Walmart

Wal-Mart

Webster University

Abstract

This paper discusses threats and challenges to Wal-Mart and the impact that the company has had throughout the past several years.

Case Study #1: Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart is a retail outlet store specializing in a variety of low cost goods. Wal-Mart began as a small discount store in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962. Since then, the company has grown to become the second largest corporation in the world (Fortune Global 500) and is the largest in the United States (Fortune 500 2013). It is the only non-oil and gas company in the top five of global corporations(Fortune Global 500); there is only one other non-oil and gas company ranked at number five for the Fortune 500 (Fortune 500 2013). Wal-Mart has multiple different varieties of stores which they operate. They have the traditional Wal-Mart Discount Store which provides electronics, clothes, toys, small furniture, health and beauty items, hardware (including car care), and other small goods. Some, but not all, discount stores also have a small amount of grocery items. The Wal-Mart Supercenters started being built in 1988, with everything a Discount Store sells, but with the addition of the large grocery section (including a deli, produce, and bakery). Many of the superstores can also have a variety of other shops such as photo centers, pharmacies, banks, hair salons, restaurants, and vision centers. Ten years later, the success of the grocery portion of the Supercenters led Wal-Mart to the company to create a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market. These are more like a traditional grocery store than a Supercenter of Discount Store. They provide small neighborhoods the convenience of a local market and pricing of the Wal-Mart stores. The last type of store is the Wal-Mart Express; which began in 2011. These stores are small, only about 11,000 square feet. Wal-Mart has stores in over 27 different countries employing around 2 million people worldwide with 1.3 million of...