As of January 2023, there were in total 365 Walmart stores in China, including 322 retail stores and 43 wholesale stores. Since 2018, Walmart retail stores in China have steadily decreased, while wholesale store numbers have increased.
Walmart in China
Walmart International operates in 23 countries outside of the United States through its wholly owned subsidiaries. The company began its operations in China in 1996 as one of the first big international brands to enter the country. To adjust to Chinese consumer needs, Walmart formed a strategic alliance with JD.com, China’s second largest e-commerce retailer. E-commerce retail accounted for about 25 percent of total retail sales in China in 2021.
Growing popularity of fresh food online retail in China made Walmart broaden their delivery capabilities to meet the same-day delivery demand. In July 2019, Walmart announced their plans to invest around 1.2 billion U.S. dollars in China over the next decade, upgrading the company’s logistics centers and delivery services.
In fiscal year 2022, Walmart International had a total of 5,306 stores outside of the U.S., primarily in Mexico and Central America.
