Walmart celebrates 25 years in Canada

Big box retailer has more than tripled its store count since 1994
Canadian Grocer staff
3/21/2019

Walmart burst onto the Canadian retail scene when it acquired the
122-store Woolco division of Woolworth Canada in 1994.

Twenty-five years later and the big-box retailer has 410 stores, employs more than 85,000 associates, and serves more than 1.2 million customers in Canada every day.

"It's been 25 outstanding years for Walmart in Canada and we are thankful for the opportunity to serve Canadian families," said Lee Tappenden, president and CEO, Walmart Canada, in a press release.

"We have built a strong history in Canada – supporting local children's hospitals, providing disaster relief support and tackling issues like hunger and waste," he added. "We are proud to employ a diverse workforce as one of the country's largest employers and look forward to a bright future in Canada."

Walmart Canada is celebrating with a PR push that includes "fun facts" about the chain and its sales. For instance, 60% of Canadians live within a 10-minute drive of a Walmart store, and one in 43 Canadians has worked for Walmart Canada at some point.

In the last 25 years, the retailer has sold 63 million bags of ketchup chips and 10 million bottles of Canadian maple syrup. And, since introducing fresh groceries in 2006, it has sold 275 million Canadian apples, 5 million packages of Canadian blueberries, 70 million butter tarts and 750,000 Nanaimo bars.


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