Spatial Diffusion of Wal-Mart: Contagious and Reverse Hierarchical Elements

In its 30 years of existence, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has grown to become the largest retailer in the United States in terms of sales volume. This paper describes and analyzes the geographic expansion of Wal-Mart from its origin in northwest Arkansas. During its early years the firm grew slowly and opened stores primarily in small towns. In recent years it has expanded into metropolitan areas in order to serve more completely the U. S. market. The firm's expansion pattern has been characterized by elements of both neighborhood contagious diffusion and reverse hierarchical diffusion.