Courtesy of Walmart
One of Walmart's first store openings featured an event with exploding watermelons and donkey droppings.
- The first-ever Walmart store opened its doors for the first time in the summer of 1962.
- But Walmart founder Sam Walton was no
retail newbie when he launched his now-ubiquitous chain. - Business Insider spoke to Alan Dranow, the senior director of the Walmart Heritage Group, about the retail giant's early days.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Before it took over the world of retail, Walmart was just a discount store in Rogers, Arkansas.
Business Insider spoke to Alan Dranow, the senior director of the Walmart Heritage Group, about the chain's beginnings. The Walmart Heritage Group runs the company's official museum.
Read more: Walmart's move to a new headquarters highlights just how different it is from Amazon
According to Dranow, Walmart wasn't "an overnight success," and its appeal wasn't immediately apparent to shoppers and retail rivals.
Take a look back in time at Walmart's early history: