Sam Walton (redirected from Samuel Moore Walton)

Sam Walton

An American businessman who is best known for founding the Wal-Mart chain. He began in the retail store business in 1945 when he purchased a Ben Franklin franchise. Throughout the 1950s, he opened more franchises until he established the first Wal-Mart in 1962. He was one of the first retailers to always buy from the lowest priced wholesaler; this drove sales higher, which allowed him to negotiate still lower prices from wholesalers. This practice, while controversial, became a staple of Wal-Mart. He also was among the first to offer managers the ability to become limited partners in his stores. Walton lived from 1918 until 1992.