Here’s What Walmart Looked Like When It First Opened In 1962

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The beginning

Sam Walton opened the first Walmart store in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Walton, only 44 at the time, wanted to succeed in the retail world running a store with low prices and exceptional customer service. Despite many competitors doubting his business model, the company started to grow and grow. Walton credits the instant success of Walmart to the low prices, but mainly to his associates. They gave customers a positive shopping experience and kept them coming back.

Walmart offered Reader’s Digest an inside look at what the first ever store looked like before the franchise became the superstore that it is today. Also, check out these things you’re not buying from Walmart, but should be.

Courtesy of The Walmart Museum

The grand opening

At the grand opening, people lined up outside the store to snag great deals on everyday products. Walton’s idea of building a discount store in a rural area was a success. By the end of the 60s, there was a chain of 18 Walmart stores in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

Courtesy of The Walmart Museum

First storefront

When Walmart launched it didn’t even have a true logo. The font and style of the name were chosen by the printer for the first two years the store was around. In 1964, they settled on using the “Frontier Font Logo.” In 1981, the switched over to a more block-like font, similar to the one they use today.

Courtesy of The Walmart Museum

Motto holds true

Sam Walton once said, “If we work together, we’ll lower the cost of living for everyone…we’ll give the world an opportunity to see what it’s like to save and have a better life.” Today, the Walmart slogan is, “saving people money so they can live better.” Many years later the store still strives to uphold his original intention. There’s also an interesting story behind how Walmart got its name, read about how Walmart and 10 other iconic stores got their names.