Swot Analysis on Wal-Mart

SWOT Analysis on Wal-Mart

By Taurus J. Parker

Management 303

November 13, 2011

Sam Walton opened up Walton’s 5 and 10 in Bentonville, Arkansas. The first Wal-Mart was founded in 1962, by Sam Walton when he opened the company’s first discount store in Rogers, Arkansas. The first distribution center was opened in 1970 along with Wal-Mart’s home office in Bentonville, Arkansas. In the early 1980’s Wal-Mart opened the largest distribution center to date in Palestine, Texas. At the middle of the decade, Wal-Mart employed 104,000 associates in 882 stores with sales of $8.4 billion dollars. Wal-Mart became the nation’s number 1 retail store in 1990. Branching out just a little further they opened a store in Mexico City in 1991. On April 5, 1992, Sam Walton passed away at the age of 74. He died just a few weeks after President George W. Bush presented him with the Medal of Freedom. The nation’s highest civilian honor, during a ceremony at Wal-Mart headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. James Lawrence “Bud” Walton, Sam Walton brother, Wal-Mart’s co-founder passed away in 1995. Wal-Mart entered China in 1996. In 1999 Wal-Mart became the largest private employer in the world with 1,140,000 total associates worldwide, a non-union organization. Hispanic Business magazine ranked Wal-Mart one of the top 25 diversity recruitment program in 2001 for its aggressive program to hire and promote Latinos. Fortune magazine also placed Wal-Mart in the top spot on its “Most Admired Companies” for 2003 and 2004. The mission statement and purpose of the company is “We save people money so they can live better.” In order to fulfill its mission Wal-Mart developed policies and rules for employees to follow. All was according to the following website http://walmartstores.com/aboutus/7603.aspx. When I was employed at Wal-Mart the one rule that seemed most important was the 10-foot rule, this rule required associates to make eye contact, greet customers and offer help to who comes...