.png)
Woolco began operations in 1962 as the discount store division of F.W. Woolworth Company’s Canadian subsidiaries.
By the early 1990s, facing increasing competition, Woolworth sold off its stores to Walmart in 1994—making Walmart the largest retail chain in Canada.
ASDA traces its roots back to the 1920s—when a group of farmers partnered to sell milk directly to customers in Yorkshire—eventually becoming a chain of stores carrying a variety of goods.
In 1999, Walmart acquired ASDA for $10 billion dollars (the largest American acquisition in the UK at the time).
It gave Walmart a foothold in the competitive UK grocery market.
Founded in 1955 as a small butcher shop, Distribución y Servicio S.A. (D&S) later became the largest supermarket chain in Chile.
Looking to expand its presence in Latin America, Walmart in 2010 acquired a controlling stake in D&S for over $1.5 billion.
Massmart originated in the 1990s as a wholesale cash-and-carry chain serving small business owners in the aftermath of apartheid South Africa.
Walmart acquired a controlling interest in Massmart for $2.4 billion in 2010, its first entry into the Sub-Saharan region.
The takeover helped Walmart expand across southern Africa.
Founded in 2005, Kosmix was a Silicon Valley startup focused on organizing the world’s information.
They made the info available via social media and semantic analysis.
Walmart acquired the firm in 2011.
Some questioned whether a traditional retailer could successfully be such a tech-focused company.
The experts were right.
Kosmix’s technology failed to advance Walmart’s e-commerce capabilities.
Vudu was the first platform for streaming theatrical movies directly to consumers—pioneering film rentals and purchases long before Netflix.
‘Chill and Vudu’ never became part of the lexicon of the average date night…
Walmart purchased Vudu in 2010 to incorporate its state-of-the-art entertainment delivery infrastructure.
Vudu continued to operate as an independent subsidiary after the acquisition.
Founded in 1992, Moosejaw held a large online and catalog selection of outdoor apparel and gear.
Walmart bought Moosejaw for $51 million in 2017.
It helped Walmart expand online and gave them Moosejaw’s expertise in creating rich digital shopping experiences.
Founded in 2013, Parcel Technology offered same-day fulfillment services in urban markets.
While Walmart had long dominated suburban and rural areas, its 2017 Parcel acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, signaled Walmart’s desire to expand into densely packed metropolitan environments.
The acquisition helped Walmart compete against Amazon in e-commerce.
Starting as an online bookseller, Flipkart pioneered e-commerce in India.
Walmart spent $16 billion to acquire a 77% stake in market-leading Flipkart in 2018.
Its largest acquisition to date.
Seeking to challenge Amazon’s online retail dominance—internet entrepreneur Marc Lore founded Jet.com in 2014 as a next-generation e-commerce platform leveraging pricing algorithms and subscription models to offer bulk purchasing discounts.
Just two years later—Walmart acquired it in 2016 for $3.3 billion dollars.
Lore assumed a leadership role in streamlining Walmart’s web operations and accelerating its e-commerce footprint.
Aspectiva developed advanced algorithms to extract actionable insights from product reviews and online content.
Walmart acquired Aspectiva in 2019 to enhance its supplier management systems—helping them to use the big data to make better decisions.
Established in 2021, Memomi was an early trailblazer in using augmented reality to enable try-on-before-you-buy customer experiences in online shopping.
Walmart acquired Memomi after less than a year of operations, helping to make its online experience more immersive.
Volt Systems invented supply chain optimization software and hardware.
Walmart bought Volt Systems’ technology in 2022 to gain real-time inventory monitoring.
It also made its logistics more transparent.
Walmart acquired the TV brand Vizio for approximately $2.3 billion in February 2024.
This acquisition aimed to bolster Walmart’s advertising business to engage customers directly through Vizio’s SmartCast Operating System.
.png){kind=logo}
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)