<P> Wal - Mart Stores , Inc. , doing business as Walmart , is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets , discount department stores , and grocery stores . Headquartered in Bentonville , Arkansas , the company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962 and incorporated on October 31 , 1969 . It also owns and operates Sam 's Club retail warehouses . As of October 31 , 2017 , Walmart has 11,703 stores and clubs in 28 countries , operating under 59 different names . The company operates under the name Walmart in the United States and Canada , as Walmart de México y Centroamérica in Mexico and Central America , as Asda in the United Kingdom , as the Seiyu Group in Japan , and as Best Price in India . It has wholly owned operations in Argentina , Chile , Brazil , and Canada . </P>
wal-mart is a prime example of which type organization
multinational retail corporation