The first Wal-Mart Supercenter opened in 1988 in Missouri. By 1998, Wal-Mart had 441 Supercenters in the U.S.
Today, there are 2,907 Supercenters accounting for 77 percent of the 700 million square feet of Wal-Mart retail space in the U.S.
Adding groceries was a major factor driving the creation of Supercenters. The primary motivation was to increase the frequency that customers visit their local Wal-Mart. Ten years after the establishment of the first Supercenter, groceries accounted for 14 percent of total sales.
What percentage of Wal-Mart’s total U.S. sales of $264 billion did groceries contribute in FY 2011?
The FY 2011 Wal-Mart 10-K reports that grocery sales (meat, produce, deli, bakery, dairy, frozen goods, alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages, floral, dry grocery, health and beauty aids, baby products, household chemicals, paper goods, and pet supplies) accounted for 54 percent of total sales at U.S. Supercenters and discount stores.