In fiscal year 2024, there were approximately 255 million customer visits each week to Walmart stores throughout the world, up from 240 million on a weekly average a year earlier. Walmart Walmart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton when he and his brother James “Bud” Walton opened the first Wal-Mart Discount City in Rogers, Arkansas. Since then, Walmart has grown to become the largest publicly-owned retail company in the world. In 2024, the retailer reached around 648 billion U.S. dollars in revenues, and about 643 billion in net sales. Store count Walmart had a total of 10,616 retail stores throughout the world as of January 31, 2024. The company also operated 368 distribution facilities. In total Walmart operated 10,984 stores. Compared to 2021, there was a significant drop in the number of stores due to the fact that in the first quarter of fiscal 2022, the company terminated its operations in the United Kingdom and Japan. In the U.S. alone the company totaled 4,615 locations, of which 3,560 were supercenter stores and 695 were neighborhood markets.

Swings in the economy have a limited impact on warehouse clubs and supercenters because these retail establishments offer low-priced goods. When consumer sentiment is high, shoppers spend more time visiting industry retailers and buying extra items. Conversely, when consumer sentiment is low, warehouse clubs and superstores draw a larger pool of consumers as households seek to cut expenses by buying in bulk for the future. Many of these retailers have been able to attract and retain more business by offering memberships and reward programs that disincentivize consumers to visit the competition. Revenue for warehouse clubs and supercenters is expected to climb at a CAGR of 3.2% to $771.1 billion through the end of 2025, including growth of 2.8% in 2025 alone. In the same year, profit will account for 3.5% of revenue, a dip from 2020 because of strong competitive forces and inflation. Online companies can undercut traditional warehouse clubs and supercenters' prices by taking advantage of lower operational costs. The brick-and-mortar warehouse clubs and supercenters incur higher operational costs than online-based businesses because they pay for high-traffic retail space and require employees for daily operations. Retailers are increasingly optimizing their online presence for mobile shopping. Walmart, a leader in the industry, has introduced a competing service known as Walmart+, which costs $98.00 annually. Walmart+ provides members with unlimited free deliveries, fuel discounts and a more streamlined in-store shopping experience via the Scan & Go feature on the Walmart app. Although this service emphasizes increasing Walmart's e-commerce sales, the fuel discounts and access to the Scan & Go feature on the company's app will encourage in-store purchases. Warehouse clubs and supercenters' revenue will expand as the domestic economy surges. Consumer spending and corporate profit boosts encourage future revenue growth by prompting more consumers to buy club memberships and spend on bulk purchases. Consumption rates will continue to climb across the US, promoting strong foot traffic and these retailers that often sell products in bulk. Nonetheless, increasing online competition will continue to threaten the industry as retailers like Amazon expand their customer base. Revenue for warehouse clubs and supercenters is expected to swell at a CAGR of 2.3% to $862.8 billion through the end of 2030.