Walmart is the largest company in the world by revenue and one of the most valuable brands globally. Over the years, Walmart has acquired many companies to expand its business into new areas and compete with rivals like Amazon. Here are 15 of the biggest and most surprising companies that are now owned by Walmart:
1. Sam‘s Club
Sam‘s Club is a membership-only retail warehouse club owned and operated by Walmart. It was launched in 1983 to compete with Costco and offers bulk quantities of products at discounted prices. Walmart owns and operates nearly 600 Sam‘s Club stores in the US and Puerto Rico.
2. Asda
Asda is a large British supermarket chain that Walmart acquired in 1999 for $10.8 billion. It is one of the "Big Four" supermarket chains in the UK, along with Tesco, Sainsbury‘s and Morrisons. Asda has over 600 stores and is popular for its low prices and wide range of grocery products.
3. Massmart
Massmart is a South African retailer that Walmart acquired in 2011 for $2.5 billion. It owns various retail chains in Africa including Game, Makro, Builders Warehouse and Jumbo. Massmart has over 400 stores across 13 African countries, making Walmart one of the largest retailers in Africa.
4. Flipkart
Flipkart is India‘s largest online retailer that Walmart acquired a 77% stake in for $16 billion in 2018. The acquisition gave Walmart access to India‘s fast-growing e-commerce market and enables it to better compete with Amazon in the country. Flipkart owns popular sites like Myntra, Jabong and PhonePe.
5. Jet.com
Jet.com is an American e-commerce company that Walmart acquired in 2016 for $3.3 billion. It was purchased to bolster Walmart‘s online business and better compete with Amazon. Jet‘s pricing algorithms and innovative distribution model have now been integrated into Walmart.com.
6. Bonobos
Bonobos is an online menswear retailer that Walmart acquired for $310 million in 2017. It offers business casual clothing like shirts, pants, jackets and suits in an e-commerce driven model. The acquisition helps Walmart expand its fashion offerings.
7. ModCloth
ModCloth is an online retailer of indie and vintage-inspired women‘s clothing that Walmart bought in 2017. It has helped Walmart grow its portfolio of digital native fashion brands. ModCloth was later sold to Go Global Retail in 2020.
8. Hayneedle
Hayneedle is an online home goods store that Walmart acquired in 2016 for an undisclosed amount. It specializes in furniture, decor, kitchenware and home improvement products. The purchase grew Walmart‘s home goods business into more specialty categories.
9. ShoeBuy
ShoeBuy is an online footwear retailer that Walmart acquired in 2017 for $9 million. It offers over 800 brands of shoes and accessories. The acquisition expanded Walmart‘s assortment of online fashion goods.
10. Bare Necessities
Bare Necessities is an e-commerce site for intimates and swimwear. In 2018, Walmart acquired it for an undisclosed sum to grow its online selection of fashion products. Bare Necessities offers bras, panties, shapewear, sleepwear and more.
11. Art.com
Art.com is one of the world‘s largest online retailers of wall art, posters and custom framing. Walmart acquired it in 2018 to expand its home decor and art offerings. Art.com sells over 2 million curated images online.
12. Moosejaw
Moosejaw is an online outdoor recreation retailer with a large apparel and gear selection. It was acquired by Walmart in 2017 for $51 million to grow its digital presence in specialty retail sectors beyond consumer staples.
13. Eloquii
Eloquii is an online "fast fashion" retailer catering to plus-sized women. Walmart purchased the brand in 2018 to improve its plus-size fashion portfolio. Eloquii sells trendy and affordable clothes in sizes 14-28.
14. Parcel
Parcel is a delivery logistics startup that was acquired by Walmart in 2017. It has expertise in same-day delivery services through routing algorithms and crowd-sourced couriers. The technology bolsters Walmart‘s supply chain and last-mile delivery capabilities.
15. PhonePe
PhonePe is a digital payments company based in India that Walmart owns a majority stake in through its Flipkart acquisition. PhonePe provides mobile payment services and has over 300 million registered users. This helps Walmart expand its financial services presence.
In summary, Walmart has made numerous major acquisitions that expand its business into new markets and geographies, enhance its digital commerce capabilities, and add expertise in logistics and technology. The surprising range of companies owned by the retail giant provides synergy and diversification to its operations.
