Wal-Mart Stores, an US public corporation, runs a chain of large, discount department stores.

Wal-Mart is the largest grocery retailer in the United States. It also owns and operates the North American company of Sam's Club.

It is the largest private employer in the world and the fourth largest utility or commercial employer, trailing the British National Health Service, and the Indian Railways.

The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962.

Wal-Mart operates in Mexico as Walmex, in the UK as ASDA, and in Japan as Seiyu. It has wholly-owned operations in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the UK.

Wal-Mart has been criticised by some community groups, women's rights groups, grassroots organisations, and labour unions, specifically for its extensive foreign product sourcing, low rates of employee health insurance enrollment, resistance to union representation, and alleged sexism.

It is the world's largest public corporation by revenue, according to the 2008 Fortune Global 500.

Wal-Mart's net sales for the first quarter of fiscal year 2009 were approximately $94.1 billion, an increase of 10.2 per cent over the first quarter of fiscal year 2008.

Net income for the quarter was $3.0 billion, which is 6.9 per cent above the first quarter of fiscal year 2008.

Image: South Koreans walk past a Wal-Mart store in Incheon, South Korea.