If you walked into a Walmart today, you’d see a sea of blue vests, rows of bananas, and people frantically scanning their own groceries. It looks like a lot of activity, but the sheer scale is hard to wrap your head around. Honestly, when you ask how much does Walmart make in a day, the answer sounds more like a lottery jackpot than a retail report.
Walmart isn’t just a store. It is a massive, global machine that moves goods across continents every single hour. Based on the most recent financial data for fiscal year 2025 and projections moving into 2026, the company is raking in roughly $1.86 billion every single day in total revenue.
Let that sink in. Nearly two billion dollars. Daily.
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Breaking Down the $1.86 Billion Daily Revenue
To understand how we get to that number, you've got to look at the annual figures. For the fiscal year 2025, Walmart reported total revenue of approximately $681 billion. If you do the math—basically dividing that by 365 days—you get about $1.86 billion per day.
But revenue isn't profit.
That’s the biggest mistake people make. They see that $1.86 billion and think the Walton family is pocketing all of it. Kinda far from it, actually. Most of that money goes right back out the door to pay for the milk, the electronics, the logistics, and the 2.1 million people they employ.
Revenue vs. Net Income (The Real Profit)
When you look at the "net income"—which is what’s left after every single bill, tax, and salary is paid—the numbers get smaller, but they're still staggering. In 2025, Walmart’s annual net income was about $19.4 billion.
- Daily Revenue: ~$1.86 billion
- Daily Net Profit: ~$53 million
Making $53 million in profit every day is still wild. That’s about **$2.2 million every hour**. Even while you're sleeping, Walmart is clearing millions in pure profit. It’s important to note that their profit margins are actually quite thin, usually sitting around 2% to 3%. They make their money on volume, not high markups.
Where is All This Money Coming From?
You might think it’s just the Supercenters in the U.S. suburbs, but the revenue stream is way more diverse than it was ten years ago. They’ve basically turned themselves into a tech and logistics company that happens to sell groceries.
The U.S. Powerhouse
The bulk of the cash—about 68%—comes from Walmart U.S. In 2025, the U.S. segment brought in over $465 billion. Interestingly, nearly 60% of that comes from groceries. People might buy a TV once every five years, but they buy eggs and bread every week. That "frequent flyer" grocery traffic is what keeps the daily revenue so consistent.
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The Global Reach
Walmart International and Sam’s Club make up the rest. Sam's Club has been a massive growth engine lately, contributing about 14% of the total revenue. Their membership fees alone—the money you pay just for the right to walk in the door—brought in over $3 billion last year. That is almost pure profit before they even sell a single rotisserie chicken.
The New Money: Advertising and E-commerce
Here is what most people get wrong about Walmart’s future. They aren't just betting on physical stores. Their e-commerce growth is exploding, up 27% in recent quarters.
They also have a burgeoning advertising business called Walmart Connect. Because they know exactly what millions of people are buying every day, brands pay them a premium to show ads on their website and in-store screens. In fiscal 2025, advertising brought in $4.4 billion. It’s a small slice of the $681 billion pie, but the profit margins on ads are way higher than the margins on a gallon of milk.
How Walmart Makes $21,000 Every Second
If we zoom in even further, the numbers get almost comical.
To hit $1.86 billion a day, the company has to move a lot of product very fast.
- Per Hour: ~$77.5 million
- Per Minute: ~$1.29 million
- Per Second: ~$21,500
By the time you finished reading that list, Walmart just "made" about $100,000 in revenue.
This speed is only possible because of their 10,000+ stores. They’ve turned these stores into mini-fulfillment centers. About 35% of their online orders in the U.S. are now delivered in under three hours. They aren't just competing with Target anymore; they are in a dead heat with Amazon for who can get a package to your door the fastest.
Why These Numbers Still Matter in 2026
We're currently seeing a shift in how people shop. Even with inflation and "choppy" consumer spending, Walmart tends to win because they are the "value" leader. When times are tough, higher-income households—people making over $100,000 a year—start shopping at Walmart to save money on groceries.
This "trade-down" effect is a huge reason why their daily revenue hasn't dipped. In fact, they recently revised their 2026 projections upward, expecting sales to grow by another 5%.
The Real-World Impact
What does a company making $1.8 billion a day actually do with that power? They reinvest. They are currently spending about 3.5% of their sales on "capital expenditures." That’s code for automation. They are putting robots in the backrooms to sort boxes and using AI to predict when a store is going to run out of Great Value peanut butter.
Actionable Insights: What You Can Learn from the Giant
You don't need a billion-dollar budget to take a page out of the Walmart playbook. Whether you're an investor or a business owner, the "Walmart way" offers a few clear lessons.
Focus on "The Repeat"
Walmart’s dominance isn't from high-margin luxury items. It’s from groceries. They focused on the things people need to buy every week. If you’re building a business, find your "grocery"—the product or service that creates a recurring habit.
Diversify the Revenue
Walmart realized they couldn't just rely on selling physical goods. By moving into advertising and memberships (Walmart+), they added high-margin revenue streams that protect them when the cost of physical goods rises.
Own the Last Mile
Speed is the new currency. By using their existing stores as shipping hubs, they cut down delivery times to under three hours. Efficiency isn't just about saving money; it’s about winning the customer’s trust through convenience.
If you're tracking Walmart's performance, keep an eye on their quarterly earnings reports (usually released in May, August, November, and February). These documents are the only way to get the verified, "non-myth" version of how much they are actually making. As of now, the machine shows no signs of slowing down.