18 Walmart Owned Subsidiaries You Didn’t Know About

Walmart recently marked its 60th anniversary. This came barely weeks after the giant multinational corporation made the Fortune Global 500’s list as the largest company on the planet by revenue generation.

But like most successful brands, Walmart’s story hasn’t been without its fair share of setbacks. In fact, the world’s richest company is still struggling to break into various global markets. That’s all thanks to fierce competition from locally-established retailers.

Despite all the challenges, Walmart’s future remains bullish. This is mostly evidenced by the corporation’s high appetite for mergers and acquisitions.

In this article, we look at the top brands currently and previously owned by Walmart. But first, let’s begin by sharing a little more background about Walmart and how the company grew into the giant corporation we know it today.

About Walmart

Walmart Inc. is an American multinational retail corporation operating a chain of hypermarkets, grocery stores, and discount department stores. The retailer’s hypermarkets are known as supercenters.

Walmart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton. The company was initially based in Rogers, Arkansas, before eventually moving its headquarters to Bentonville.

Walmart Quick Facts

• Company Name: Walmart
• Formerly Known As: Wal-Mart Discount City (1962 – 1969), Wal-Mart, Inc. (1969 – 1970), and Wal–Mart Stores, Inc. (1970 – 2018)
• Company Industry: Retail
• Founder: Sam Walton
• Date Founded: July 2, 1962
• Place Founded: Rogers, Arkansas, United States
• Current Headquarters: Bentonville, Arkansas, United States
• Availability: Worldwide
• Company Store Size: Owns over 10,500 stores and clubs worldwide (as at November 1, 2022)
• Workforce Size: Has over 2.3 million employees (as at November 1, 2022)
• Company Type: Privately-owned but Publicly-traded
• Owner: The Walton Family (controls over 50% stake as at November 1, 2022)
• Subsidiaries: Has scores of subsidiaries
• Annual Revenue: $570 billion
• Official Website Link: https://www.walmart.com/

Brief History

Walmart was founded on July 2, 1962, in Rogers, Arkansas, by Sam Walton. The company was later incorporated on October 31, 1969, in Wilmington, Delaware, under Delaware General Corporation Law.

Walmart has weathered numerous storms over the years to become the world’s richest company. As of July 31, 2022, the corporation had 10,585 stores and clubs spread across 24 countries. These outlets operate under 46 different names.

For instance, Walmart stores generally operate under the company’s official name in the United States and Canada. In Mexico and Central America, the stores go by the name Walmart de México y Centroamérica. And in India, they’re known as Flipkart Wholesale.

In May 2022, Walmart topped the Fortune Global 500’s list as the world’s richest company by revenue generation, with $570 billion in annual revenue.

Top Walmart Subsidiaries

1. Sam’s Club

• Official Name: Sam’s West, Inc.
• Doing Business As: Sam’s Club
• Date Founded: April 7, 1983
• Place Founded: Midwest City, Oklahoma, United States
• Current Headquarters: Bentonville, Arkansas, United States
• Availability: United States, Mexico, Brazil, and China
• Official Website Link: https://www.samsclub.com/

Brief Description

Sam’s Club is a closed membership chain of retail warehouse clubs. The clubs deal in a wide variety of products, ranging from electronics to home & office furniture, auto parts, health & beauty supplements, and jewelry.

Other product categories include toys & children accessories, groceries, patio & gardening supplies, pet supplies, and sporting equipment.

2. Líder

• Official Name: Líder
• Doing Business As: Líder
• Original Company Founded In: 1893
• Original Founder: Distribución y Servicio (DyS)
• Place Founded: Santiago, Chile
• Current Headquarters: Santiago, Chile
• Availability: Chile
• Official Website Link: http://www.lider.cl/

Brief Description

Líder is a renowned Chilean hypermarket chain. The company was originally owned by Distribución y Servicio (DyS) but became a Walmart subsidiary in 2009 when the latter acquired a 58.3% share in Líder’s then-parent company – DyS.

Its product range includes electronics, clothing, baked goods, dairy products, frozen foods, liquor, pharmaceutical products, and many more.

3. Massmart

• Official Name: Massmart Holdings Limited
• Doing Business As: Massmart
• Original Company Founded In: 1990
• Original Founder: Mark Lamberti
• Place Founded: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa
• Current Headquarters: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa
• Availability: Sub-Saharan Africa
• Official Website Link: http://www.massmart.co.za/

Brief Description

Massmart Holdings Limited, known simply as Massmart, is a South African company currently ranked Africa’s second-largest distributor of consumer goods. The brand was acquired by Walmart in May 2011 for a majority shareholding of 51% of its stock, which was then valued at R17 billion.

In addition to being a Walmart subsidiary, Massmart also owns several local brands. Notable ones include Game, Builder’s Warehouse, Makro, and CBW.

4. Vudu

• Official Name: Vudu
• Doing Business As: Vudu
• Original Company Founded In: 2004
• Original Founders: Tony S. Miranz and Alain Rossmann
• Place Founded: Beverly Hills, California, United States
• Current Headquarters: Beverly Hills, California, United States
• Availability: United States
• Official Website Link: https://www.vudu.com/

Brief Description

Vudu is an American digital video storage and streaming service. This brand isn’t technically owned by Walmart. The company was a subsidiary of Walmart from 2010 before the multinational retail corporation sold it to Fandango Media in 2020 for an undisclosed amount.

The reason Vudu found itself on this list is that Walmart still maintains a close partnership with the video streaming service at operational levels. Some of the areas in which the two entities collaborate include marketing and account integration.

5. Bonobos

• Official Name: Bonobos
• Doing Business As: Bonobos
• Original Company Founded In: 2007
• Original Founders: Andy Dunn and Brian Spaly
• Place Founded: New York City, New York, United States
• Current Headquarters: New York City, New York, United States
• Availability: United States
• Official Website Link: http://bonobos.com/

Brief Description

Bonobos is a clothing company that specializes in the design and sale of menswear. Its top product categories include suits, shirts, trousers, shorts, denim, outerwear, and swimwear.

Walmart acquired Bonobos from its original founders in June 2017 for $310 million.

6. Walmart Realty

• Official Name: Wal-Mart Realty Company
• Doing Business As: Walmart Realty
• Year Founded: 1975
• Place Founded: N/A
• Current Headquarters: Bentonville, Arkansas, United States
• Availability: Worldwide
• Official Website Link: https://www.walmartrealty.com/

Brief Description

Walmart Realty is an online service that connects prospective real estate investors and buyers with sellers.

Although the company’s website is available worldwide, most of the listed properties are within US territories.

7. Flipkart Private Limited

• Official Name: Flipkart Private Limited
• Doing Business As: Flipkart
• Original Company Founded In: 2007
• Original Founders: Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal
• Place Founded: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
• Current Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
• Availability: India
• Official Website Link: http://www.flipkart.com/

Brief Description

As we mentioned at the beginning, Walmart operates under entirely different brand names in certain jurisdictions. One such name is Flipkart.

Flipkart is an e-commerce company that deals primarily in consumer electronics, fashion & lifestyle products, home essentials, and groceries. The brand became a Walmart subsidiary in August 2018 after Walmart acquired a 77% controlling stake from its founders, which was then valued at $16 billion.

8. Walmart Canada

• Official Name: Walmart Canada
• Doing Business As: Walmart Canada
• Date Founded: March 17, 1994
• Place Founded: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
• Current Headquarters: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
• Availability: Canada
• Official Website Link: https://www.walmart.ca/

Brief Description

As the name implies, Walmart Canada is a Walmart subsidiary that operates mainly within Canadian territories.

The brand was established in 1994 following Walmart’s acquisition of Woolco Canada chain from its previous parent company – F. W. Woolworth Company.

9. Walmart de México y Centroamérica

• Official Name: Walmart de México y Centroamérica
• Doing Business As: Walmex
• Original Company Founded In: 1952
• Original Founder: Jerónimo Arango
• Place Founded: Mexico City, Mexico
• Current Headquarters: Mexico City, Mexico
• Availability: Mexico and Central America
• Official Website Link: http://www.walmartmexico.com.mx/

Brief Description

Mexico has its own Walmart division too. Commonly known as Walmex, Walmart de México y Centroamérica operates throughout Mexico and Central America.

The company was founded in 1952 as Cifra but became a Walmart subsidiary in 1997 after selling 51% of its stake to Walmart.

10. Walmart Puerto Rico, Inc.

• Official Name: Walmart Puerto Rico, Inc.
• Doing Business As: Walmart Puerto Rico
• Year Founded: 1991
• Place Founded: Puerto Rico
• Current Headquarters: Puerto Rico
• Availability: Puerto Rico
• Official Website Link: https://www.walmartpr.com/

Brief Description

The island of Puerto Rico isn’t left behind in Walmart’s unbounded expansion campaigns.

Like most retailers on this list, Walmart Puerto Rico stocks pretty much any product you can find on a regular Walmart shelf.

11. E-mart

• Official Name: E-mart
• Doing Business As: E-mart
• Original Company Founded In: 1993
• Original Founder: Shinsegae
• Place Founded: Seoul, South Korea
• Current Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea
• Availability: South Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia
• Official Website Link: http://www.emartcompany.com/en/main.do/

Brief Description

If you’re looking for the oldest, largest, and one of the most affordable retailers in South Korea and neighboring regions, you might want to look in the direction of E-Mart. The brand stands out for its diverse collection of consumer goods, including groceries and electronics.

In May 2006, Walmart purchased Wal-Mart Korea and subsequently converted 16 Wal-Mart Stores into E-Mart stores. Around the same period, Wal-Mart Korea was sold and changed its name to Shinsegae Mart. The brand eventually merged with E-Mart in 2008, which subsequently makes E-Mart another company on this list that’s no longer a subsidiary of Walmart.

12. Walmart Foundation

• Official Name: Walmart Foundation
• Doing Business As: Walmart Foundation
• Year Founded: 1982
• Place Founded: Bentonville, Arkansas, United States
• Current Headquarters: Bentonville, Arkansas, United States
• Availability: Worldwide
• Official Website Link: https://walmart.org/

Brief Description

In the spirit of giving back to society, Walmart established its non-profit, philanthropic division called the Walmart Foundation.

The organization has given away billions of dollars in monetary and in-kind donations since its establishment.

13. Art.com

• Official Name: Art.Com
• Doing Business As: Art.com
• Original Company Founded In: 1998
• Original Founders: Joshua Chodniewicz and Michael Heinstein
• Place Founded: Emeryville, California, United States
• Current Headquarters: Emeryville, California, United States
• Availability: Worldwide
• Official Website Link: https://www.art.com/

Brief Description

Art.com is a massive online library of wall art and photo prints acquired by Walmart from its previous owners in 2018.

The primary aspects that set this website apart from its competitors include affordability, fast shipping, free returns, and plenty of custom framing options.

14. Jet.com

• Official Name: Jet.com
• Doing Business As: Jet.com
• Original Company Founded In: April 2014
• Original Founders: Marc Lore, Nate Faust, and Mike Hanrahan
• Place Founded: Hoboken, New Jersey, United States
• Current Headquarters: Hoboken, New Jersey, United States
• Availability: Worldwide
• Official Website Link: https://jet.com/

Brief Description

Jet.com was an e-commerce company founded in April 2014. The venture was officially launched in July 2015 and subsequently acquired by Walmart in September 2016.

Jet.com was closed on June 4, 2020. However, it remains a Walmart subsidiary, with some unfounded rumors suggesting that the e-commerce platform might resume operations at some point in the future.

15. Walmart Labs

• Official Name: Walmart Labs
• Doing Business As: Walmart Labs
• Original Company Founded In: 2005
• Original Founders: Venky Harinarayan and Anand Rajaraman
• Place Founded: Mountain View, California, United States
• Current Headquarters: San Bruno, California, United States
• Availability: Worldwide
• Official Website Link: https://www.walmart.com/browse/clothing/womens-clothing/white-stag/

Brief Description

Formerly known as Kosmix and @WalmartLabs, Walmart Labs is one of the technology divisions of Walmart.

The brand is part of Walmart’s larger technology and business services organization called Walmart Global Tech. It became a Walmart subsidiary in April 2011.

16. White Stag

• Official Name: White Stag
• Doing Business As: White Stag
• Original Company Founded In: 1907
• Original Founders: N/A
• Place Founded: Portland, Oregon, United States
• Current Headquarters: Portland, Oregon, United States
• Availability: Worldwide
• Official Website Link: https://careers.walmart.com/technology/

Brief Description

Considered one of the oldest Walmart subsidiaries, White Stag is an in-store brand that deals in women’s clothing and related accessories.

The company was established as a skiwear manufacturer in 1907. It was later sold to Warnaco Group in 1966 and then to Walmart in 2003.

17. Walmart Connect

• Official Name: Walmart Connect
• Doing Business As: Walmart Connect
• Year Founded: 2005
• Place Founded: Bentonville, Arkansas, United States
• Current Headquarters: Bentonville, Arkansas, United States
• Availability: Worldwide
• Official Website Link: https://walmartconnect.com/

Brief Description

True to its name, Walmart Connect is a Walmart-owned retail media platform that lets businesses connect with Walmart shoppers online through targeted advertisements.

The platform was launched in 2005 as part of Walmart’s efforts to enhance its brand value.

18. Moosejaw.com

• Official Name: Moosejaw.com
• Doing Business As: Moosejaw.com
• Original Company Founded In: 1992
• Founders: Bill Schulman, Robert Wolfe, and David Jaffe
• Place Founded: Madison Heights, Michigan, United States
• Current Headquarters: Madison Heights, Michigan, United States
• Availability: Worldwide
• Official Website Link: https://www.moosejaw.com/

Brief Description

Moosejaw.com is a Walmart-owned retailer that deals in outdoor recreation clothing and gear. The company primarily targets campers, snowboarders, hikers, and rock climbers.

Walmart acquired Moosejaw.com on February 15, 2017, for $51 million. Despite the ‘.com’ reference in its name, Moosejaw operates both online and brick-and-mortar outlets.

Conclusion

There goes our definitive collection of the top Walmart subsidiaries, both current and former.

With such a long list of subsidiaries, it’s not surprising that Walmart is the world’s largest company by revenue generation.