• The first Walmart store opened in 1962 and it was the No. 1 retailer in the US by 1990.
• Photos show customers shopping at Walmart during the chain's boom in the '90s.
• Walmart also expanded into China, Canada, and the UK in the 1990s.

Sam Walton opened the first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962. By 1980, the retail chain operated 276 locations and achieved $1 billion in sales each year. By 1990, Walmart became the No. 1 retailer in the US.

The big-box brand has continued to dominate, marking its 60th anniversary in 2022 and earning $648 billion in revenue in the fiscal year 2024, according to its latest earnings report.

Photos from Walmart's booming business in the 1990s show the retail chain's rapid growth.

A representative for Walmart did not respond to a request for comment.