoover
- Birmingham Neighborhood Market #3524: 2653 Valleydale Road at Caldwell Mill Road
- Helena Neighborhood Market #4180: 335 Helena Marketplace
- Birmingham Neighborhood Market #4504: Palisades
- Vestavia Hills Neighborhood Market #4580: 1300 Montgomery Highway (Vestavia Hills)
- Alabaster Neighborhood Market #4756: 9085 Alabama State Highway 119, Alabaster
- Birmingham Neighborhood Market #5100 : 1916 Center Point Parkway
- Tuscaloosa Neighborhood Market #5256: 4201 Hargrove Road, Tuscaloosa
Other
- Walmart Cullman Distribution Center, a regional distribution center (opened 1983)
References
- "Walmart" (May 19, 2024) Wikipedia - accessed May 23, 2024
- Gore, Leada (May 22, 2024) "Walmart changing Neighborhood Market stores." AL.com
External links
- Kmart website