While Sam Walton founded Walmart in 1962 under the “Buy American” mentality, the company quickly brushed it aside to offer lower prices. So will Walmart return to its “Buy American” past soon? Let’s find out!
Walmart’s ‘Buy American’ campaign continues founder Sam Walton’s 1985 vision to bring manufacturing back to the United States. It's to support companies with products from the United States instead of relying on overseas manufacturing.
Walmart was proud of itself for selling products to American manufacturers. However, as the business grew, they made sacrifices to reduce costs as much as possible. Walmart has pledged multiple times to increase the number of American products in its stores.
Walmart, like many companies, began purchasing products outside of American borders because of costs. Labor and material costs in countries like Cambodia are a fraction of what manufacturers would have to pay in the United States.