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{{about|the retail chain|other uses}}
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{{Infobox company|name=Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.|logo=[[File:New Walmart Logo.svg|225px]]
|caption=Walmart logo, used since June 30, 2008|type=Public
|traded_as = {{New York Stock Exchange|WMT}}<br/>[[Dow Jones Industrial Average|Dow Jones Industrial Average Component]]<br/>[[S&P 500|S&P 500 Component]]
|foundation = {{Start date|1962}}
|slogan = Save Money. Live Better.
|founder = [[Sam Walton]]
|location = [[Bentonville, Arkansas]], U.S.<br/>{{Coord|36|21|51|N|094|12|59|W|type:landmark_region:US-AR}}
|locations = 8,970 <small>(2011)</small>
|area_served = Worldwide
|key_people = [[S. Robson Walton]], Chairman<br/>[[Mike Duke]], President/CEO
|industry = [[Retail]]ing
|products = Apparel/footwear specialty, [[cash and carry (wholesale)|cash & carry]]/[[warehouse club]], [[discount department store]], [[discount store]], [[hypermarket]]/[[supercenter]]/[[superstore]], [[supermarket]]
|revenue={{nowrap|{{Increase}} [[US$]] 446.950 [[1000000000 (number)|billion]] (2012)<ref name=Walmart>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE%3AWMT&fstype=ii&ei=mRRxUOiwHIOwkAXYpgE|title=2012 Form 10-K, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.|publisher=Google}}</ref>}}
|operating_income={{Increase}} US$ {{0|0}}26.558&nbsp;billion (2012)<ref name=Walmart/>
|net_income = {{Decrease}} US$ {{0|0}}15.699&nbsp;billion (2012)<ref name=Walmart/>
|assets = {{Increase}} US$ 193.406&nbsp;billion (2012)<ref name=Walmart/>
|equity={{Increase}} US$ {{0|0}}71.315&nbsp;billion (2012)<ref name=Walmart/>
|num_employees=2.2&nbsp;million (2012)<ref name=Walmart/>|owner=[[Walton family]]
|divisions=[[Walmart Canada]]|subsid=[[Asda]], [[Sam's Club]], [[Seiyu Group]], [[Walmex]]|homepage={{URL|http://www.walmartstores.com/default.aspx|Wal-Mart Stores.com}}<br/>{{URL|http://www.walmart.com/|Walmart.com}}|footnotes=<ref name="Form10K"/><ref name="WalMartFactsheet"/><ref name="AsdaFactsheet"/>}}

'''Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.''' ({{New York Stock Exchange|WMT}}), branded as '''Walmart''', is an American [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] retail corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the [[List of companies by revenue|world's third largest public corporation]], according to the [[Fortune Global 500]] list in 2012, the [[List of companies by employees|biggest private employer]] in the world with over two million employees, and is the [[Retail#Global Top Five Retailers|largest retailer in the world]]. Walmart remains a [[Family business|family-owned business]], as the company is controlled by the [[Walton family]], who own a 48 percent stake in Walmart.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2011/12/14/six-waltons-have-more-wealth-than-the-bottom-30-of-americans/|first=Tim|last=Worstall|title=Six Waltons Have More Wealth Than the Bottom 30 percent of Americans|work=Forbes|date= December 14, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.retailingtoday.com/article/walton-family-ownership-reaches-482-level|first=Mike|last=Troy|title= Walton family ownership reaches 48.2 percent level|work=RetailingToday|date=April 21, 2011}}</ref> It is also one of the [[List of corporations by market capitalization|world's most valuable companies]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ycharts.com/rankings/market_cap|title=Market Cap Rankings|publisher= Zacks Investment Research|work=Ycharts|date=April 8, 2012|accessdate=April 9, 2012}}</ref>

The company was founded by [[Sam Walton]] in 1962, [[Incorporation (business)|incorporated]] on October 31, 1969, and publicly traded on the [[New York Stock Exchange]] in 1972. It is headquartered in [[Bentonville, Arkansas]]. Walmart is also the largest [[Grocery store|grocery]] retailer in the United States. In 2009, it generated 51 percent of its US$258&nbsp;billion sales in the U.S. from grocery business.<ref name="WSJ WMT rivals">{{cite news|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704875604575280414218878150.html|title=Rival Chains Secretly Fund Opposition to Walmart|date=June 7, 2010|author=Ann Zimmerman|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|accessdate=2010-06-08}}</ref> It also owns and operates the [[Sam's Club]] [[warehouse club|retail warehouses]] in North America.<ref name=annrep/><ref name=aboutus_samsclub/>

Walmart has 8,500 stores in 15 countries, under 55 different names.<ref name=Wake/> The company operates under the Walmart name in the United States, including the 50 states and [[Puerto Rico]]. It operates in Mexico as [[Walmex]], in the United Kingdom as [[Asda]], in Japan as [[Seiyu Group|Seiyu]], and in India as Best Price. It has wholly owned operations in [[Argentina]], Brazil, and Canada. Walmart's investments outside North America have had mixed results: its operations in the United Kingdom, South America and China are highly successful, whereas ventures in Germany and South Korea were unsuccessful.

==History==
{{Main|History of Walmart}}

===Early years (1945–1969)===
[[File:09-02-06-OriginalWaltons.jpg|thumb|right|Sam Walton's original Walton's Five and Dime store in [[Bentonville, Arkansas]], now serving as the Walmart Visitor Center]]
[[Sam Walton]], a businessman from Arkansas, began his retail career when he started work on June 3, 1940, at a [[J. C. Penney]] store in [[Des Moines, Iowa]] where he remained for 18 months. In 1945, he met [[Butler Brothers]], a regional retailer that owned a chain of [[variety store]]s called [[Ben Franklin Stores|Ben Franklin]] and that offered him one in [[Newport, Arkansas]].<ref name=madeinamerica>{{cite book|author=Walton, Sam; Huey, John|title=''Sam Walton: Made in America: My Story''|place=[[New York]]|publisher=[[Bantam Books|Bantam]]|year=1993|isbn=978-0-553-56283-5}}</ref>

Walton was extremely successful in running the store in Newport, far exceeding expectations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/2375.html|title=Sam Walton: Great From the Start{{spaced ndash}} HBS Working Knowledge|author=Richard S. Tedlow|date=July 23, 2001}}</ref> However, when the lease came up for renewal, Walton could neither come to agreement on the existing store's lease renewal nor find a new location in Newport. Instead, he opened a new Ben Franklin franchise in [[Bentonville, Arkansas]], but called it "Walton's Five and Dime." There, he achieved higher sales volume by marking up slightly less than most competitors.<ref name="BriefHistory">{{cite news|author=Frank, T.A.|url=http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=13796|title=A Brief History of Wal-Mart|work=[[The Washington Monthly]]|date=April 1, 2006|accessdate=July 24, 2006}}</ref>

On July 2, 1962, Walton opened the first Walmart Discount City store located at 719 Walnut Ave. in [[Rogers, Arkansas]]. The building is now occupied by a hardware store and an antique mall. Within five years, the company expanded to 24 stores across [[Arkansas]] and reached $12.6&nbsp;million in sales.<ref name=discountcity>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/transform/cron.html |title=The Rise of Walmart|work=[[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|Frontline]]: Is Wal-Mart Good for America?|date=November 16, 2004|accessdate=September 19, 2007}}</ref> In 1968, it opened its first stores outside Arkansas, in [[Sikeston, Missouri]] and [[Claremore, Oklahoma]].<ref name=timeline>"{{cite web|url= http://www.walmartfacts.com/content/default.aspx?id=3|title=The Wal-Mart Timeline|publisher=Wal-Mart (published on [http://www.walmartfacts.com/ walmartfacts.com]|accessdate=July 24, 2006}}</ref>

===Incorporation and growth (1969–2005)===
The company was [[Incorporation (business)|incorporated]] as ''Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.'' on October 31, 1969. In 1970, it opened its home office and first distribution center in [[Bentonville, Arkansas]]. It had 38 stores operating with 1,500 employees and sales of $44.2&nbsp;million. It began trading stock as a [[Public company|publicly held company]] on October 1, 1970, and was soon listed on the [[New York Stock Exchange]]. The first [[stock split]] occurred in May 1971 at a market price of $47. By this time, Walmart was operating in five states: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma; it entered Tennessee in 1973 and Kentucky and Mississippi in 1974. As it moved into Texas in 1975, there were 125 stores with 7,500 employees and total sales of $340.3&nbsp;million.<ref name=timeline/> Walmart opened its first Texas store in [[Mount Pleasant, Texas|Mount Pleasant]] on November 11, 1975.<ref name=Halkias>{{cite news|author=Halkias, Maria|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=10D9531DE09EB928&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D|title=Living with Walmart 30 years later, Texas both cheers and fears discount behemoth Lone Star State has been changed, as has giant retailer|work= [[The Dallas Morning News]]|date=October 30, 2005|accessdate=February 22, 2011}}</ref>

In the 1980s, Walmart continued to grow rapidly, and by its 25th anniversary in 1987 there were 1,198 stores with sales of $15.9&nbsp;billion and 200,000 associates.<ref name=timeline/> This year also marked the completion of the company's satellite network, a $24&nbsp;million investment linking all operating units of the company with its Bentonville office via two-way voice and data transmission and one-way video communication. At the time, it was the largest private satellite network, allowing the corporate office to track inventory and sales and to instantly communicate to stores.<ref name=satellite>{{cite web|author=Ranade, Sudhanshu|url= http://www.blonnet.com/2005/07/17/stories/2005071700141600.htm|title=Satellite Adds Speed to Wal-Mart|work=[[The Hindu Business Line]]|date=July 17, 2005|accessdate=July 24, 2006}}</ref> In 1988, Sam Walton stepped down as CEO and was replaced by [[David Glass (businessman)|David Glass]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Longo, Donald|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3092/is_n4_v27/ai_6348147|title=Wal-Mart Hands CEO Crown to Glass{{spaced ndash}} David Glass|work=Discount Store News|date=February 15, 1988|accessdate=April 1, 2008}}</ref> Walton remained as Chairman of the Board, and the company also rearranged other people in senior positions.
[[File:InsideWalmartWestPlains.JPG|thumb|right|Inside a Walmart Supercenter in [[West Plains, Missouri]] ]]

In 1988, the first ''Wal-Mart Supercenter'' opened in [[Washington, Missouri]].<ref name=first_supercenter>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3092/is_n7_v27/ai_6524175|title=Wal-Mart Tests Similar Hypermarkets{{spaced ndash}} Hypermart USA, Wal-Mart SuperCenter|work=Discount Store News|date=March 28, 1988|accessdate=April 19, 2007}}</ref> Thanks to its superstores, it surpassed [[Toys "R" Us]] in toy sales in the late 1990s.<ref name=toys>{{cite web|author=Byrnes, Nanette|coauthors=Eidam, Michael|url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_13/b3876105_mz017.htm|title=Toys 'R' Us: Beaten at Its Own Game|work=BusinessWeek|date=March 29, 2004|accessdate=July 25, 2006}}</ref> The company also opened overseas stores, entering South America in 1995 with stores in Argentina and Brazil; and Europe in 1999, buying [[Asda]] in the UK for $10&nbsp;billion.<ref name="IHT">{{cite web|author=Buerkle, Tom |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/1999/06/15/walmart.2.t.php|title=$10 Billion Gamble in U.K. Doubles Its International Business: Wal-Mart Takes Big Leap into Europe|work=International Herald Tribune|date=June 15, 1999|accessdate=April 19, 2007}}</ref>

In 1998, Walmart introduced the "Neighborhood Market" concept, now known as "[[Walmart Market]]", with three stores in [[Arkansas]].<ref name=grocerybiz>{{cite web|url= http://www.mystore411.com/store/list_state/5/Arkansas/Wal-Mart-Neighborhood-Market-store-locations|title=Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market Locations in Arkansas|accessdate= December 8, 2012}}</ref> By 2005, estimates indicate that the company controlled about 20 percent of the retail grocery and consumables business.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://grist.org/series/2011-11-07-walmart-greenwash-retail-giant-still-unsustainable/|title=WALMART'S GREENWASH: WHY THE RETAIL GIANT IS STILL UNSUSTAINABLE |publisher=Grist.org|date=November 7, 2012|accessdate=December 7, 2012|author=Mitchell, Stacy|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6CkUoUYqU| archivedate=December 7, 2012}}</ref>

In 2000, [[H. Lee Scott]] became President and CEO, and Walmart's sales increased to $165 billion.<ref name="2000sales">{{cite web|url=http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/11/112761/ARs/2000_annualreport.pdf|title=Walmart Annual Report 2000|format=PDF|accessdate=December 8, 2012|page=18}}</ref> In 2002, it was listed for the first time as America's largest corporation on the [[Fortune 500]] list, with revenues of $219.8&nbsp;billion and profits of $6.7&nbsp;billion. It has remained there every year, except for 2006 and 2009.<ref name="2007-Fortune-500">{{cite news|url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/full_list/index.html|title=Fortune 500 2007|publisher=''Fortune''|date=April 16, 2007|accessdate=July 15, 2007}}</ref><ref name="2006-Fortune-500">{{cite news|url= http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2006/full_list/index.html|title=Fortune 500 2006|publisher=''[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]''|date=April 17, 2006|accessdate=July 15, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2008/full_list/index.html|title=Fortune 500 2008|publisher=''Fortune''}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2009/full_list/index.html|title=Fortune 500 2009|publisher=''Fortune''}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2010/full_list/index.html|title= Fortune 500 2010|publisher=''[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]''}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2011/full_list/index.html|title=Fortune 500 2011|publisher=''Fortune''}}</ref>

In 2005, Walmart had $312.4&nbsp;billion in sales, more than 6,200 facilities around the world{{spaced ndash}} including 3,800 stores in the United States and 2,800 elsewhere, employing more than 1.6&nbsp;million "associates" worldwide. Its U.S. presence grew so rapidly that only small pockets of the country remained further than 60&nbsp;miles (100&nbsp;km) from the nearest Walmart.<ref>{{cite conference |first=Matthew|last=Zook|coauthors=Graham, Mark|editor-first=Stanley D.|editor-last= Brunn|title=Wal-Mart Nation: Mapping the Reach of a Retail Colossus|booktitle=Wal-Mart World: The World's Biggest Corporation in the Global Economy|pages=15–25 |publisher=Routledge|year=2006|isbn=978-0-415-95137-1}}</ref>

As Walmart grew rapidly into the world's largest corporation, many critics worried about the effect of its stores on local communities, particularly small towns with many "[[Small business|mom and pop]]" stores. There have been several studies on the economic impact of Walmart on small towns and local businesses, jobs, and taxpayers. In one, Kenneth Stone, a Professor of Economics at [[Iowa State University]], found that some small towns can lose almost half of their retail trade within ten years of a Walmart store opening.<ref name="Rural">Stone, Kenneth E. (1997). "[http://www.econ.iastate.edu/faculty/stone/10yrstudy.pdf Impact of the Wal-Mart Phenomenon on Rural Communities]". (Published in ''Proceedings: Increased Understanding of Public Problems and Policies{{spaced ndash}} 1997''. [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]]: Farm Foundation). ''[[Iowa State University]]''. Retrieved August 4, 2006.</ref> However, in another study, he compared the changes to what small town shops had faced in the past{{spaced ndash}} including the development of the railroads, the advent of the Sears Roebuck catalog, as well as the arrival of shopping malls{{spaced ndash}} and concluded that shop owners who adapt to changes in the retail market can thrive after Walmart arrives.<ref name=Rural/> A later study in collaboration with [[Mississippi State University]] showed that there are "both positive and negative impacts on existing stores in the area where the new supercenter locates."<ref name="supercenters2003">{{cite web|url=http://links.u3u.cc/Wal-Mart-Stores.html|title=Wal Mart Stores|accessdate=December 19, 2012}}</ref>

In the aftermath of [[Hurricane Katrina]] in September 2005, Walmart was able to use its logistical efficiency in organizing a rapid response to the disaster, donating $20&nbsp;million in cash, 1,500 truckloads of free merchandise, food for 100,000 meals, as well as the promise of a job for every one of its displaced workers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/05/AR2005090501598.html|title=Wal-Mart at Forefront of Hurricane Relief|date=September 6, 2005|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=2009-03-10|author=Barbaro, Michael; Gillis, Justin}}</ref> An independent study by Steven Horwitz of [[St. Lawrence University]] found that Walmart, [[The Home Depot]] and [[Lowe's]] made use of their local knowledge about supply chains, infrastructure, decision makers and other resources to provide emergency supplies and reopen stores well before FEMA began its response.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourHome/RealKatrinaHeroWalMartStudySays.aspx|title=Real Katrina hero? Walmart, study says|last=Huffman|first=Mark|date=April 2, 2008|publisher=[[MSN]]|accessdate=2009-03-10}}</ref> While the company was overall lauded for its quick response – amidst the [[Criticism of government response to Hurricane Katrina|criticisms]] of the [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] – several critics were nonetheless quick to point out that there still remain issues with the company's labor relations.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/09/news/fortune500/walmart_image/index.htm|title=Wal-Mart redeems itself, but what's next|date=September 9, 2005|publisher=CNN|accessdate=2009-03-10|author=Bhatnagar, Parija}}</ref>

===Initiatives (2005–present)===
In October 2005, Walmart announced it would implement several environmental measures to increase [[efficient energy use|energy efficiency]]. The primary goals included spending $500&nbsp;million a year to increase fuel efficiency in Walmart's truck fleet by 25 percent over three years and double it within ten, reduce [[greenhouse gas]] emissions by 20 percent in seven years, reduce energy use at stores by 30 percent, and cut solid waste from U.S. stores and Sam's Clubs by 25 percent in three years. CEO Lee Scott said that Walmart's goal was to be a "good steward for the environment" and ultimately use only [[renewable energy]] sources and produce zero waste.<ref name="going_green">{{cite news|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9815727/|title=Is Wal-Mart Going Green?|publisher=[[MSNBC]]|date=October 25, 2005|accessdate=November 8, 2007}}</ref> The company also designed three new experimental stores in [[McKinney, Texas]], [[Aurora, Colorado]], and [[Las Vegas metropolitan area|Las Vegas, Nevada]]. with [[wind turbine]]s, [[photovoltaic]] solar panels, [[biofuel]]-capable boilers, water-cooled refrigerators, and [[xeriscape]] gardens.<ref>{{cite news|author=Berner, Robert|url=http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/sep2005/nf20050922_6448_db016.htm|title=Can Wal-Mart Wear a White Hat?|work=BusinessWeek|date=September 22, 2005|accessdate=July 24, 2006}}</ref> Despite much criticism of its environmental record, Walmart took a few steps in what is viewed as a positive direction, which included becoming the biggest seller of organic milk and the biggest buyer of organic cotton in the world, as well as reducing packaging and energy costs.<ref name="GuntherMark">{{cite news|author=Gunther, Mark|url=http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/25/news/companies/wal-mart-short.fortune/|title=Wal-Mart sees green|publisher=CNN|date=July 27, 2006|accessdate=November 8, 2007}}</ref> Walmart also spent nearly a year working with outside consultants to discover the company's total environmental impact and find where they could improve. They discovered, for example, that by eliminating excess packaging on their toy line Kid Connection, they could not only save $2.4&nbsp;million a year in shipping costs but also 3,800 trees and a million barrels of oil.<ref name="GuntherMark"/> Walmart has also recently created its own [[electrical power industry|electric company]] in Texas, ''Texas Retail Energy'', and plans to supply its stores with cheap power purchased at wholesale prices. Through this new venture, the company expects to save $15&nbsp;million annually and also lays the groundwork and infrastructure to sell electricity to Texas consumers in the future.<ref name=redorbit_electricity>{{cite web|author=Souder, Elizabeth|url= http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/817594/will_walmart_sell_electricity_one_day/index.html|title=Will Wal-Mart Sell Electricity One Day?|publisher=RedOrbit|date=January 28, 2007|accessdate=March 31, 2008}}</ref>

In March 2006, Walmart sought to appeal to a more affluent demographic. The company launched a new Supercenter concept in [[Plano, Texas]], intended to compete against stores seen as more upscale and appealing, such as [[Target Corporation|Target]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Koenig, David|title=Wal-Mart Targeting Upscale Shoppers|publisher=[[ABC News]]|date=March 22, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11957536/|title=Wal-Mart turns attention to upscale shoppers|publisher=MSNBC|date=March 23, 2006|accessdate=December 1, 2007}}</ref> The new store has wood floors, wider aisles, a [[sushi]] bar, a coffee/sandwich shop with free [[Wi-Fi]] Internet access, and more expensive beers, wines, electronics, and other goods. The exterior has a hunter green background behind the Walmart letters, similar to Neighborhood Market by Walmarts, instead of the blue previously used at its supercenters.

On September 12, 2007, Walmart introduced new advertising with the [[slogan]], "''Save Money Live Better''," replacing the "''Always Low Prices, Always''" slogan, which it had used for the previous 19 years. [[Global Insight]], which conducted the research that supported the ads, found that Walmart's [[price level]] reduction resulted in savings for consumers of $287&nbsp;billion in 2006, which equated to $957 per person or $2,500 per household (up 7.3 percent from the 2004 savings estimate of $2,329).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/09/12/us-walmart-advertising-idUSWEN091820070912|title=Wal-Mart rolling out new company slogan|publisher=Reuters|date= September 12, 2007|accessdate=December 7, 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6CkWuovb7|archivedate=December 7, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Walmart 5152 Canoga Park.JPG|thumb|left|The exterior of the Walmart store in [[West Hills, California]]]]
On June 30, 2008, Walmart unveiled a new company logo, featuring the non-hyphenated name "Walmart" and in place of the star, a symbol that resembles a sunburst or flower. The new logo received mixed reviews from some design critics, who questioned whether the new logo was as bold as competitors, such as the [[Target Corporation|Target]] bullseye or as instantly recognizable as the former company logo, which was used for 18 years.<ref>{{cite web|last=Armin|title=Less Hyphen, More Burst for Walmart |url=http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/less_hyphen_more_burst_for_wal.php |work=Brand New|publisher=UnderConsideration LLC|accessdate=August 9, 2010|date=June 30, 2008}}</ref> The new logo made its debut on the company's walmart.com website on July 1, 2008. Walmart's U.S. locations were to update store logos in the fall of 2008, as part of an ongoing evolution of its overall brand.<ref name=new_logo>{{cite news|url=http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jul2008/id2008072_324653.htm|title=Wal-Mart Gets a Facelift|last=Jana|first=Reena|date=July 2, 2008|work=BusinessWeek|accessdate=July 7, 2008}}</ref> Walmart Canada started to adopt the logo for its stores in early 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.domain-b.com/industry/Retail/20090214_walmart.html|title=Walmart Canada changes logo, slashes prices|accessdate=December 7, 2012}}</ref>

On March 20, 2009, Walmart announced that it is paying a combined $933.6&nbsp;million in bonuses to every full and part-time hourly worker of the company. An additional $788.8&nbsp;million in [[profit sharing]], [[401(k)]] contributions, and hundreds of millions of dollars in merchandise discounts and contributions to the employees' stock purchase plan is also included in this plan. While the economy at large was in an ongoing [[recession]], the largest retailer in the U.S. reported solid financial figures for the most recent fiscal year (ending January 31, 2009), with $401.2&nbsp;billion in net sales, a gain of 7.2 percent from the prior year. Income from continuing operations increased 3 percent to $13.3&nbsp;billion, and earnings per share rose 6 percent to $3.35.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/updates-advisories-and-surprises-200512020190|title=Updates, advisories and surprises|date=January 20, 2005|work=The Wall Street Journal|accessdate=December 20, 2012}}</ref>

On July 16, 2009, Walmart announced plans to develop a worldwide sustainable product index.<ref name="Walmart Announces Sustainable Product Index">{{cite web|url= http://www.walmartstores.com/FactsNews/NewsRoom/9277.aspx|title=Walmart Announces Sustainable Product Index|publisher=Walmartstores.com}}</ref>

On February 22, 2010, the company confirmed it was acquiring [[streaming media|video streaming]] company [[Vudu, Inc.]] for an estimated $100&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704454304575082010734950440.html|title=Walmart Re-Enters Digital Downloading of Movies With Purchase of Vudu|publisher=''[[The Wall Street Journal]]''|date=February 22, 2010}}</ref>

In January 2011, at the urging of [[Michelle Obama]] and her staff, Walmart announced a program to improve the nutritional values of its store brands over the next five years, gradually reducing the amount of salt and sugar, and eliminating trans fat. Walmart also promised to negotiate with suppliers such as [[Kraft Foods|Kraft]] with respect to nutritional issues. Reductions in the prices of whole foods and vegetables were also promised as well as efforts to open stores in low-income areas, "food deserts", where there are no supermarkets.<ref>{{cite news|title=Walmart Shifts Strategy to Promote Healthy Foods|author=Sheryl Gay Stolberg|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/business/20walmart.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 20, 2011|accessdate=January 19, 2011}}</ref>

On April 23, 2011, the company announced that it was testing its new "Walmart To Go" home delivery system where customers will be able to order specific items offered on their website such as groceries, toiletries, and household supplies. The initial test is in [[San Jose, California]], and the company has not said whether it will be rolled out nationwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://heraldbulletin.com/apstorysection/x69809260/Got-groceries-Wal-Mart-testing-home-delivery|title=Got groceries?|date=April 23, 2011|work=[[The Herald Bulletin]]|accessdate=2011-05-23}}</ref> On November 14, 2012, Walmart is launching their first mail subscription service named Goodies. It lets customers find new foods for a fee of $7 a month from the comfort of the couch.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/11/14/wal-mart-food-subscription/1703481/|title=Wal-Mart launches food subscription service|work=USA Today|accessdate=November 14, 2012}}</ref>

==Operating divisions==
{{See also|List of assets owned by Walmart}}
Walmart's operations are organized into three divisions: Walmart Stores U.S., [[Sam's Club]], and Walmart International.<ref name=annrep>"{{PDFlink|[http://cdn.walmartstores.com/sites/AnnualReport/2010/PDF/WMT_2010AR_FINAL.pdf Walmart 2010 Annual Report]|13.4&nbsp;MB}}." Walmart. 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.</ref> The company does business in nine different retail formats: [[Big-box store|supercenters]], [[supermarket|food and drugs]], [[general merchandise]] stores, bodegas (small markets), cash and carry stores, [[Warehouse club|membership warehouse clubs]], [[Clothing|apparel]] stores, soft [[discount store]]s and restaurants.<ref name="annrep" />
[[File:Laurel Walmart Exterior Panorama.jpg|780px|thumb|center|A panoramic photo of a remodeled Walmart Supercenter in [[Laurel, Maryland]].]]

===Walmart Stores U.S.===
[[File:Walmart footprint.png|thumb|right|Map of Walmart stores in the U.S., as of August 2010]]
Walmart Stores U.S. is the company's largest division, accounting for $258&nbsp;billion, or 63.8 percent of total sales for financial year 2010.<ref name=annrep/> It consists of three retail formats that have become commonplace in the United States: [[Discount store|Discount Stores]], [[hypermarket|Supercenters]], and [[Walmart Market]]s. The retail department stores sell a variety of mostly non-grocery products, though emphasis has now shifted towards supercenters, which include more grocery items. This division also includes Walmart's [[online retailer]], ''walmart.com''.

In September 2006, Walmart announced a pilot program to sell [[generic drug]]s at just $4 per prescription. The pilot program was launched at stores in the [[Tampa, Florida]] area, and expanded to all stores in Florida by January 2007. While the average price of generics is $29 per prescription, compared to $102 for name-brand drugs, Walmart maintains that it is not selling at a loss, or providing as an act of charity – instead, they are using the same mechanisms of mass distribution that it uses to bring lower prices to other products.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6119292|title=Wal-Mart to Sell Generic Drugs for $4|last=Silberner|first=Joanne|date=September 21, 2006|publisher=[[All Things Considered]] ([[National Public Radio]])|accessdate=2009-03-10}}</ref> While it's little known outside of the drug industry, many of Walmart's low cost generics are imported from India and made by drug makers in the country including drug majors [[Ranbaxy]] and [[Cipla]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=326184|title=Pharma firms boost Wal-Mart revenues|publisher=''[[Business Standard]]''|date=June 16, 2008}}</ref>

On February 6, 2007, the company launched a "beta" version of a movie download service, which sold about 3,000 films and television episodes from all major studios and television networks.<ref name="moviedownload">{{cite news|url= http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,250417,00.html|title=Wal-Mart Launches Online Movie Download Service|publisher=[[Fox News]]|date=February 6, 2007|accessdate= February 14, 2007}}</ref> The service was discontinued on December 21, 2007, due to low sales.<ref name=moviedownloaddiscontinued>{{cite news|author=Matt Richtel |coauthors=Brad Stone|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/01/technology/01iht-walmart.1.8968826.html|title=Wal-Mart's movie download service passes into ignominy|work=The New York Times|date=January 1, 2008|accessdate=January 2, 2008}}</ref>

From 2008 through 2011, Walmart operated a pilot program in the small grocery store concept called ''Marketside'' in the metropolitan [[Phoenix, Arizona]] area. They plan to take what they have learned from this concept and incorporate that into their newer Walmart Express stores which they are developing.<ref name="Jarman_Max">{{cite news|last=Jarman|first=Max|title=Walmart closes its 4 Marketside stores in the Phoenix area.|url=http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2011/10/16/20111016biz-walmart1016.html|accessdate=July 22, 2012|newspaper=[[Arizona Republic]]|date=October 16, 2011}}</ref>

====Walmart Discount Stores====
[[File:Walmart exterior.jpg|thumb|right|A typical Walmart discount department store in [[Laredo, Texas]]]]
Walmart discount stores are [[discount store|discount department stores]] with size varying from {{convert|51000|sqft|m2|1}} to {{convert|224000|sqft|m2|1}}, with an average store covering about {{convert|102000|sqft|m2|1}}.<ref name="annrep" /> They carry [[general merchandise]] and a selection of [[grocery|groceries]]. Many of these stores also have a garden center, a [[pharmacy]], [[Tire]] & [[motor oil|Lube]] Express, optical center, [[Photographic processing|one-hour photo processing lab]], [[portrait]] studio, a bank branch, a cell phone store and a fast food outlet. Some also have gasoline stations.<ref name="CSNews_WMGas">{{cite web| url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-29/wal-mart-to-offer-customers-discount-gas-as-prices-rise.html|title=Wal-Mart to Offer Customers Discount Gas as Prices Rise| publisher=Bloomberg.com|date=August 29, 2012|accessdate=December 7, 2012|author= Welch, David|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6CkXOibVh|archivedate=December 7, 2012}}</ref>

The first Walmart store opened in [[Rogers, Arkansas]] in 1962.

In 1990, Walmart opened its first ''Bud's Discount City'' location in Bentonville. Bud's operated as a closeout store, much like [[Big Lots]]. Many locations were opened to fulfill leases in shopping centers as Walmart stores left and moved into newly built Supercenters. All of the Bud's Discount City stores closed or converted into Walmart Discount Stores by 1997.<ref name=discountcity/><ref>{{cite web|url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3092/is_n15_v36/ai_19662401|title=Walmart shuttering 7-year old Bud's chain|accessdate=December 7, 2012}}</ref>

{{As of|2012|03}}, there were 629 Walmart discount stores in the United States. In 2006, the busiest in the world was one in [[Rapid City, South Dakota]].<ref name=corp_profile>{{cite web|url=http://www.walmartstores.com/AboutUs/7606.aspx|title= Corporate Profile|publisher=Walmart|accessdate=December 7, 2012}}</ref>

====Walmart Supercenter====
[[File:Remodeled Walmart.jpg|thumb|right|A remodeled Wal-Mart Supercenter in [[Miami|Miami, Florida]]. ]]
Walmart Supercenters are [[hypermarket]]s with size varying from {{convert|98000|to|261000|sqft|m2|1}}, with an average of about {{convert|197000|sqft|m2|1}}.<ref name=annrep/> These stock everything a Walmart discount store does, and also include a full-service supermarket, including meat and poultry, [[baking|baked goods]], [[delicatessen]], [[frozen food]]s, dairy products, [[garden produce]], and fresh seafood. Many Wal-Mart Supercenters also have a garden center, [[pet store|pet shop]], [[pharmacy]], Tire & [[Motor oil#Maintenance|Lube]] Express, optical center, one-hour photo processing lab, portrait studio, and numerous alcove shops, such as cellular phone stores, hair and nail salons, video rental stores, local bank branches (newer locations have [[Woodforest National Bank]] branches), and fast food outlets{{spaced ndash}} usually [[Subway (restaurant)|Subway]], but sometimes [[Dunkin' Donuts]], [[McDonald's]] or [[Blimpie]]. Some also sell gasoline distributed by [[Murphy Oil|Murphy Oil Corporation]] (whose Walmart stations are branded as "Murphy USA"), [[Sunoco, Inc.]] ("Optima"), or [[Tesoro|Tesoro Corporation]] ("Mirastar").<ref name="CSNews_WMGas"/>

The first Supercenter opened in 1988, in [[Washington, Missouri]]. A similar concept, ''[[Hypermart USA]]'', opened in [[Garland, Texas]] a year earlier. All of the Hypermart USA stores were later closed or converted into Supercenters.

{{As of|2012|03}}, there were 3,029 Wal-Mart Supercenters in the United States.<ref name=corp_profile/> The largest Supercenter in the United States, covering {{convert|260000|sqft|m2|1}} and two floors, is located in [[Crossgates Commons]] in [[Albany, New York]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.albany.com/news/walmart.cfm|title=Largest Wal-Mart Supercenter In US Finds Home In Albany NY|publisher=Albany.com|accessdate= December 23, 2008}}</ref>

The "Supercenter" portion of the name on these stores has been phased out, simply referring to these stores as "Walmart," since the company introduced the new Walmart logo in 2008. The Supercentre portion of the name is still used on supercentres in Canada.

====Walmart Market====
{{Main|Walmart Market}}
[[File:WalMartNeighborhoodMarketHoustonHillcroft.JPG|thumb|Walmart Neighborhood Market in [[Houston|Houston, Texas]]]]
Walmart Market is a chain of [[grocery store]]s that average about {{convert|42000|sqft|m2|1}}.<ref name=annrep/> They are used to fill the gap between discount store and supercenters, offering a variety of products, which include full lines of groceries, pharmaceuticals, health and beauty aids, photo developing services, and a limited selection of [[general merchandise]].

Previously branded as "Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market", the first store opened in 1998, in [[Bentonville, Arkansas]]. {{As of|2012|05}}, there are 199 Walmart Markets.<ref name=corp_profile/><ref name=wsj20120517>{{cite news|last=Banjo|first=Shelly|title=Can Wal-Mart Think Small?|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303879604577408540682212740.html?mod=ITP_marketplace_1|accessdate=May 17, 2012|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=May 17, 2012|page=B2}}</ref>

====Supermercado de Walmart====
[[File:SupermercadodeWalmartHouston.JPG|thumb|Supermercado de Walmart in [[Spring Branch, Houston|Spring Branch]], [[Houston]]]]
Walmart opened "Supermercado de Walmart" locations to appeal to Hispanic communities in the United States.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5676N820090708|title=Wal-Mart woos Hispanics with new Supermercado|publisher =''[[Reuters]]''|accessdate=December 20, 2009}}</ref> The first one, a {{convert|39000|sqft|sqm}} store in the [[Spring Branch, Houston|Spring Branch]] area of [[Houston]], opened on April 29, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.walmartstores.com/pressroom/news/9106.aspx|title=New Supermercado de Walmart Opens in Houston]|publisher=Wal-Mart|date=April 28, 2009|accessdate=June 28, 2010}}</ref> The store was a conversion of an existing Walmart.<ref>{{cite news|author=Wollam, Allison|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2009/03/23/story1.html|title=Walmart chooses Houston as test market for Supermercado de Walmart|work= [[Houston Business Journal]]|date=March 20, 2009|accessdate=June 28, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Serrano, Shea|url=http://houston.about.com/b/2009/03/23/houston-soon-to-have-supermercado-de-walmart.htm|title=Houston Soon to Have Supermercado de Walmart|publisher=[[About.com]]|date=March 23, 2009|accessdate=June 28, 2010}}</ref> The opening was Wal-Mart's first entry in the Hispanic grocery market in Houston.<ref>{{cite web|author=Waslh, Robb|url=http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2009/06/wal-mart_goes_tex-mex.php|title=Wal-Mart Goes Tex-Mex|work=[[Houston Press]]|date=June 8, 2009|accessdate=February 1, 2012}}</ref> In 2009 another Supermercado de Walmart opened in [[Phoenix, Arizona]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Burwell, Sloane|url= http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/2009/06/viva_el_mercado_supermercado_d.php| title = Viva El Mercado Supermercado De Walmart|work=[[Phoenix New Times]]|date=June 17, 2009|accessdate=February 1, 2012}}</ref>

Walmart also planned to open "Mas Club," a warehouse retail operation patterned after [[Sam's Club]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Moreno, Jenalia|url= http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6400294.html|title=Walmart gives its Supermercado concept a tryout|work=[[Houston Chronicle]]|date=April 30, 2009|accessdate= June 29, 2010}}</ref>

====Walmart Express====
Walmart Express is a smaller discount store, with a range of services, from simple grocery shopping, to check cashing, and even gasoline service. The concept is focused on small towns that are not able to support a larger store, and in large cities where physical space is at a premium.

Wal-Mart planned to build 15 to 20 Walmart Express stores, focusing on Arkansas, North Carolina and Chicago, by the end of its fiscal year in January 2012.

"This is about access to breadth of assortment", says Walmart's Anthony Hucker, vice president of strategy and business development.

{{As of|2011|12}}, Walmart Express opened in [[Richfield, North Carolina]], [[Snow Hill, North Carolina]],<ref name=NC>{{cite news|url=http://www.news-record.com/content/2012/07/21/article/nc_is_test_market_for_smaller_walmart_express_stores|title=N.C. is test market for smaller Walmart Express stores|work=[[News & Record]]|date=July 21, 2012|accessdate=July 21, 2012}}</ref> [[Gentry, Arkansas]],<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=13753201 Wal-Mart Unveils Tiny Walmart Express in Arkansas{{spaced ndash}} ABC News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[Prairie Grove, Arkansas]],{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} [[Gravette, Arkansas]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nwahomepage.com/fulltext-news/?nxd_id=265857|title=Walmart Express Opens in Gravette|date=August 31, 2011|first=Garret|last=Krier|publisher=nwahomepage.com|accessdate=January 10, 2012}}</ref> and [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/article/183505/Walmart-pushes-into-urban-America|title=Walmart pushes into urban America|publisher=RetailCustomerExperience.com <!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.suntimes.com/business/6739040-417/first-local-wal-mart-express-store-opens.html|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=December 1, 2011}}</ref>

===Sam's Club===
{{Main|Sam's Club}}
[[File:Sam's Club store.jpg|thumb|right|A typical Sam's Club store in [[Maplewood, Missouri]]]]

Sam's Club is a chain of [[warehouse club]]s which sell groceries and [[general merchandise]], often in large quantities. Sam's Club stores are "membership" stores and most customers buy annual memberships. However, non-members can make purchases either by buying a one-day membership or paying a surcharge based on the price of the purchase.<ref name=aboutsamsclub>{{cite web|url=http://pressroom.samsclub.com/content/?id=3&atg=524|title=About Sam's Club|publisher=Sam's Club|accessdate=November 1, 2007}}</ref> Some locations also sell gasoline.<ref name="CSNews_WMGas"/> The first Sam's Club opened in 1983 in [[Midwest City, Oklahoma]]<ref name=aboutsamsclub/> under the name "Sam's Wholesale Club".

Sam's Club has found a niche market in recent years as a supplier to small businesses. All Sam's Club stores are open early hours exclusively for business members and their old slogan was "We're in Business for Small Business." Their current{{When|date=March 2011}} slogan is "Savings Made Simple" as Sam's Club attempts to attract a more diverse member base. In March 2009, the company announced that it plans to enter the [[electronic medical records]] business by offering a software package to physicians in small practices for $25,000. Wal-Mart is partnering with [[Dell]] and eClinicalWorks.com in this new venture.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/business/11record.html|title=Wal-Mart Plans to Market Digital Health Records System|last=Lohr|first=Steve|date=March 10, 2009|work=The New York Times|accessdate=MArch 11, 2009}}</ref>

Sam's Club's sales during 2010 were $47&nbsp;billion, or 11.5 percent of Walmart's total sales.<ref name=annrep/> {{As of|2012|03}}, there are 611 Sam's Clubs in the United States.<ref name=aboutus_samsclub/> Walmart also operates more than 100 international Sam's Clubs in [[Brazil]], China, [[Mexico]], and [[Puerto Rico]].<ref name=aboutus_samsclub>{{cite web|url=http://www.walmartstores.com/AboutUs/7605.aspx |title=Sam's Club|publisher=Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.|accessdate=March 5, 2011}}</ref>

===Walmart International===
[[File:Walmart global.png|right|thumb|Walmart locations international]]
Walmart's international operations currently comprise 4,263 stores and 660,000 workers in 15 countries outside the United States.<ref name=international>{{cite web|url= http://www.walmartstores.com/AboutUs/246.aspx|title=Wal-Mart International|publisher=Wal-Mart|accessdate=October 22, 2010}}</ref> There are wholly owned operations in Argentina, Brazil, Canada,and the UK. With 2.1&nbsp;million employees worldwide, the company is the largest private employer in the US and Mexico, and one of the largest in Canada.<ref name="WalMartFactsheet">{{PDFlink|[http://www.walmartstores.com/download/2230.pdf Wal-Mart Corporate and Financial Facts]|}}." Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Retrieved June 6, 2010.</ref> In the financial year 2010, Walmart's international division sales were $100&nbsp;billion, or 24.7 percent of total sales.<ref name=annrep/>

Walmart has operated in Canada since its acquisition of 122 stores comprising the [[Woolco]] division of [[F. W. Woolworth Company|Woolworth Canada, Inc]] in 1994. {{As of|2010|July}}, it operates over 300 locations (including 100 Supercentres) and employs 82,000 Canadians, with a local home office in [[Mississauga]], Ontario.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walmart.ca/canada-estore/catalog/helpcentercontainer.jsp?show=aboutwalmart|title=About Walmart|publisher=Walmart|accessdate=December 7, 2012| archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6CkY9zdfc|archivedate=December 7, 2012}}</ref> [[Walmart Canada]]'s first three Supercentres (spelled as in [[Canadian English]]) opened on November 8, 2006, in [[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]], [[London, Ontario|London]], and [[Aurora, Ontario|Aurora]], Ontario. The 100th Canadian Supercentre opened on July 10, 2010, in [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], BC. In 2010, Walmart Canada Bank was introduced in Canada with the launch of the Walmart Rewards MasterCard.<ref name="walmart_canada_bank">{{cite news|title=Walmart Canada Bank launches Walmart Rewards MasterCard|url=http://smr.newswire.ca/en/walmart-canada-bank/walmart-canada-bank-launches-walmart-rewards-mastercard|accessdate=June 29, 2011|newspaper=newswire.ca|date=June 15, 2010}}</ref>

In the mid 1990s Wal-mart tried with a large financial investment to get a foothold in the German retail market.
In 1997 Wal-mart took over the supermarket chain Wertkauf with its 21 stores for DEM750&nbsp;million (€375&nbsp;million)<ref>[http://www.ka-news.de/wirtschaft/karlsruhe/Karlsruhe;art127,52059 "Metro übernimmt Wal-Mart"]. (in German). ka-news. August 3, 2006</ref> and in 1998 Wal-mart took over 74 Interspar stores for DEM1.3&nbsp;billion (€750&nbsp;million).<ref>[http://www.zeit.de/1999/40/Schnitte "Schnitte"]. (in German). ''[[Die Zeit]]''.</ref><ref>[http://www.stern.de/wirtschaft/news/wal-mart-in-deutschland-ein-zwerg-536713.html "In Deutschland ein Zwerg"]. (in German). ''[[Stern (magazine)|Stern]]''. February 18, 2005.</ref> Several reasons led to Wal-mart's failure in the German market.

The German market at this point was an oligopoly with high competition among the companies which also used a similar low price strategy as Wal-mart. Because of this, Wal-mart's low price strategy yielded no competitive advantage. Also Wal-mart's [[corporate culture]] was not viewed positively among employees and customers in Germany, particularly Wal-mart's "statement of ethics", which restricted relationships between employees and led to a public discussion in the media, resulting in a bad reputation for Wal-mart among customers.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.stern.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/549609.html|title=Auch Wal-Mart-Mitarbeiter dürfen lieben|work=[[Stern (magazine)|Stern]]|date=November 15, 2005|language=German}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.welt.de/print-welt/article177942/Wal-Mart-Mitarbeiter_duerfen_flirten.html|title=Wal-Mart-Mitarbeiter dürfen flirten|language= German|publisher=''[[Die Welt]]''|date=November 15, 2005}}</ref> Also Wal-mart's "Big Box – Low Price" Model, a price strategy that works well in the U.S., was not successful in Germany.

In July 2006, Wal-Mart announced its withdrawal from Germany due to sustained losses. The stores were sold to the German company [[METRO AG|Metro]] during Wal-Mart's fiscal third quarter.<ref name="2006-3Q-8K"/><ref name=walmartgermany>{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5223432.stm|title=Wal-Mart Abandons German Venture |publisher=BBC News|date=July 28, 2006|accessdate=July 31, 2006}}</ref> Wal-mart did not disclose its losses from its ill fated German investment, but they were estimated around €3&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/0,1518,429017,00.html|title=Spiegel: "Warum der US-Titan scheiterte|language= German|publisher=''[[Der Spiegel]]''|date=July 28, 2006}}</ref> At the same time, Wal-mart's competitors in Germany were able to increase their market share.

[[File:Hiper Bompreço.JPG|thumb|left|[[Bompreço]] in [[Natal, Brazil]].]]
In 2004, Walmart bought the 116 stores in the [[Bompreço]] supermarket chain in northeastern Brazil. In late 2005, it took control of the Brazilian operations of Sonae Distribution Group through its new subsidiary, WMS Supermercados do Brasil, thus acquiring control of the Nacional and Mercadorama supermarket chains, the leaders in the [[Rio Grande do Sul]] and [[Paraná (state)|Paraná]] states, respectively. None of these was rebranded. {{As of|2010|April}}, Wal-Mart operates 64 Super-Bompreço stores, 33 Hyper-Bompreço stores. It also runs 45 Wal-Mart Supercenters, 24 Sam's Club stores, and 101 Todo Dia stores. With the acquisition of Bompreço and Sonae, Walmart was in 2010 the third largest supermarket chain in Brazil, behind [[Carrefour]] and [[Grupo Pão de Açúcar|Pão de Açúcar]].<ref name="WM_Brazil">"[http://www.walmartstores.com/AboutUs/259.aspx?p=246 Brazil Operations]." Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. June 2010. Retrieved June 6, 2010.</ref> Wal-Mart Brasil, the operating company, has its head office in [[Barueri]], São Paulo State, and regional offices in [[Curitiba]], Paraná; [[Porto Alegre]], Rio Grande do Sul; [[Recife]], Pernambuco; and [[Salvador, Bahia|Salvador]], Bahia.<ref>"[http://www.walmartbrasil.com.br/sobre-o-walmart/no-brasil/ No Brasil]." [[Wal-Mart Brasil]]. Retrieved November 7, 2011.</ref>

In November 2006, the company announced a joint venture with [[Bharti Enterprises]] to open retail stores in [[India]]. As foreign corporations were not allowed to directly enter the retail sector in India, Walmart operated through franchises and handled the wholesale end.<ref name=walmartindia>Giridharadas A., Rai S. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/27/business/worldbusiness/27cnd-walmart.html "Wal-Mart to Open Hundreds of Stores in India"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. November 27, 2006. Retrieved November 27, 2006.</ref> The partnership involves two joint ventures; Bharti manages the front end involving opening of retail outlets, while Walmart takes care of the back end, such as [[cold chain]]s and logistics. [[Bharti Walmart]] operates stores in India under the brand name "Best Price Modern Wholesale". The first store opened in [[Amritsar]] in May 2012. On September 14, 2012, the Government of India approved 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retails, subject to approvals by individual states, effective September 20, 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=Times of India Newsreport|url http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Govt-allows-FDI-in-multi-brand-retail-aviation/articleshow/16397960.cms}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (FC-I Section), Press Note No.5 (2012 Series) – multi brand retail|publisher=Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India|date=September 20, 2012|url=http://dipp.nic.in/English/acts_rules/Press_Notes/pn5_2012.pdf}}</ref> In an interview with [[The Wall Street Journal]], Walmart Stores Inc President and CEO, Asia Scott Price, stated that Walmart would be capable of opening stores in India within a time frame of 2 years. Price also said that the company expects to continue its partnership with Bharti Enterprises in operating Best Price Modern Wholesale.<ref>{{cite web|author=The author has posted comments on this article |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Walmart-hopes-to-open-first-India-store-in-18-months-Report/articleshow/16488898.cms |title=Walmart hopes to open first India store in 18 months: Report - The Times of India |publisher=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date=2012-09-21 |accessdate=2012-12-06}}</ref> Expansion into India faced some significant problems. In November 2012, Walmart admitted to spending $25 million lobbying Congress<ref name=indiatimes>{{cite news|title=Probe Walmart 'bribe', says opposition|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-11/india/35748837_1_bharti-walmart-indian-market-fdi|newspaper=The Times of India|date=December 11, 2012}}</ref> - lobbying is conventionally considered bribery in India.<ref name="BBCnewsUS">{{cite news|last= |first= |title=US defends Walmart India lobbying |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20674717 |accessdate=28 December 2012 |publisher= BBC News India|date=11 December 2012}}</ref> Walmart is conducting an internal investigation into potential violations of the [[Foreign Corrupt Practices Act]].<ref name=NYTinquiry>{{cite news|last1=Cilfford |first1=Stephanie |last2=Barstow |first2=David |title=Wal-Mart Inquiry Reflects Alarm on Corruption |url= http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/16/business/wal-mart-expands-foreign-bribery-investigation.html?pagewanted=all|accessdate=28 December 2012 |publisher=New York Times|date=15 November 2012}}</ref> Bharti Walmart suspended a number of employees, which are rumored to include its CFO and legal team, to ensure "a complete and thorough investigation."<ref name=NYTIndianBribery>{{cite news|last=Bajaj|first=Vikas|title=India Unit of Wal-Mart Suspends Employees|url= http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/24/business/global/wal-marts-india-venture-suspends-executives-as-part-of-bribery-inquiry.html |accessdate=28 December 2012 |newspaper=New York Times|date=23 November 2012}}</ref> The suspension focused attention on Bharti Walmart as a part of the broader debate surrounding the desirability of allowing multi-brand FDI into India.<ref name=BloombergIndia>{{cite news|last=Sharma |first=Malavika|title=India Government Agency Proves Wal-Mart Investments|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-05/india-government-agency-probes-wal-mart-investments.html |accessdate=28 December|newspaper=Bloomberg |date=5 December 2012}}</ref><ref name=EconTimes>{{cite news|title=Bharti Walmart in eye of storm after probe news|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-11-24/news/35332551_1_bharti-walmart-walmart-s-asia-raj-jain|accessdate=December 28, 2012|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=November 24, 2012}}</ref> The September 20, 2012 approval of FDI was challenged by opposition parties and narrowly passed in a contentious parliamentary vote in early December.<ref name=BBCnewsIndia>{{cite news|title=India MPs in parliament uproar over Walmart lobbying |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-20662771 |accessdate=28 December 2012 |publisher=BBC News India|date=10 December 2012}}</ref><ref name=Bloomberg>{{cite news|last= Choudhury|first=Chandrahas |title=India Opens Doors For Wal-Mart and 'Untouchables'|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-20/india-opens-doors-for-wal-mart-and-untouchables-.html|accessdate=December 28, 2012|newspaper=Bloomberg|date= December 23, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:A big green sign - geograph.org.uk - 781233.jpg|thumb|right|Walmart's UK subsidiary, [[Asda]]]]
Sales in 2006 for Walmart's UK subsidiary, [[Asda]] (which retains the name it had before acquisition by Walmart), accounted for 42.7 percent of sales of Walmart's international division. In contrast to the US operations, Asda was originally and still remains primarily a grocery chain, but with a stronger focus on non-food items than most UK supermarket chains other than [[Tesco]]. {{As of|2011}}, Asda had 523 stores, including 147 from the 2010 [[Netto (store)|Netto]] acquisition. In addition to small suburban Asda stores, larger stores are branded Asda Walmart Supercentres,<!-- SupercentREs is correct; see talk page. --> as well as Asda Superstores and Asda Living.<ref name="AsdaFactsheet">[http://www.walmartstores.com/download/2010.pdf "UK Fact Sheet"]. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. August 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.asda.jobs/all-about/who-we-are/stores.html ASDA Careers: All about ASDA Stores]. Retrieved August 7, 2011</ref><ref name="About_ASDA">"[http://www.walmartstores.com/AboutUs/275.aspx?p=246 Wal-mart United Kingdom]. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Retrieved June 8, 2010.</ref>

In addition to its wholly owned international operations, Walmart has joint ventures in China and several majority-owned subsidiaries. Walmart's majority-owned subsidiary in Mexico is [[Walmex]]. In Japan, Walmart owns 100 percent of [[Seiyu Group|Seiyu]] as of 2008.<ref name="2006-3Q-8K">"[http://ccbn.10kwizard.com/xml/download.php?repo=tenk&ipage=4486902&format=PDF Wal-Mart Reports Third Quarter Sales and Earnings]." Wal-Mart. November 14, 2006. Retrieved November 14, 2006.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walmartstores.com/AboutUs/274.aspx?p=246Citation |title=Walmart Corporate - Japan |publisher=Walmartstores.com |date=2012-10-31 |accessdate=2012-12-06}}</ref> Additionally, Walmart owns 51 percent of the Central American Retail Holding Company (CARHCO), consisting of more than 360 supermarkets and other stores in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.<ref name="sec2006">"[http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/104169/000119312506066792/d10k.htm Wal-Mart SEC Form 10-K]." ''[[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]]''. January 31, 2006. Retrieved July 26, 2006.</ref>

In 2008, Walmart named German retailing veteran Stephan Fanderl as the president of Walmart Emerging Markets-East in an effort to, "explore retail business opportunities in Russia and neighboring markets." The market is estimated to be worth more than {{US$|140}} billion per year in food sales alone.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24112760/|title=Walmart considers move into Russia|date=April 14, 2008|publisher=MSNBC|accessdate=2009-02-16}}</ref>

In January 2009, the company acquired a controlling interest in the largest grocer in [[Chile]], Distribucion y Servicio D&S SA.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&refer=latin_america&sid=aRRZOpO3GvLI|title=Wal-Mart Completes Takeover of Chilean Grocer D&S (Update4)|last=Attwood|first=James|date=January 23, 2009|publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.]]|accessdate=2009-02-16}}</ref>

On September 28, 2010, Walmart announced it would buy [[Massmart Holdings Ltd]]. of [[Johannesburg, South Africa]] in a deal worth over $4&nbsp;billion, giving the company its first stores in Africa.<ref name=Wake>{{cite news|url=http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2010/sep/29/head-of-wal-mart-tells-wfu-audience-of-plans-for-g-ar-425152/|title=Head of Walmart tells WFU audience of plans for growth over next 20 years |last=Daniel|first=Fran|work=[[Winston-Salem Journal]]|date=September 29, 2010|accessdate=2010-09-29}}</ref>

In December 2011, Walmart neither confirmed nor denied speculation that it was eyeing opportunities in [[Pakistan]]. "We have not made any announcements concerning Pakistan," said Megan Murphy, Walmart's international corporate affairs manager in an e-mail. Walmart does not comment on market entry speculation, she added. Murphy, however, said their priorities are to "concentrate on the markets where we already have operations and look for growth opportunities in markets where customers want to see us and where it makes sense for our long-term growth."<ref>{{cite web|last=Baloch |first=Farooq |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/311892/retail-expansion-worlds-largest-chain-silent-on-entering-pakistani-market/ |title=Retail expansion: World's largest chain silent on entering Pakistani market – The Express Tribune |publisher=Tribune.com.pk |date= |accessdate=2012-12-23}}</ref>

In February 2012, Walmart announced that the company raises its stake to 51 percent in Chinese Online Supermarket Yihaodian to tap rising consumer wealth and help the company offer more product. The stake expansion is subject to Chinese government regulatory approval.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-20/wal-mart-raises-stake-to-51-in-chinese-website-yihaodian.html|title=Wal-Mart Raises Stake to 51 percent in Chinese Website Yihaodian|date=February 20, 2012|work=Bloomberg}}</ref>

An April 2012 investigative report in ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported that a former executive of Walmart de Mexico alleged that, in September 2005, Walmart de Mexico had paid [[bribery|bribes]] via local fixers called [[gestor]]es to officials throughout Mexico in order to obtain construction permits, information, and other favors. Walmart investigators found credible evidence that Mexican and American laws had been broken. Concerns were raised that Walmart executives in the United States "hushed up" the allegations. Reportedly, bribes were given to rapidly obtain construction permits, which gave Walmart a substantial advantage over its business competitors.<ref name = NYTBribe>{{cite article |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/business/at-wal-mart-in-mexico-a-bribe-inquiry-silenced.html |title=Vast Mexican Bribery Case Hushed Up by Wal-Mart After High-Level Struggle |publisher=''[[The New York Times]]''|author=David Barstow |date=April 21, 2012. |accessdate=April 22, 2012}}</ref> A follow-up investigation by ''The New York Times,'' published December 17, 2012, revealed evidence that regulatory permission for siting, construction, and operation of nineteen stores had been obtained through bribery. There was evidence that a bribe of $52,000 was paid to change a zoning map, which enabled the opening of a Walmart store a mile from a historical site in [[San Juan Teotihuacán]].<ref name=NYT92904>{{cite news|title=No, the Conquistadors Are Not Back. It's Just Wal-Mart.|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/28/international/americas/28mexico.html|accessdate=December 18, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 28, 2004|author=James C. McKinley, Jr.}}</ref> After the initial article was released, Walmart released a statement denying the allegations and describing its anti-corruption policy. While an official Walmart report states that they found no evidence of corruption, the article alleges that previous internal reports had indeed turned up such evidence before the story became public.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/lydiadishman/2012/04/22/walmart-in-mexico/ |title=What Walmart Might Do With Allegations of Bribery in Mexico |author=Lydia Dishman |date=April 22, 2012|accessdate=April 23, 2012 |publisher=Forbes.com}}</ref> [[Forbes magazine]] contributor, [[Adam Hartung]], also alluded that the bribery scandal was a reflection of Walmart's "serious management and strategy troubles," stating, "[s]candals are now commonplace&nbsp;... [e]ach scandal points out that Walmart's strategy is harder to navigate and is running into big problems."<ref>{{cite web|last= Hartung|first=Adam|title=WalMart's Mexican Bribery Scandal Will Sink It Like an Iceberg Sank the Titanic|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamhartung/2012/04/26/walmarts-mexican-bribery-scandal-will-sink-it-like-the-icerberg-sank-the-titanic/|publisher=Forbes|accessdate=July 2, 2012}}</ref>

As of December 2012, internal investigations ongoing into possible violations of the Federal Corrupt Practices Act.<ref name=NYT121712>{{cite news|title=The Bribery Aisle: How Wal-Mart Used Payoffs to Get Its Way in Mexico|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/business/walmart-bribes-teotihuacan.html|accessdate=December 18, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 17, 2012|author=David Barstow|author2=Alejandra Xanic von Bertrab}}</ref> Walmart has invested $99 million in the internal investigations, which have expanded beyond Mexico to implicate operations in China, Brazil, and India.<ref name=NYTInquiry>{{cite news|last1=Cilfford |first1=Stephanie|last2=Barstow|first2=David|title=Wal-Mart Inquiry Reflects Alarm on Corruption|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2012/11/23/wal-mart-and-corruption-in-india-is-there-actually-any-way-to-avoid-it/|accessdate=28 December 2012 |publisher=New York Times|date=November 15, 2012}}</ref><ref name=forbes>{{cite news|last=Brown |first=Abram |title=Wal-Mart Bribery Probe Expands Past Mexico To Brazil, China And India|url= http://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2012/11/15/probe-into-wal-mart-bribery-past-mexico-to-brazil-china-and-india/|accessdate=28 December 2012|publisher=Forbes |date=15 November 2012}}</ref> The case has added fuel to the debate as to whether foreign investment will result in increased prosperity, or if it merely allows local retail trade and economic policy to be taken over by "foreign financial and corporate interests."<ref name=BloombergIndia/><ref name=NYTIndia>{{cite news|last1=Thirani|first1=Neha|last2=Kumar|first2= Hari|title=Fact-Checking the F.D.I. Debates|url=http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/07/fact-checking-the-f-d-i-debates/|accessdate=28 December 2012|newpaper=New York Times / International Herald Tribune|date=December 7, 2012}}</ref>

===Vudu===
In February 2010, the company agreed to buy [[Vudu]], a Silicon Valley start-up whose three-year-old online movie service is being built into an increasing number of televisions and Blu-ray players. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but a person briefed on the deal said the price for the company, which raised $60&nbsp;million in capital, was over $100&nbsp;million.<ref name=Stone>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/technology/23video.html|title=Walmart Buying Vudu Movie Service|date=February 22, 2010|accessdate=February 23, 2010 |work=The New York Times|first=Brad|last=Stone}}</ref> It is the third most popular online movie service, with a market share of 5.3 percent.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bustillo|first=Miguel|title=For Wal-Mart, a Rare Online Success|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=August 29, 2011|author2=Talley, Karen|page=B1}}</ref>

===Private label brands===
{{Main|List of Walmart brands}}
About 40 percent of products sold in Walmart are [[private label]] [[store brand]]s, or products offered by Walmart and produced through contracts with manufacturers. Walmart began offering private label brands in 1991 with the launch of [[Sam's Choice]], a brand of drinks produced by [[Cott|Cott Beverages]] exclusively for Walmart. Sam's Choice quickly became popular, and by 1993 was the third most popular beverage brand in the United States.<ref name=samschoice>{{cite news|url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3092/is_n19_v32/ai_14495621|title=Sam's Choice Climbs Beverage Brand List{{spaced ndash}} Walmart's Sam's American Choice Beverage Brand|work=Discount Store News|date=October 4, 1993|accessdate=April 20, 2007}}</ref> Other Walmart brands include Great Value and Equate in the US and Canada, and [[Asda|Smart Price]] in Britain. A 2006 study talked of "the magnitude of mind-share Walmart appears to hold in shoppers' minds when it comes to awareness of private label brands and retailers."<ref>{{cite web|author=Reyes, Sonia|url= http://www.pbmproducts.com/press.aspx?ID=183|title=Study: Wal-Mart Private Brands Are Catching On|date=August 21, 2006|accessdate=December 16, 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Cwkubv4f|archivedate=December 16, 2012 |dead=no}}</ref>

===Entertainment===
In 2010, the company teamed with [[Procter & Gamble]] to produce ''[[Secrets of the Mountain]]'' and ''[[The Jensen Project]]'', two-hour family movies which featured the characters using Walmart and Procter & Gamble branded products. ''The Jensen Project'' also featured a preview of a product to be released in several months in Walmart stores.<ref>{{cite web|title=Walmart Pushing Limited $199 Kinect Pre-Order Bundle|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/201049/walmart_pushing_limited_199_kinect_preorder_bundle.html|work=PCWorld|accessdate=July 18, 2010}}</ref><ref name="la times review">{{cite news|title=Television review: 'The Jensen Project'|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/16/entertainment/la-et-jensen-project-20100716|accessdate=July 16, 2010|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=July 16, 2010|first1=Mary|last1=McNamara}}</ref> A third movie, ''[[A Walk in My Shoes]]'', also aired in 2010 and a fourth is in production{{When|date=November 2012}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Second P&G Family Friendly Movie Airs July 16 On NBC|last=Kiesewette|first=John|url=http://cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/2010/07/09/second-pg-family-friendly-movie-airs-july-16-on-nbc/|work=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]|accessdate=July 9, 2010}}</ref> Walmart's director of brand marketing also serves as co-chair of the
[[Association of National Advertisers]]'s Alliance for Family Entertainment.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stanley|first=T.L.|title=Advertisers earmark $10&nbsp;million for family-friendly TV|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/06/advertisers-earmark-10-million-for-familyfriendly-tv.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 22, 2010}}</ref>

==Corporate affairs==
[[File:Walmart Home Office.jpg|thumb|Walmart Home Office in [[Bentonville, Arkansas]]]]
Walmart is headquartered in the Wal-Mart Home Office complex in [[Bentonville, Arkansas]]. The company's [[business model]] is based on selling a wide variety of general merchandise at "always low prices."<ref name=annrep/> They refer to their employees as "associates". All Wal-Mart stores in the US and Canada also have designated "greeters" at the store entrance, a practice pioneered by founder [[Sam Walton]] and later copied by other retailers. Greeters are trained to help shoppers find what they want and answer their questions.<ref name="Kendall_Gerald_I">{{cite book|last=Kendall|first=Gerald I.|title=Securing the future: strategies for exponential growth using the theory of constraints.|year=1998|publisher=[[CRC Press]]|location=Boca Raton, Florida|isbn=1-57444-197-3|page=106|url=http://books.google.com/?id=KgjTUtVixroC&pg=PA106&dq=walmart+greeter#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref> For many years, associates were identified in the store by their signature blue vest, but this was discontinued in June 2007 and replaced with more modern and professional khaki pants and polo shirts. The wardrobe change was part of a larger corporate overhaul for the store in an effort to increase sales and rejuvenate its stock price.<ref name="replace_blue_vests">{{cite news|title=Wal-Mart Replaces Blue Vests|url=http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3288829|accessdate=June 28, 2011|publisher=[[ABC News]]|date=June 18, 2007}}</ref>

Unlike many other retailers, Wal-Mart does not charge a [[slotting fee]] to suppliers for their products to appear in the store.<ref name="nelson">{{cite web | author = Nelson, Emily | url = http://www.columbia.edu/~ss957/media_ref_pages/TooManyChoices.html | title = Too Many Choices{{spaced ndash}} Nine Kinds of Kleenex Tissue, Eggo Waffles in 16 Flavors: Blame Brand Managers |work=The Wall Street Journal | date = April 20, 2001 | accessdate = August 1, 2006 }}</ref> Instead, it focuses on selling more popular products and provides incentives for store managers to drop unpopular products, as well as asking manufacturers to supply more popular products.<ref name="nelson" />

On September 14, 2006, the company announced that it would phase out its [[layaway]] program, citing declining use and increased costs.<ref>Staff Writer. "[http://www.walmartfacts.com/articles/4438.aspx Wal-Mart Will Phase Out Layaway Program]." Wal-Mart. September 14, 2006. Retrieved October 8, 2006.</ref> Layaway ceased to be offered on November 19, 2006, and required merchandise pickup by December 8, 2006. Wal-Mart now focuses on other payment options, such as increased use of six- and twelve-month, zero-interest financing. The layaway location in most stores is now used for Wal-Mart's Site-To-Store program, which was introduced in March 2007. This enables ''walmart.com'' customers to buy goods online with a free shipping option, and have goods shipped to the nearest store for pickup.<ref name="site-to-store">{{cite web|author=McCarthy, Caroline|url=http://www.news.com/2110-1030_3-6164619.html|title=Free Shipping from Walmart.com&nbsp;... with Store Pickup|publisher=[[CNET Networks|CNET]]|date=March 6, 2007|accessdate=November 1, 2007 }}</ref>

Maggie Sans, representing Walmart, sat on the Private Enterprise Board as Secretary of the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Private Enterprise Board|work=American Legislative Exchange Council|url=http://www.alec.org/about-alec/private-enterprise-board/|year=2012|accessdate=April 21, 2012}}</ref> On May 31, 2012, Walmart announced they were suspending their membership in the organization. Sans said: {{quote|"Previously, we expressed our concerns about ALEC's decision to weigh in on issues that stray from its core mission 'to advance the Jeffersonian principles of free markets.' We feel that the divide between these activities and our purpose as a business has become too wide. To that end, we are suspending our membership in ALEC."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/06/01/20120601walmart-leaves-public-policy-group-alec.html|title=Walmart leaves public-policy group ALEC|author=Jonathan D. Salant|publisher=Azcentral.com|date=2012-06-01 |accessdate=2012-12-06 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Ci1L3C8O |archivedate=2012-12-06}}</ref>}}

===Finance and governance===
For the [[fiscal year]] ending January 31, 2011, Wal-Mart reported a [[net income]] of $15.4&nbsp;billion on $422&nbsp;billion of revenue with a 24.7 percent[[profit margin|gross profit margin]]. The corporation's international operations accounted for $109.2&nbsp;billion, or 26.1 percent, of total sales.<ref name="Form10K">{{cite web|title=Wal-Mart Form 10K: Portions of Annual Report to Shareholders|url=http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/104169/000119312511083157/dex13.htm|publisher=United States Securities and Exchange Commission|accessdate=June 28, 2011}}</ref> It is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the [[Forbes Global 2000]] list, and the largest public corporation when ranked by revenue.<ref name="forbes_global_2000">{{cite news|title=The World's Biggest Public Companies|url=http://www.forbes.com/global2000/list|accessdate=June 28, 2011|newspaper=[[Forbes]]|date=April 2011}}</ref>

Wal-Mart is governed by a fifteen-member Board of Directors, which is elected annually by [[shareholder]]s. [[S. Robson Walton|Robson Walton]], the eldest son of founder [[Sam Walton]], serves as [[Chairman|Chairman of the Board]]. [[Mike Duke|Michael T. Duke]] serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and [[Lee Scott (businessman)|Lee Scott]], formerly CEO, serves as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board. Other members of the board include [[Aída Álvarez]], [[Jim Breyer]], [[M. Michele Burns]], [[James Cash, Jr.|James Cash]], [[Roger Corbett]], [[Douglas Daft]], [[David Glass (businessman)|David Glass]], [[Marissa Meyer]], Gregory B. Penner, Allen Questrom, Arne M. Sorenson, [[Jim Walton]], Christopher J. Williams, and Linda S. Wolf.<ref name="Form10K"/><ref name="Sorkin_Rusli">{{cite news|last=Sorkin, Andrew R.; Rusli, Evelyn M.|title=A Yahoo Search Calls Up a Chief From Google.|url=http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/16/googles-marissa-mayer-tapped-as-yahoos-chief/|accessdate=July 20, 2012|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=July 16, 2012}}</ref> Sam Walton died in 1992. After Walton's death, Don Soderquist, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice Chairman, became known as the "Keeper of the Culture."<ref name="Soderquist_Donald">{{Cite document|title=The Wal-mart Way: The Inside Story of the Success of the World's Largest Company|author=Soderquist, Donald |edition=2nd|date=April 19, 2005|isbn=978-0-7852-6119-3|publisher=[[Thomas Nelson (publisher)|Thomas Nelson]]}}</ref>

Notable former members of the board include [[Hillary Rodham Clinton|Hillary Clinton]] (1985–1992)<ref>{{cite web|author=Harkavy, Ward|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0021,harkavy,15052,5.html|title=Wal-Mart's First Lady|work=[[The Village Voice]]|date=May 24, 2000|accessdate=August 3, 2006}}</ref> and [[Tom Coughlin (Walmart)|Tom Coughlin]] (2003–2004), the latter having served as Vice Chairman. Clinton left the board before the [[United States presidential election, 1992|1992 U.S. Presidential Election]], and Coughlin left in December 2005 after pleading guilty to wire fraud and tax evasion for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Wal-Mart.<ref>{{cite news|author=Boulden, Jennifer|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=a574eQ1zemuk&refer=top_world_news|title=Wal-Mart Former Vice Chairman Coughlin Admits Fraud|work=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]|date=January 31, 2006|accessdate=August 3, 2006}}</ref> On August 11, 2006, he was sentenced to 27 months of home confinement, five years of probation, and ordered to pay {{US$|411,000}} in restitution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://batterys.over-blog.com/article-wal-mart-stores-inc-85031463.html|title=Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.|accessdate=December 19, 2012|author=Samedi}}</ref>

===Competition===
In North America, Wal-Mart's primary competition includes [[department store]]s like [[Kmart]], [[Target Corporation|Target]], [[ShopKo]] and [[Meijer]], Canada's [[Zellers]], [[Hart Stores|Hart]] the [[Real Canadian Superstore]] and [[Giant Tiger]], and Mexico's [[Comercial Mexicana]] and [[Soriana]]. Competitors of Wal-Mart's Sam's Club division are [[Costco]], and the smaller [[BJ's Wholesale Club]] chain operating mainly in the eastern US. Wal-Mart's move into the grocery business in the late 1990s also set it against major supermarket chains in both the United States and Canada. Several smaller retailers, primarily [[Variety store|dollar stores]], such as [[Family Dollar]] and [[Dollar General]], have been able to find a small niche market and compete successfully against Wal-Mart for home consumer sales.<ref>{{cite news|author=Stilgoe, John|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2003/11/23/wal_mart_giant_can_be_tamed|title = Wal-Mart Giant Can Be Tamed|work=The Boston Globe|date=November 23, 2003|accessdate=January 11, 2006}}</ref> In 2004, Wal-Mart responded by testing its own dollar store concept, a subsection of some stores called "Pennies-n-Cents."<ref>{{cite web|author=Berner, Robert|url= http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_19/b3882086.htm|title=Out-Discounting the Discounter|work=BusinessWeek|date=May 10, 2004}}</ref>

Wal-Mart also had to face fierce competition in some foreign markets. For example, in Germany it had captured just 2 percent of German food market following its entry into the market in 1997 and remained "a secondary player" behind [[Aldi]] with a 19 percent share.<ref name="Struggling In Germany">{{cite web|author=Ewing, Jack|url= http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_15/b3928086_mz054.htm|title=Wal-Mart: Struggling in Germany|work=BusinessWeek|date=April 11, 2005|accessdate=July 27, 2006}}</ref> In July 2006, Wal-Mart announced its withdrawal from Germany. Its stores were sold to German company [[METRO AG|Metro]].<ref name=walmartgermany/> Wal-Mart continues to do well in the UK, and its [[Asda]] subsidiary is the second largest chain after [[Tesco]].<ref name="A Bumpy Ride in Europe">{{cite news|author=Fairlamb, David|coauthors=Laura Cohn|url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_40/b3852011_mz001.htm|title=A Bumpy Ride in Europe =|work=BusinessWeek|date=October 6, 2003|accessdate=July 27, 2006}}</ref>

In May 2006, after entering the South Korean market in 1998, Wal-Mart withdrew and sold all 16 of its South Korean outlets to [[Shinsegae]], a local retailer, for $882&nbsp;million. Shinsegae re-branded the Wal-Marts as [[E-mart]] stores.<ref name="NYT_wmt_skorea">{{cite news|author=Sang-Hun, Choe|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/23/business/worldbusiness/23shop.html|title=Wal-Mart Selling Stores and Leaving South Korea |work=The New York Times|date=May 23, 2006|accessdate=December 2, 2007}}</ref>

Wal-Mart struggled to export its brand elsewhere as it rigidly tried to reproduce its model overseas. In China, Wal-Mart hopes to succeed by adapting and doing things preferable to Chinese citizens. For example, it found that Chinese consumers preferred to select their own live fish and seafood; stores began displaying the meat uncovered and installed fish tanks, leading to higher sales.<ref name="China_reinvent">{{cite web|url=http://www.industryleadersmagazine.com/walmart-low-prices-big-numbers/|title= Walmart: Low Prices, Big Numbers|publisher=IndustryLeaders|accessdate=December 16, 2012|author=Ann, Carrie|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6CwmGVwgZ|archivedate= December 16, 2012|dead=no}}</ref>

===Customer base===
[[File:Walmart 15 cent price.jpg|thumb|right|A price of 15 cents on folders and notebooks]]
Each week, about 100 million customers, nearly one-third of the U.S. population, visit Walmart's U.S. stores (200 million according to Walmart's website).<ref>{{cite web|title=Walmart Corporate - Our Story|url=http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story|accessdate=November 27, 2012}}</ref><ref name="managing_walmart">{{cite web| author=Sehgal, Ujala|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/16-walmart-facts#each-week-nearly-one-third-of-the-us-population-visits-walmarts-us-stores-4|title=16 Facts About Walmart That Will Blow Your Mind|date=October 23, 2010|accessdate=December 20, 2012}}</ref> Walmart customers give low prices as the most important reason for shopping there, reflecting the ''"Low prices, always"'' advertising slogan that Wal-Mart used from 1962 until 2006.<ref name=nytmorethanprice>{{cite news|author=Barbaro, Michael|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/02/business/02walmart.html|title=It's Not Only about Price at Wal-Mart|work=The New York Times |date=March 2, 2007|accessdate=April 3, 2007}}</ref> The average US Wal-Mart customer's income is below the national average, and analysts recently estimated that more than one-fifth of them lack a bank account, twice the national rate.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} A Wal-Mart financial report in 2006 also indicated that Wal-Mart customers are sensitive to higher utility costs and gas prices.<ref name="walmart2006">{{cite web| url=http://companies.jrank.org/pages/4721/Wal-Mart-De-Mexico-S-De-C-V.html|title=Wal Mart De Mexico, S.A. De C.V. Business Information, Profile, and History| publisher=Jrank|accessdate=December 19, 2012}}</ref> A poll indicated that after [[United States presidential election, 2004|2004 US Presidential Election]] 76 percent of voters who shopped at Wal-Mart once a week voted for [[George W. Bush]], while only 23 percent supported senator [[John Kerry]].<ref name=zogbypoll>{{cite web|url= http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2012-11-23-4#.UM1ok-Oe9uo|title=Group protests at local Walmart|accessdate=December 16, 2012|author=Gardner, Sheldon}}</ref> When measured against other similar retailers in the U.S., frequent Wal-Mart shoppers were rated the most politically [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Birchall, Jonathan; Yeager, Holly|title=A Purchase on Psephology|publisher=''[[Financial Times]]''|date=August 17, 2006|page=9|edition=US edition}}</ref>

In 2006, Wal-Mart took steps to expand its US customer base, announcing a modification in its US stores from a "one-size-fits-all" merchandising strategy to one designed to "reflect each of six demographic groups{{spaced ndash}}African-Americans, the affluent, empty-nesters, Hispanics, suburbanites and rural residents."<ref name="droponesizefitsall">"[http://www.cnbc.com/id/14714027/for/cnbc Wal-Mart to Drop One-Size-Fits-All Approach]." ''[[CNBC]]''. 2006. Retrieved April 3, 2007.</ref> Around six months later, it unveiled a new slogan:'' "Saving people money so they can live better lives"''. This reflects the three main groups into which Wal-Mart categorizes its 200&nbsp;million customers: "brand aspirationals" (people with low incomes who are obsessed with names like [[KitchenAid]]), "price-sensitive affluents" (wealthier shoppers who love deals), and "value-price shoppers" (people who like low prices and cannot afford much more).<ref name=nytmorethanprice/> Wal-Mart has also made steps to appeal to more [[Liberalism in the United States|liberal]] customers, for example, by rejecting the [[American Family Association]]'s recommendations and carrying the DVD ''[[Brokeback Mountain]],'' a love story between two gay cowboys in Wyoming.<ref name="brokeback">{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/2006-04-04/| title=Wal-Mart Hit by 'Brokeback' Protest|publisher=Imdb|accessdate=December 8, 2012}}</ref>

===Economic impact===
{{See also|Criticism of Walmart}}
Kenneth Stone, Professor of Economics at [[Iowa State University]], in a paper published in ''Farm Foundation'' in 1997, found that some small towns can lose almost half of their retail trade within ten years of a Wal-Mart store opening.<ref name="Rural"/> He compared the changes to previous competitors small town shops have faced in the past{{spaced ndash}} from the development of the railroads and the Sears Roebuck catalog to shopping malls. He concludes that small towns are more affected by "discount mass merchandiser stores" than larger towns and that shop owners who adapt to the ever changing retail market can "co-exist and even thrive in this type of environment."<ref name=Rural/>

One study found Wal-Mart's entry into a new market has a profound impact on its retail competition. When a Wal-Mart opens in a new market, median sales drop 40 percent at similar high-volume stores, 17 percent at supermarkets and 6 percent at [[Pharmacy|drugstores]], according to the June 2009 study by researchers at several universities and led by the Tuck School of Business at [[Dartmouth College]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0704-soda-wars-20100703,0,5230113.story|title=Wal-Mart Impact: Pop Price War Warns of Wal-Mart Impact for Chicago|author=Julie Wernau|publisher=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=July 4, 2010}}</ref>
A [[Loyola University Chicago]] study suggested that the impact a Wal-Mart store has on a local business is correlated to its distance from that store. The leader of that study admits that this factor is stronger in smaller towns and doesn't apply to more urban areas saying "It'd be so tough to nail down what's up with Wal-Mart".<ref name=wpost>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/22/AR2008062201717.html|title=When Wal-Mart Moves In, Neighborhood Businesses Suffer. Right?|last= Mui|first=Ylan Q.|date=June 23, 2008|work=The Washington Post}}</ref>

A June 2006 article published by the [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] [[Ludwig von Mises Institute]] suggested that Wal-Mart has a positive impact on small business.<ref name="ultimate">Kirklin, Paul. (June 28, 2006). "[http://www.mises.org/story/2219/ The Ultimate pro-WalMart Article]". [[Ludwig von Mises Institute]]. Retrieved August 17, 2006.</ref> It argued that while Wal-Mart's low prices caused some existing businesses to close, the chain also created new opportunities for other small business, and so "the process of [[creative destruction]] unleashed by Wal-Mart has no statistically significant impact on the overall size of the small business sector in the United States."<ref name="sobel_dean">Sobel, Russell S.; Andrea M. Dean. "[http://be.wvu.edu/Div/econ/work/pdf_files/06-05.pdf Has Wal-Mart Buried Mom and Pop?: The Impact of Wal-Mart on Self Employment and Small Establishments in the United States]." [[West Virginia University]]. Retrieved August 4, 2006. {{SSRN|986362}}</ref>

For the concern of jobs, a study commissioned by Wal-Mart with consulting firm [[Global Insight]], found that its stores' presence saves working families more than US$2,500 per year, while creating more than 210,000 jobs in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.globalinsight.com/publicDownload/genericContent/11-03-05_walmart.pdf| title=Economic Impact of Wal-Mart|publisher=[[Global insight]]|date=November 3, 2005| accessdate=December 8, 2012|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Cly0Vevg| archivedate=December 8, 2012|format=PDF}}</ref> Alternately, the [[Economic Policy Institute]] estimates that between 2001 and 2006, Wal-Mart's trade deficit with China alone eliminated nearly 200,000 U.S. jobs.<ref>{{cite web|author=Clark, Robert E.|date=June 26, 2007|url=http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/ib235|title=The Wal-Mart effect: Its Chinese imports have displaced nearly 200,000 U.S. jobs|accessdate=August 2, 2008}}</ref> Another study at the [[University of Missouri]] found that a new store increases net retail employment in the county by 100 jobs in the short term, half of which disappear over five years as other retail establishments close.<ref>{{cite web|author=Basker, Emek|year=2002|url=http://econwpa.wustl.edu/eps/lab/papers/0303/0303002.pdf|title=Job Creation or Destruction? Labor-Market Effects of Wal-Mart Expansion|format=PDF|publisher=[[University of Missouri]]|accessdate=August 4, 2006}}</ref>

Studies of Wal-Mart show consumers benefit from lower costs. Another study by Global Insight found that Wal-Mart's growth between 1985 and 2004 resulted in food-at-home prices that were 9.1 percent lower and overall prices (as measured by the [[Consumer price index|Consumer Price Index]]) that were 3.1 percent lower than they would otherwise have been.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/Advice/InPraiseOfWalMart.aspx|title=In praise of Wal-Mart|last=Siegel|first=Jeremy J.|publisher=[[MSN Money]]|accessdate=2009-03-12}}</ref> A 2005 story in ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that "Wal-Mart's discounting on food alone boosts the welfare of American shoppers by at least $50&nbsp;billion per year."<ref>{{cite web|author=Mallaby, Sebastian|date=November 28, 2005|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/27/AR2005112700687.html|title=Progressive Wal-Mart. Really|publisher=''[[The Washington Post]]''|accessdate=August 4, 2006}}</ref> A study in 2005 at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT) measured the effect on [[Welfare economics|consumer welfare]] and found that the poorest segment of the population benefits the most from the existence of discount retailers.<ref>{{cite web|author=Hausman, Jerry; Ephraim Leibtag|date= October 2005|url=http://economics.mit.edu/files/1765|title=Consumer Benefits from Increased Competition in Shopping Outlets: Measuring the Effect of Wal-Mart|publisher=[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]]/[[United States Department of Agriculture]]|accessdate=August 4, 2006}}</ref> A 2004 paper by two professors at [[Pennsylvania State University]] found that U.S. counties with Wal-Mart stores suffered increased poverty compared with counties without Wal-Marts.<ref name="PSUstudy">{{cite web|author=Goetz, Stephan J.; Hema Swaminathan|date=October 18, 2004|url= http://aers.psu.edu/research/centers/cecd/research/wal-mart-and-county-wide-poverty/full-study/at_download/file|title=Wal-Mart and County-Wide Poverty|publisher=[[Pennsylvania State University]]|accessdate=August 4, 2006}}</ref> They hypothesized, to explain their results: This could be due to the displacement of workers from higher-paid jobs in the retailers customers no longer choose to patronize, Wal-Mart providing less local charity than the replaced businesses, or a shrinking pool of local leadership and reduced [[social capital]] due to a reduced number of local independent businesses.<ref name="PSUstudy"/> Dr [[Raj Patel]], author of "[[Stuffed and Starved]]: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle for the World Food System", said in a lecture at the [[University of Melbourne]] on September 18, 2007, that a study in Nebraska looked at two different Wal-Marts, the first of which had just arrived and "was in the process of driving everyone else out of business but, to do that, they cut their prices to the bone, very, very low prices". In the other Wal-Mart, "they had successfully destroyed the local economy, there was a sort of economic crater with Wal-Mart in the middle; and, in that community, the prices were 17&nbsp;percent higher".<ref name="RNBigIdeas">{{cite news|author=Patel, R.|date=September 18, 2007|url=http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bigideas/stories/2009/2534576.htm|title=Food Glorious Food|publisher=[[Radio National]]|accessdate=April 10, 2009}}</ref>

Pulitzer Prize-winner columnist [[George Will]] named Wal-Mart "the most prodigious job-creator in the history of the private sector in this galaxy" and that "[b]y lowering consumer prices, Wal-Mart costs about 50 retail jobs among competitors ''for every 100 jobs Wal-Mart creates''". In terms of economic effects, Will states that "Wal-Mart and its effects save shoppers more than $200 billion a year, dwarfing such government programs as [[Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program|food stamps]] ($28.6 billion) and the [[earned income tax credit]] ($34.6 billion)".<ref>{{cite web|last=Will|first=George|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/13/AR2006091301573.html|title=Democrats Vs. Wal-Mart|publisher=The Washington Post|date=September 14, 2006|authorlink=George Will|archivedate=2012-11-24|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6CQnqR0lz}}</ref>

A 2001 [[McKinsey & Company|McKinsey]] Global Institute study of U.S. labor productivity growth between 1995 and 2000 concluded that "Wal-Mart directly and indirectly caused the bulk of the productivity acceleration" in the retail sector.<ref>{{cite web|title=US productivity growth, 1995–2000|url=http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/mgi/research/productivity_competitiveness_and_growth/us_productivity_growth_1995-2000|publisher=[[McKinsey & Company{{!}}McKinsey]] Global Institute|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6CQoZDHTb|archivedate=25 November 2012|month=October|year=2001}}</ref> [[Robert Solow]], a Nobel laureate in economics and an adviser to the study, stated that "[b]y far the most important factor in that [growth] is Wal-Mart."<ref>{{cite web|last=Ghemawat|first=Pankaj|title=The Real Wal-Mart Effect|url=http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5474.html|publisher=[[Harvard Business School]]|coauthors=Ken A. Mark|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6CQoha02g|archivedate=25 November 2012|date=August 23, 2006}}</ref>

===Employee and labor relations===
{{See also|Criticism of Walmart}}
[[File:Wal-Mart protest in Utah.jpg|thumb|A protest in [[Utah]] against Wal-Mart]]
[[trade union|Labor unions]], Christian organizations,<ref>{{cite web|author=Sellers, Jeff M|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/116/52.0.html|title=Women Against Wal-Mart|work=[[Christianity Today]]|date=April 22, 2005|accessdate=July 31, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Sellers, Jeff M|url= http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/005/17.40.html|title=Deliver Us from Wal-Mart?|work=[[Christianity Today]]|date=April 22, 2005|accessdate=July 31, 2006}}</ref> and environmental groups<ref name=mkabel>{{cite news|author=Kabel, Marcus|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/18/AR2006071800981.html|title=Wal-Mart, Critics Slam Each Other on Web|work=The Washington Post|date=July 18, 2006|accessdate=July 31, 2006}}</ref> have criticized Wal-Mart for its policies and/or business practices. In particular, several labor unions blame Wal-Mart workers' unwillingness to join their organizations on the company's anti-union stance. Others disapprove of the corporation's extensive foreign product sourcing, treatment of employees and product suppliers, environmental practices, and [[corporate welfare|use of public subsidies]], and the impact of stores on the local economies of towns in which they operate.<ref>{{cite news|author=Copeland, Larry|url= http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2006-03-15-young-walmart-usat_x.htm|title=Wal-Mart's Hired Advocate Takes Flak|work=USA Today|date=March 15, 2006|accessdate=July 31, 2006 }}</ref><ref>Smith, Hedrick."[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/secrets/shots.html Who Calls the Shots in the Global Economy?]" [[Public Broadcasting Service]]. Retrieved July 31, 2006.</ref>

In 2005, two campaigns were launched: the ([[United Food and Commercial Workers]]) launched [[Wake Up Wal-Mart]] and The Center for Community and Corporate Ethics launched [[Wal-Mart Watch]].<ref>{{cite web|title=UFCW Launches New Campaign To "Wake Up Wal-Mart"|url=http://www.ufcw.org/press_room/index.cfm?pressReleaseID=134|publisher=[[United Food and Commercial Workers]]|accessdate=January 13, 2011|date=April 5, 2005}}</ref> By the end of 2005, Wal-Mart launched [[Working Families for Wal-Mart]], an operation managed by Wal-Mart to tell the company's side of the story. Additional efforts to counter criticism included a [[Public relations|PR]] campaign in 2005, managed through its PR website walmartfacts.com,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.walmartfacts.com/|title=Walmart Facts.com (official public relations website)|publisher=Wal-Mart|accessdate=August 1, 2006}}</ref> as well as several television commercials. The company retained the PR firm [[Edelman (firm)|Edelman]] to respond to negative media attention,<ref name=newweapon>{{cite news|author=Barnaro, Michael|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/01/business/01walmart.ready.html|title =A New Weapon for Wal-Mart: A War Room|work=The New York Times|date=November 1, 2005|accessdate=August 1, 2006}}</ref> and started interacting directly with bloggers by sending them news, suggesting topics for postings, and sometimes inviting them to visit its corporate headquarters.<ref name="bloggerPR">{{cite news|author=Barbaro, Michael|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/07/technology/07blog.html|title=Wal-Mart Enlists Bloggers in P.R. Campaign|work=The New York Times|date=March 7, 2006|accessdate=August 1, 2006}}</ref> Similarly, in 2010, several of Wal-Mart's opponents have hired [[The Saint Consulting Group]] to support grass-roots campaigns against Wal-Mart. The most notable of these include grocery chains such as [[Safeway Inc.]], [[SuperValu (United States)|SuperValu]], and [[Ahold]], concerned that the presence of Wal-Mart will add more competition to their operations.<ref name="ZimmermanAnn_SaintConsulting">{{cite news|last=Zimmerman|first=Ann|title=Rival Chains Secretly Fund Opposition to Wal-Mart|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704875604575280414218878150.html|accessdate=June 9, 2010|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=June 7, 2010}}</ref>

In June 2006, Walmart was excluded from the investment portfolio of [[The Government Pension Fund of Norway]], which held stock values of about US$ 430&nbsp;million in the company, due to a social audit into alleged labor rights violations in the company's operations in the US and worldwide.<ref name="pension_fund">{{cite web |url=http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/fin/Press-Center/Press-releases/2006/Two-companies---Wal-Mart-and-Freeport---.html?id=104396&epslanguage=EN-GB|title=Two companies{{spaced ndash}} Wal-Mart and Freeport{{spaced ndash}} are being excluded from the Norwegian Government Pension Fund – Global's investment universe|author=[[Norwegian Ministry of Finance]]|date=June 6, 2006}}</ref><ref name=recommendation/> Although Walmart did not respond to questions from the fund's auditors, the company later claimed the decision "don't appear to be based on complete information".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/24/magazines/fortune/NorwaytoWMT.fortune/index.htm|title=Norway to Wal-Mart: We don't want your shares|author=Vivienne Walt, [[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]|date=July 24, 2006|publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

In the past, Walmart has been accused of locking night-shift workers in at night,<ref>{{cite news |title=Workers Assail Night Lock-Ins By Wal-Mart |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/18/us/workers-assail-night-lock-ins-by-wal-mart.html|work=The New York Times|author=Steven Greenhouse|date=January 18, 2004}}</ref> paying employees below [[minimum wage]], and exposing employees to health [[hazard]]s.<ref name=recommendation>{{cite web|title=Recommendation of November 15, 2005 |publisher=The Ministry of Finance|author=The Ethical Council of the Government Pension Fund of Norway|date=November 15, 2005|url= http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/fin/Selected-topics/The-Government-Pension-Fund/Ethical-Guidelines-for-the-Government-Pension-Fund---Global-/Recommendations-and-Letters-from-the-Advisory-Council-on-Ethics/Recommendation-of-15-November-2005.html?id=450120 }}</ref> Wal-Mart's own "Standards for Suppliers" reports document extensive problems of this kind among the company's "directly-sourced" factories.<ref>{{cite web |title=2004 Report on Standards for Suppliers|publisher=Wal-Mart Stores, Inc |url=http://www.walmartstores.com/FactsNews/NewsRoom/5267.aspx}}</ref> Full-time Wal-Mart employees earn an average of $10.78 per hour, but critics point out that the starting pay can be far lower{{spaced ndash}} placing some employees with children below the poverty line{{spaced ndash}} and that payrates do not rise as quickly as with unionized companies.<ref name=storewars/> Others decry low levels of health coverage or overpriced health insurance, though the company reports that it offers rates as low as $5 per month in some areas ($9 per month nationwide) and that 92 percent of its associates are insured (though not necessarily through Wal-Mart).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walmartstores.com/Careers/Careers/7750.aspx|title=Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.{{spaced ndash}} Benefits}}</ref> Other grievances regard [[Occupational safety and health|poor working conditions]], unfavorable employer-employee relationships, and anti-[[trade union|union]] policies. Many suggest that Wal-Mart's high annual [[Turnover (employment)|turnover]]-rate of ~70 percent shows that workers are dissatisfied and maltreated.<ref name=storewars>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/itvs/storewars/stores3.html|title=tore Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town|publisher=[[PBS]]|accessdate=February 24, 2007}}</ref>

In response, [[Jay Nordlinger]] of ''[[National Review]]'' argues that Wal-Mart is attacked simply because it is a leader of the [[Fortune 500]] list or the largest employer in America, and a "free-market success story".{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} [[Penn & Teller]] devoted an episode of ''[[Penn & Teller: Bullshit!|Bullshit!]]'' to an analysis of Wal-Mart criticism as a social movement. They theorized that despite the noble rhetoric, the real motivation of "Wal-Mart haters" was rooted in human psychology. They suggested that hating Wal-Mart permits a person "to feel better about themselves" for three main reasons: They "don't run a greedy international conglomerate", they aren't Wal-Mart workers, widely considered "low-skilled, minimum wage drones", and they aren't Wal-Mart customers thought of as "toothless, welfare-getting hillbillies".<ref>''Penn & Teller: Bullshit'', Season 5, Episode 2.</ref> Wal-Mart stores are unionized in every country outside of North America.<ref name="Lichtenstein2006">{{cite news|author=Lichtenstein, Nelson|year=2006|title=Wal-Mart: The Face of Twenty-First Century Capitalism|publisher=[[New Press]]}}</ref>

Wal-Mart has opposed the [[Employee Free Choice Act]] (EFCA), which would make it easier for workers to unionize by removing the employer's ability to demand a secret ballot in union elections, and which would require mandatory arbitration of labor disputes. In mid-2008, the company required store managers and department heads to attend meetings at which opposition to the EFCA was used as a fulcrum for criticism of [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] candidates in the elections for the [[United States Senate]] and the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], as well as of the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee, Senator [[Barack Obama]]. At these meetings, Wal-Mart human resources managers warned that Democratic victories might result in passage of the EFCA and hence more unionization. At one meeting, a Wal-Mart customer service supervisor from Missouri stated, "I am not telling you how to vote, but if the Democrats win, this bill will pass and you won't have a vote on whether you want a union.<ref name=Warning>{{Cite news| last = Zimmerman|first=Ann|last2=Maher|first2=Kris|title=Wal-Mart Warns of Democratic Win|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|page=A1|date=August 1, 2008|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121755649066303381.html}}</ref> A Wal-Mart spokesman, while acknowledging that the meetings were taking place nationwide, said, "If anyone representing Wal-Mart gave the impression we were telling associates how to vote, they were wrong and acting without approval."<ref name=Warning/> Several labor-rights groups including the [[AFL-CIO]] have asked the [[Federal Election Commission]] to investigate whether Wal-Mart broke federal election rules by advocating against Democratic candidate Barack Obama in meetings with employees.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://newswise.com/articles/view/543539/|title=Wal-Mart Put Chill on Expression in Workplace, Says Professor|publisher=[[Newswise]]|accessdate=August 17, 2008}}</ref>

[[File:Quanzhou - Wal-Mart - DSCF8513.JPG|thumb|The Wal-Mart store in [[Quanzhou]], Fujian, China]]
According to a ''[[Newsweek]]'' article, Wal-Mart, after years of fierce fighting, accepted organized labor in China.<ref>{{cite web|author=Naughton, Keith|url= http://www.newsweek.com/id/45140|title=The Great Wal-Mart of China |work=Newsweek|date=October 30, 2006|accessdate=November 1, 2007}}</ref>

In 2011, Wal-Mart sub-contractors, Impact Logistics and Premiere Warehousing Ventures, which were employed through Schneider Logistics warehouses in Mira Loma, California were fined by the California State Labor Department for disregarding federal and state wage laws.<ref name=sub_fines>{{cite web|url= http://markets.financialcontent.com/stocks/news/read/19999260/California_Labor_Commissioner_Issues_Additional_$616|title=Financial Content, Posted on November 17, 2011}}</ref> "California Labor Commissioner Julie Su said in an interview that the Schneider facility on South Hamner Avenue is actually two buildings, and that most of the goods that move through the distribution center go to area Wal- Mart stores.".<ref name=JulieSu>{{cite web|url= http://www.pe.com/business/business-headlines/20111013-workplace-warehouse-operators-face-labor-law-heat.ece|title=The Press-Enterprise PE.Com Published: October 13, 2011}}</ref> Warehouse Workers United (WWU) filed a complaint with Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke (October, 2011) and with the Wal-Mart Ethics Office (January, 2012) noting that the conditions in this warehouse violate Wal-Mart's own 'Statement of Ethics'. "The complaint details widespread wage-theft resulting from a piece-rate system for unloading containers, failure to pay employees for the time they actually worked and other violations of state and federal wage and hour law." In response, WWU received a 'Dear Customer' letter from Wal-Mart."<ref name=WWU>{{cite web|url= http://www.warehouseworkersunited.org/fileadmin/userfiles/Uploads/WalmartEthicsComplaint01182012.pdf|title=Warehouse Workers United January 18, 2012 website|format=PDF}}</ref>

===Gender and sexual orientation===
In 2007, a [[Discrimination|gender discrimination]] lawsuit, ''[[Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.]]'', was filed against Walmart, alleging that female employees were discriminated against in matters regarding pay and promotions. A [[class action]] suit was sought, which would have been the nation's largest in history, covering 1.5&nbsp;million past and current employees of Wal-Mart.<ref name="newsmax">{{cite news|title=Wal-Mart Faces Class-Action Lawsuit |url=http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/2/6/130433.shtml |accessdate=June 21, 2011|newspaper=Newsmax|date=February 6, 2007}}</ref> On June 20, 2011, the [[Supreme Court of the United States|United States Supreme Court]] ruled in Wal-Mart's favor, stating that the plaintiffs did not have enough in common to constitute a class.<ref name="SCOTUS_Walmart">{{cite news|title=Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Petitioner v. Betty Dukes et al.|url=http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/10-277.pdf|accessdate=June 21, 2011|newspaper=[[Supreme Court of the United States|United States Supreme Court]]|date=June 20, 2011}}</ref> The court ruled unanimously that because of the variability of the plaintiffs' circumstances, the class action could not proceed as presented, and furthermore, in a 5–4 decision that it could not proceed as any kind of class action suit.<ref name="Lennard_Natasha">{{cite news|last=Lennard|first=Natasha|title=The Supreme Court sides with Wal-Mart|url=http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2011/06/20/supreme_court_sides_with_wal_mart/|accessdate=June 21, 2011|newspaper=[[Salon.com|Salon]]|date=June 20, 2011}}</ref> However, several plaintiffs, including Ms. Dukes, still intend to file individual discrimination lawsuits separately.<ref name="Clifford_Stephanie">{{cite news|last=Clifford|first=Stephanie|title=Despite Setback, Plaintiffs to Pursue Wal-Mart Cases|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/business/21walmart.html|accessdate=June 21, 2011|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 20, 2011}}</ref>

According to a consultant hired by plaintiffs in a sex discrimination lawsuit, in 2001, Wal-Mart's EEOC filings showed that female employees made up 65 percent of Wal-Mart's hourly paid workforce, but only 33 percent of its management.<ref name=conlin>{{cite news|author=Conlin, Michelle|url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_29/b3741080.htm|title=Is Wal-Mart Hostile to Women?|work=BusinessWeek|date=July 16, 2001|accessdate=October 1, 2006}}</ref><ref name=zellner>{{cite news|author=Zellner, Wendy|url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_09/b3822067_mz021.htm|title=No Way to Treat a Lady?|work=[[BusinessWeek]]|date=March 3, 2003|accessdate=October 1, 2006}}</ref> Just 35 percent of its store managers were women, whereas 57 percent were at comparable retailers.<ref name=zellner/> Wal-Mart says comparisons with other retailers are unfair, because it classifies employees differently; if department managers were included in the totals, women would make up 60 percent of the managerial ranks.<ref name=zellner/> Others have criticized the lawsuit as without basis in the law and as an abuse of the class action mechanism.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.city-journal.org/html/eon_06_24_04sm.html|title=The Tort Plague Hits Wal-Mart|last=Malanga|first=Steven|work=[[City Journal (New York)|City Journal]]|accessdate=February 23, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/regv30n2/v30n2-6.pdf|title=The Anti- Constitutional Culture of Class Action Law|last=Moller|first=Mark|date=Summer 2007|work=[[Regulation (magazine)|Regulation]]|format=[[Portable Document Format|PDF]]|pages=50–58|accessdate=2009-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113659795209840464.html?mod=opinion&ojcontent=otep|title=Willie Sutton Was a Piker|last=Dreiband|first=Eric S.|date=January 7, 2006|work=The Wall Street Journal|accessdate=2009-03-12}}</ref> In 2007, Wal-Mart was named by the National Association for Female Executives as one of the top 35 companies for Executive Women.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Recognized As Top Company For Executive Women by the National Association For Female Executives|date=April 3, 2007|publisher=Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.}}</ref>

Wal-Mart's rating on the [[Human Rights Campaign]]'s [[Corporate Equality Index]], a measure of how companies treat [[LGBT]] employees and customers, has fluctuated widely during the past decade, from a low of 14 percent (2002) to 65 percent (2006). They were praised for expanding their antidiscrimination policy protecting gay and lesbian employees,<ref>{{cite news|author=Kershaw, Sarah|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/02/us/wal-mart-sets-a-new-policy-that-protects-gay-workers.html|title=Wal-Mart Sets a New Policy That Protects Gay Workers|work=The New York Times|date=July 2, 2003|accessdate=October 1, 2006}}</ref> as well as for a new definition of "family" that included same-sex partners.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Press_Room&CONTENTID=24994&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm|title=HRC Applauds Wal-Mart's Inclusive Family Policy]" (press release)|publisher=''[[Human Rights Campaign]]''|date=January 27, 2005|accessdate=October 1, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Get_Informed2&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=33909|title=Corporate Equality Index|publisher=Human Rights Campaign|year=2006|accessdate=November 2, 2006}}</ref> However, they have been criticized in other areas, such as not renewing its membership in the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, which is reflected in their 2008 rating of 40 percent (compared to [[Target Corporation|Target]] at 80 percent and [[Kmart]] at 100 percent).<ref name=washblade>{{cite web|url=http://arkansasgopwing.blogspot.com/2007_11_25_archive.html|title=Whoopi Defends Sudan Over Muhammad Teddy|accessdate=December 20, 2012}}</ref>

In January 2006, Wal-Mart announced that "diversity efforts include new groups of minority, female and gay employees that meet at Wal-Mart headquarters in Bentonville to advise the company on marketing and internal promotion. There are seven Business Resource Groups: women, African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, Gays and Lesbians, and a disabled group."<ref>{{cite web|url= http://nlpc.org/sites/default/files/Walmart_SR.pdf|title=Wal-Mart Embraces Controversial Causes|publisher=[[National Legal and Policy Center]]|accessdate=December 7, 2012|author=Carlisle, John|page=23}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Arkansas|United States|Companies}}
{{Wikipedia books|Walmart}}

===Television and film===
*''[[Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price]]'' – a 2005 documentary film by director [[Robert Greenwald]]
*''[[Why Wal-Mart Works; and Why That Drives Some People C-R-A-Z-Y]]'' – a 2005 rebuttal to the Greenwald documentary
*''[[Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes]]'' – a 2004 episode of [[Comedy Central]]'s ''[[South Park]]''

===Other===
*[[Wal-Mart camel]] – a bone [[fossil]] of a prehistoric [[camel]] found at a future Wal-Mart store in [[Mesa, Arizona]]
*[[Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach]] – a golf tournament
*[[Walmarting]] – a [[neologism]]
*[[Dutch East India Company]] – the first multinational corporation

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==
*Charles Fishman. ''The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World's Most Powerful Company Really Works—and How It's Transforming the American Economy'' (2006).ISBN 978-1-59420-076-2.
*Paul Ingram, Lori Qingyuan Yue, and Hayagreeva Rao. "Trouble in Store: Probes, Protests, and Store Openings by Wal‐Mart, 1998–2007," ''American Journal of Sociology'' July 2010, Vol. 116, No. 1: pp 53–92. {{doi|10.1086/653596}}.
*Nelson Lichtenstein. ''The Retail Revolution: How Wal-Mart Created a Brave New World of Business'' (2009). ISBN 978-0-8050-7966-1.
*Sandra Stringer Vance and Roy V. Scott. ''Wal-Mart: A History of Sam Walton's Retail Phenomenon'' (Twayne's Evolution of Modern Business Series) (1997), academic study. ISBN 978-0-8057-9832-6.

==External links==
{{Sister project links|Walmart}}
*{{Official website|http://www.walmart.com/|mobile=http://mobile.walmart.com/}}
*{{OpenCorp}}
*[http://www.walmartstores.com/default.aspx Wal-Mart Stores Corporate Site]
*[http://projects.flowingdata.com/walmart/ Watching the Growth of Walmart Across America]
*[http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000367 Lobbying and campaign contributions] at [[OpenSecrets.org]]

{{Wal-Mart}}
{{Supermarkets of the United States}}
{{Dow Jones Industrial Average companies}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wal-Mart}}
[[Category:Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange]]
[[Category:Companies based in Arkansas]]
[[Category:Companies established in 1962]]
[[Category:Discount stores of the United States]]
[[Category:Companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average]]
[[Category:Hypermarkets of the United States]]
[[Category:Multinational companies headquartered in the United States]]
[[Category:Online retail companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Supermarkets of China]]
[[Category:Supermarkets of the United States]]
[[Category:Superstores in the United States]]
[[Category:Walmart]]

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