Wal-Mart
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Type: | Discount department store/Public (NYSE: WMT) |
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Founded: | Rogers, Arkansas (1962) |
Headquarters: | Bentonville, Arkansas, USA |
Key people: | Sam Walton (1918–1992), Founder H. Lee Scott, CEO S. Robson Walton, Chairman Thomas Schoewe, CFO |
Industry: | Retail |
Products: | Discount stores, grocery stores, and hypermarkets |
Revenue: | Template:Profit$315.654 billion USD (2006) |
Net income: | Template:Profit$11.231 billion USD (2006) |
Employees: | 1.6 Million (2006) |
Website: | www.walmartstores.com |
Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is a company created by Sam Walton in 1962. It is one of the world's largest companies, behind Exxon Mobil. Even so, there are many groups that dislike Wal-Mart because of their influence on local companies, the way they treat their workers, how they deal with welfare, selling mostly foreign-made products, and the things they do to the environment. Several debates occur across the United States about Wal-Mart and things it does or does not do to surrounding communities.
Sam Walton placed his stores in small-town communities across the United States. These stores provided lower prices for everyday items. Their popularity grew and stores are continually being built. Wal-Mart is a success because many Americans shop there.