Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) Founders Facts and Trivia:
On May 9, 1950, Sam Walton opened up Walton's 5&10 in Bentonville, Arkansas. The first store with the Wal-Mart name was opened in 1962 in Rogers, AR, financed 95% by Sam Walton himself.
Wal-Mart's Headquarters:
The corporate headquarters of the world's largest retail company, Wal-Mart, are located in Bentonville, AR, where founder Sam Walton started it all.
The Mission Statement and Purpose of Wal-Mart (WMT)
Wal-Mart's advertised mission statement and its advertising slogan are the same:
"We save people money so they can live better."
In addition to this mission statement, the company looks to its founder, Sam Walton for a company "purpose":
“If we work together, we’ll lower the cost of living for everyone…we’ll give the world an opportunity to see what it’s like to save and have a better life.”
In order to fulfill its mission, Wal-Mart has developed some unique, policies, principles, rules, processes and procedures, the sum total of which form the Wal-Mart stores corporate culture: * Open Door Policy - Managers' doors are open to employees at all levels * Sundown Rule - Answering employee, customer, and supplier questions on the same day the questions are received * Grass Roots Process - Capturing suggestions and ideas from the sales floor and front lines * 3 Basic Beliefs & Values - Respect for the Individual, Service to our Customers, Striving for Excellence * 10-Foot Rule - Making eye contact, greeting, and offering help to customers who come within 10 feet * Servant Leadership - Leaders are in service to their team * Wal-Mart Cheer - An actual structured chant that was created by founder