2025-05-22
45 分钟The Walmart Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas,
is a shrine to the life and work of Sam Walton,
the man who changed the face of retail in America.
Every company has an origin story, and ours starts with Sam Walton.
The museum is on the site of the Walton Five and Dime, which opened in 1950.
A welcome video tells visitors that this is where Sam first experimented with his ideas about retailing.
It was here he began to believe he could build a successful business by bringing a broad assortment of high-quality merchandise at discounted,
everyday low prices to smaller towns and families across America.
And he did.
In 1962, Mr. Sam, as he was known,
opened his first shop under the Walmart's name in the nearby town of Rogers.
From that store, in a sleepy rural corner of America's south,
the company went on to be a towering colossus of retail, the biggest in America.
Today, 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart-owned store.
And the business has expanded across the globe, from Brazil and Mexico to India and China.
The founder of Walmart still looms large over the firm.
He is famous for his work ethic and entrepreneurial zeal.
Though he died in 1992, At the museum,
it's possible to get wisdom from the man himself via a hologram.
How do you make sure you're always the cheapest store in America?