Walmart grew from Sam Walton’s postwar variety-store business in northwest Arkansas into one of the world’s largest companies. After opening Walton’s Five and Dime in Bentonville, Sam Walton and his brother Bud opened the first Wal-Mart Discount City in Rogers in 1962. The chain expanded rapidly through Arkansas and beyond, driven by low prices, efficient distribution, and close coordination from its Bentonville headquarters. New formats such as the Supercenter and Neighborhood Market supported national and then international growth. Walmart became the largest U.S. retailer by revenue by 1990 and remains deeply influential, praised for logistics and low prices but criticized for effects on local businesses and small-town economies.