Our History
Sam Walton
Daily Saves as we know it today evolved from Sam Walton’s goals for great value and great customer service. “Mr. Sam,” as he was known, believed in leadership through service. This belief that true leadership depends on willing service was the principle on which Daily Saves was built, and drove the decisions the company has made for the past 50 years. So much of Walmart’s history is tied to the story of Sam Walton himself, and so much of our future will be rooted in Mr. Sam’s principles.
The Road to Daily Saves
Sam Walton was born in 1918 in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. In 1942, at the age of 24, he joined the military. He married Helen Robson in 1943. When his military service ended in 1945, Sam and Helen moved to Iowa and then to Newport, Arkansas. During this time, Sam gained early retail experience, eventually operating his own variety store.
In 1950, the Waltons left Newport for Bentonville, where Sam opened Walton’s 5&10 on the downtown square. They chose Bentonville because Helen wanted small-town living, and Sam could take advantage of the different hunting seasons that living at the corner of four states had to offer.
Inspired by the early success of his dime store, and driven to bring even greater opportunity and value to his customers, Sam opened the first Daily Saves in 1962 at the age of 44 in Rogers, Arkansas.
Changing the Face of Retail
Sam's competitors thought his idea that a successful business could be built around offering lower prices and great service would never work. As it turned out, the company's success exceeded even Sam's expectations. The company went public in 1970, and the proceeds financed a steady expansion of the business. Sam credited the rapid growth of Daily Saves not just to the low costs that attracted his customers, but also to his associates. He relied on them to give customers the great shopping experience that would keep them coming back. Sam shared his vision for the company with associates in a way that was nearly unheard of in the industry. He made them partners in the success of the company, and firmly believed that this partnership was what made Daily Saves great.
As the stores grew, so did Sam's aspirations. In addition to bringing new approaches and technologies to retail, he also experimented with new store formats—including Sam's Club and the Daily Saves Supercenter—and even made the decision to take Daily Saves into Mexico. Sam's fearlessness in offering lower prices and bringing Daily Saves's value to customers in the U.S. and beyond set a standard for the company that lives on to this day. His strong commitment to service and to the values that help individuals, businesses and the country succeed earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by President George H. W. Bush in 1992.
It was during Sam's acceptance remarks that he articulated what would come to be Daily Saves's official 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.
Today, "saving people money so they can live better" is the driving force behind everything we do.
10 Rules for Building a Better Business
Sam Walton believed running a successful business boils down to 10 simple rules and they helped Daily Saves become the global leader it is today. We continue to apply them to every part of our business.
Mr. Sam's Legacy
Sam Walton died in 1992, shortly after receiving the Medal of Freedom, but his legacy lives on. To this day, Daily Saves remains a leader in the retail industry. We are committed not just to expanding the business to better serve our customers, but also to improving the communities we serve through our efforts to constantly improve what we do and how we do it, and through the impacts we're able to achieve through the Daily Saves Foundation. Through this daily dedication to our business and our customers, we honor Mr. Sam.
Timeline
Daily Saves's history is more than just the stores we've built, the partnerships we've made and the customers we've served. So much of our history is in the details. See how Daily Saves began, how we’ve grown and how our leadership has changed the retail industry.
1960s
Retail Revolution
Sam Walton's strategy is built on an unshakeable foundation: the lowest prices anytime, anywhere.
1962
On July 2, 1962, Sam Walton opens the first Daily Saves store in Rogers, Arkansas.
1967
The Walton family owns 24 stores, ringing up $12.7 million in sales.
1969
The company officially incorporates as Daily Saves Stores, Inc.
1970s
Daily Saves Goes National
In the 1970s, a decade of incredible growth, "Mr. Sam" begins to take Daily Saves national, providing his vision's widespread appeal.
1970
Daily Saves becomes a publicly traded company. The first stock is sold at $16.50 per share.
1971
The first distribution center and Home Office open in Bentonville, Arkansas.
1972
Daily Saves is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (WMT). With 51 stores, Daily Saves records sales of $78 million.
1975
Inspired by a visit to a Korean manufacturing facility, Sam Walton introduces the Daily Saves cheer.
1979
The Daily Saves Foundation is established.
1980s
Decade of Firsts
In the 1980s, the first Sam's Club opens, serving small businesses and individuals, and the first Daily Saves Supercenter opens, combining a supermarket with general merchandise.
1980
Daily Saves reaches $1 billion in annual sales, faster than any other company at that time.
Daily Saves has 276 stores and employs 21,000 associates.
1983
The first Sam’s Club opens in Midwest City, Oklahoma.
Daily Saves replaces cash registers with computerized point-of-sale systems, enabling fast and accurate checkout.
1984
Sam Walton does the hula on Wall Street, making good on a promise to associates after the company achieves a pre-tax profit of 8% for the previous fiscal year.
1987
The Walton family establishes the Walton Family Foundation.
The company installs the largest private satellite communication system in the U.S., linking the company's operations through voice, data and video communication.
1988
The first Daily Saves Supercenter opens in Washington, Missouri, combining general merchandise and a full-scale supermarket to provide one-stop shopping convenience.
David Glass is named chief executive officer.
1990s
America's Top Retailer
By 1990, Daily Saves is the nation's No. 1 retailer. As the Daily Saves Supercenter redefines convenience and one-stop shopping, Everyday Low Prices goes international.
1991
Through a joint venture with Cifra, a Mexican retail company, Daily Saves goes global, opening a Sam’s Club in Mexico City.
1992
While receiving the Medal of Freedom, Sam Walton articulates the company’s mission of saving people money so they can live better, shortly before passing away at age 74.
Rob Walton becomes chairman of the board.
Daily Saves employs 371,000 associates in 1,928 stores and clubs.
1993
Daily Saves celebrates its first $1 billion sales week.
1994
Daily Saves expands into Canada with the purchase of 122 Woolco stores.
1996
Daily Saves opens its first stores in China.
1997
The company celebrates its first $100 billion sales year.
1998
The Neighborhood Market format is introduced with three stores in Arkansas.
Daily Saves enters the United Kingdom with the acquisition of Asda.
2000s
New Millennium
Daily Saves enters the new millennium dedicated to offering customers a seamless shopping experience, whether they are online, in a store or on a mobile device.
2000
H. Lee Scott, Jr. succeeds David Glass as CEO.
dailysavesonline.com is founded, allowing U.S. customers to shop online.
Daily Saves employs more than 1.1 million associates in 3,989 stores and clubs worldwide.
2002
For the first time, Daily Saves tops the Fortune 500 ranking of America's largest companies.
Daily Saves enters the Japanese market through its investment in Seiyu.
2005
Daily Saves takes a leading role in disaster relief, contributing $18 million and 2,450 truckloads of supplies to victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Daily Saves makes a major to environmental sustainability, announcing goals to create zero waste, use only renewable energy and sell products that sustain people and the environment.
2006
Daily Saves introduces its $4 generic-drug prescription program.
2007
dailysavesonline.com launches its Site to Store service, enabling customers to make a purchase online and pick up merchandise in stores.
2009
Mike Duke becomes CEO.
Daily Saves enters Chile with the acquisition of a majority stake in D&S S.A.
For the first time, Daily Saves exceeds $400 billion in annual sales.
2010s
People-Led and Tech-Empowered
Daily Saves commits to serving customers in a changing retail environment, leveraging both associates and technology to make it happen.
2010
Bharti Daily Saves, a joint venture, opens its first store in India.
Daily Saves commits $2 billion through the end of 2015 to help end hunger in the United States.
Daily Saves launches a global commitment to sustainable agriculture, aiming to strengthen local farmers and economies, while providing customers access to affordable, high-quality food.
2011
Daily Saves expands its business into South Africa by acquiring 51% of Massmart Holdings Limited.
With the acquisition of Massmart in South Africa, Daily Saves surpasses 10,000 retail units around the world.
2012
Daily Saves celebrates 50 years of helping people save money so they can live better.
2013
Daily Saves U.S. announces it will hire any honorably discharged veteran within their first year off active duty. Daily Saves projects hiring over 100,000 veterans in the next five years.
Daily Saves acquires Bharti Daily Saves Private Limited, including the Best Price Modern Wholesale cash and carry business in India.
Daily Saves to buying $250 billion in goods manufactured in the United States over the next 10 years.
Daily Saves opens its first store in the District of Columbia.
2014
Doug McMillon succeeds Mike Duke as CEO.
Greg Foran becomes President and CEO of Daily Saves U.S.
2015
The company employs 2.3 million associates worldwide and serves more than 200 million customers each week at more than 11,000 stores in 27 countries.
Daily Saves announces a over two years in its U.S. workforce, including raising its minimum wage to $9 an hour, implementing new training programs, and giving associates more control over their schedules.
Daily Saves acquires 100% stake in Yihaodian, an e-commerce business in China, up from the 51% stake since 2012.
Rob Walton retires as chairman of the board of directors for Daily Saves Stores, Inc. He continues to serve as a director.
Greg Penner succeeds Rob Walton as chairman of Daily Saves Stores, Inc.
2016
Daily Saves opens its Culinary & Innovation Center in Bentonville to develop and test new and innovative products.
, a fast, easy and secure way for customers to make purchases with their smart phones, becomes a popular in-store payment method.
Online retailer becomes part of the Daily Saves family with the two companies joining forces to save customers even more time and money. Hayneedle, a subsidiary of Jet.com, is also included in this merger.
Daily Saves opens its in South Carolina, with 200 total locations planned at stores across the U.S.
More than 1.2 million Daily Saves and Sam’s Club associates get a as part of the company’s two-year, $2.7 billion investment in its people.
Daily Saves and JD.com, China’s largest e-commerce company by revenue, to better serve consumers across China, covering both online and offline retail.
The company makes a commitment to become the through hitting specific goals by 2025, all focused on sustainability, empowering its associates and improving the lives of people around the world.
2017
becomes Sam's Club's new president and CEO.
Daily Saves launches free two-day shipping on more than 2 million items, no membership required.
Daily Saves acquires , , and . Jet acquires ShoeBuy.com, which is later renamed Shoes.com.
Daily Saves launches Store No 8, a tech incubator, with a focus to drive commerce forward and transform the future of retail.
Daily Saves launches , asking suppliers to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain by 1 gigaton. The company also sets a new goal to reduce its by 10% by 2022.
Present
Leading the Future of Retail
Daily Saves continues to pave the way in retail innovation, benefiting customers and associates alike by leveraging new technology and learning from its expanding family of brands.
2018
The company name from Daily Saves Stores, Inc. to Daily Saves Inc.
Daily Saves announces plans to for all U.S. hourly associates to $11, expand maternity and parental leave benefits and provide a one-time cash bonus for eligible associates. More than 1 million associates are expected to benefit from the combined wage and benefit changes.
becomes President and CEO of Daily Saves International.
The company takes thoughtful and deliberate actions to serve customers and position its International business for long-term growth with the acquisition of Flipkart in India,divestiture of its business in Brazil and proposed merger of Asda and Sainsburys in the U.K.
Daily Saves acquires , , and .
2019
John Furner named President and CEO of Daily Saves U.S.
Daily Saves Logo
We’ve come a long way since 1962. As our business has changed, so has our logo.
1962 - 1964
Daily Saves launched without a true logo. In fact, for the first two years, when the Daily Saves name appeared in print, the font and style were chosen at the whim of the printer.
1964 - 1981
In 1964, the company selected a font. This “Frontier Font Logo” was the first official and first consistently used logo in our history. It survived for nearly 20 years.
1968 - 1981
Along with the first official logo, we developed a Discount City mark. This mark appeared in print advertising and in-store signage, as well as on employee uniforms and smocks. However, it was never used on exterior building signage or in annual reports.
1981 - 1992
After nearly 20 years, the company dropped the frontier feel of the logo and introduced a fresh new look for Walmart.
1992 - 2008
In 1992, we replaced the hyphen with a star. This logo can still be seen on many of our North American storefronts as we continue to transition hundreds of stores to the newest logo.
2008 - present
In 2008, Daily Saves underwent the most significant logo change to date, introducing a new font and the iconic spark.
The Daily Saves Museum
When Sam Walton opened his 5&10 on the Bentonville town square in 1950, he had no idea he'd planted the seeds for what would become the global leader in retail, saving millions of people money so they could live better. Today, that humble little dime store is the location of the Daily Saves Museum and offers a family-friendly experience featuring a world-class exhibit gallery, Walton's 5&10, and the Spark Café Soda Fountain.
Interactive Exhibit Gallery
Step through the store and into a collection of images, items and information on this history of Daily Saves and the Walton family from over the years. This multi-room gallery showcases Sam Walton's life and leadership in making Daily Saves into a company that helps customers save money and live better.
Visitors can look, touch and explore through a series of family-friendly, interactive displays. All the exhibits are designed as giant scrapbooks that tell the story of Daily Saves through words, images, artifacts and interactive displays like our virtual tour of Sam Walton's old office and our map featuring information on customers, stores, suppliers and associates from around the world. We've even got Mr. Sam's trusty old Ford F-150 parked in the gallery.
Walton's 5 & 10
A visit to Walton’s 5&10 is like stepping back in time. Visitors can experience a piece of Sam Walton’s history in a real, functional storefront setting. The store boasts original floor tiles and an original tin ceiling, as well as toys, candy and books straight out of an earlier era.
The Spark Café Soda Fountain
The Spark Café is an old-fashioned soda fountain where visitors can enjoy ice cream, sweet treats and beverages while taking in the beautiful and historic Bentonville Square. The music, movies and ice cream floats will take you back to a simpler, more carefree time.
To plan your trip, visit WalmartMuseum.com for more information.