Walmart keen to expand in India
Stores, the worldâs largest retailer, is keen to expand in China and
India, chairman S Robson Walton said in Kuala
Lumpur.
“Internationally, weâre focusing on larger markets,” Mr
Walton told delegates at a Forbes Global CEO Conference in the Malaysian capital
on Wednesday. âChina is a big opportunity for us. We’re just getting
started in India, where we see great opportunity over the long term,â he
said, without giving details on its expansion plans.
Walmart, which
competes with Franceâs Carrefour SA in China, is accelerating expansion in
Asia that Walton expects will lead the global economic recovery. Chinaâs
retail sales rose 15.4% in August from a year earlier, the biggest gain this
year after accounting for seasonal distortions, according to the Chinese
statistics bureau on September 11.
Bentonville, Arkansas-based
Walmart operates at about 630 locations in China, India and Japan, according to
its web site. About 24% of Walmartâs net sales came from its international
division in the quarter ended July 31, the company reported last month. Walmart
sees opportunities in the healthcare business, Mr Walton said, without giving
details.












