WALMART At A Glance
Fact: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the
world’s largest retailer, with $285.2 billion in sales in the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2005. The company
employs 1.6 million associates worldwide through more than 3,600 facilities in the United States and more than 1,570 units in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, China, Korea, Germany and the United Kingdom. More than 138 million customers per week visit Wal-Mart stores worldwide.
Retail Divisions -- Guided by founder Sam Walton’s passion for customer satisfaction and “Every Day Low Prices,” Wal-Mart‘s four retail divisions -- Wal-Mart Supercenters, Discount Stores, Neighborhood Markets and SAM’S CLUB warehouses -- offer a wide variety of quality merchandise to consumers around the world.
Wal-Mart Milestones -- 1962: first Wal-Mart in Rogers, Ark., opens. 1969: company incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. 1970: first distribution center and home office in Bentonville, Ark. open; Wal-Mart goes public on the New York Stock Exchange. 1979: annual sales top $1 billion. 1983: SAM’S CLUB warehouse concept introduced. 1988: first Supercenter opens. 1991: first international unit opens in Mexico City.
By the turn of the century Wal-Mart had been named “Retailer of the Century” by Discount Store News; made FORTUNE magazine’s list of the “100 Best Companies To Work For;” and was ranked on Financial Times’ “Most Respected in the World” list.
In 2002, Wal-Mart became No. 1 on the FORTUNE 500 list. In 2003 and 2004, Wal-Mart was named
"Most Admired Company in America" by FORTUNE magazine. In addition, Wal-Mart was presented with the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership, a presidential award that recognizes companies for outstanding achievement in employee relations and community initiatives.
Wal-Mart Involvement -- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. empowers its associates to serve the needs of their communities through its Good Works initiative. For fiscal year ending January 31, 2005,
cash donations through Wal-Mart Stores and its Wal-Mart & SAM'S CLUB Foundation exceeded a record $170 million.
More information about Wal-Mart, Inc. can be located online at
www.walmartstores.com,
www.samsclub.com and
www.walmartfoundation.org. Wal-Mart stock trades on the New York and Pacific Stock Exchanges under the ticker symbol WMT.
“We’re all working together; that’s the secret. And we’ll lower the cost of living for everyone, not just in America, but we’ll give the world an opportunity to see what it’s like to save and have a better lifestyle, a better life for all. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished; we’ve just begun.” – Sam Walton (1918-1992).
back to top
Benefits
Fact: Wal-Mart offers affordable health care benefits to our associates. We work hard to offer good, affordable coverage to our people. Historically, Wal-Mart has paid about two-thirds of the cost of the Associates' Medical Plan. We insure more than 568,000 associates and more than 948,000 people in total, who pay as little as $17.50 for individual coverage and $70.50 for family coverage bi-weekly. Unlike many plans, after the first year, the Wal-Mart medical plan has no lifetime maximum for most expenses, protecting our associates against catastrophic loss and financial ruin.
Today, we offer eight health care options, plus HMOs in some areas. We have different deductibles to meet individual needs.
Associates also have access to world class healthcare at the Mayo Clinic, Stanford University Hospital, Johns Hopkins University Hospital and many other leading health care facilities without insurance approval.
In recent years, Wal-Mart has contributed 4 percent of an associate's eligible pay to the combined Profit Sharing & 401(k) plan. Our hourly associates, just like our management and executive associates, receive bonuses and other incentives for helping the company achieve its goals. In FYE 2005, we spent $4.2 billion on benefits for our associates.
back to top
Community Impact
Fact: Wal-Mart supports communities financially and provides hundreds of jobs. Our property taxes, sales tax revenue and community giving help fund basic services like police and fire departments and schools, and support for invaluable charities. The typical Supercenter raises or gives $30,000 to $50,000 a year to local charitable needs ranging from youth programs to literacy councils. In fact, Wal-Mart is the largest corporate cash contributor in America. In fiscal year ending 2005, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and the Wal-Mart & SAM'S CLUB Foundation contributed more than $170 million to support communities and local non-profit organizations. More than 90 percent of cash donations from Wal-Mart Stores and the Wal-Mart & SAM'S CLUB Foundation target local communities. That’s $18,000 an hour or $5 a second. In 2004, Wal-Mart collected more than $11.2 billion in state and local sales taxes and paid millions in property taxes.
A UBS Warburg study found that Wal-Mart grocery prices are 17 to 20 percent lower than other supermarkets, which has the greatest benefit for a community’s low-income families. According to a study done by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, Wal-Mart potentially saves individual families more than $500 a year. This is money that can be used to buy food, gas or any other priorities for that family.
Studies show that new businesses spring up near Wal-Marts and existing stores flourish as they take advantage of the increased customer flow to and from our stores. Drive by any Wal-Mart store and count the number of businesses operating nearby, many are independent local businesses or locally owned franchises. The most definitive look at this issue, by Dr. Emek Basker at the University of Missouri, showed average increases of 50 retail jobs in communities five years after the entry of Wal-Mart.
back to top
Contractor Standards
Fact: We require our contractors and subcontractors to follow all laws. We require companies that do business with our company to comply with all laws and regulations. These requirements are memorialized in contracts we sign with our contractors. To reinforce our expectations, we are also developing monitoring systems to ensure contractors that do business with our company comply with all relevant laws and regulations.
At Wal-Mart we believe in "doing the right thing." We expect contractors that provide services to our company to also do the right thing for their employees and communities.
International Operations
Fact: Wal-Mart serves people around the world. Today, millions of people worldwide enjoy the rewards of shopping with Wal-Mart.
From our first international store in 1991 we have grown to more than 1,500 stores in nine countries, proving that our Every Day Low Price promise is a clear message in any language. Wal-Mart International currently operates stores and clubs
employing more than 330,000 associates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom. Wal-Mart also owns a 37.8% interest in Seiyu, Ltd., a leading Japanese retailer.
We’ve experienced international success through our ability to adapt Wal-Mart’s unique concepts to each new country. Our Associates are involved in local communities and cultures. They respond to customer needs, merchandise preferences and local suppliers. By serving each hometown in its own unique way, Wal-Mart International has realized significant growth with potential for much greater development worldwide.
Our global expansion was achieved through a combination of new store construction and acquisitions. This strategy has given us excellent market penetration and opportunities for future development. We view Wal-Mart’s expansion throughout North America, Latin America, Asia and Europe as a solid foundation with many promising areas for further growth.
International sales reached $47.5 billion in fiscal year ending 2004, a 16.6 percent increase over the previous year, and operating profits rose to $2.3 billion, an increase of 18.6 percent. In 2005, Wal-Mart International plans to open 155 to 165 new stores in existing markets.
back to top
Military Support
