This report discusses the evaluation of Wal-Mart’s strategic planning process. The purpose of this evaluation is to compare and analyze the performance to help better measure our operation and financial conditions as well as enable us to accomplish our future objectives and to continue growth. Key Concepts: Strategic Plan Definition - A company’s strategic plan lays out its future direction and business purpose, performance, targets and strategy. Strategic Management Definition - consists of the analysis, decisions, and actions an organization undertakes in order to create and sustain competitive advantages. This definition captures two main elements that go to the heart of the field of strategic management. Mission Statement: Wal-Mart’s mission statement is simple and to the point “We save people money so they can live better” Environmental Scanning: Definition - Careful monitoring of an organization’s internal and external environments for detecting early signs of opportunities and threats that may influence its current and future plans. In comparison, surveillance is confined to a specific objective or a narrow sector. Strengths Wal-Mart has a competitive advantage that helps set them apart from the others. They operate under economies of scale. Competition has a hard time matching superstores on price because they typical lack volume to negotiate better deals With the development of its own distribution center and scale of operations, Wal-Mart is able to order in larger quantity at lower prices and passed on the savings to its customers. This generates store traffic and supports a one-stop shopping experience. Wal-Mart’s collaboration with Cisco Systems allows suppliers to log onto Wal-Mart’s database for real-time ... ... middle of paper ... ...bama. "Outstanding article on the WalMartization of America by Harold Meyerson at The American Prospect." Daily Kos. N.p., 3 Dec 2013. Web. 1 Jul 2014. Duryee, Tricia . "Walmart’s shopping spree continues as its online sales grow faster than Amazon’s." Geek Wire. N.p., 6 May 2014. Web. 1 Jul 2014. Hiltzik, Michael. "Wal-Mart's dependence on food stamps, revealed." LA Times. N.p., 24 Mar 2014. Web. 1 Jul 2014. Grant, Robert M. . "Wal-Mart Stores’ Operations and Activities." Contemporary Strategy - Inkling. Wiley. Web. 1 Jul 2014. Samakow, GrantPaul . "Suing Wal-Mart: Bad business practices lead to litigation ." Washington Times. Wiley, 2 Jun 2013. Web. 1 Jul 2014. Olssen, Karen. "Up Against Wal-Mart." Mother Jones. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Jul 2014. Bose, Nandita . "Wal-Mart's China syndrome a symptom of international woes." Reuters. N.p., 21 Feb 2014. Web. 1 Jul 2014.
Quinn, Bill. How Walmart Is Destroying America (and the world), And What You Can Do About It. Third Edition. Ten Speed Press, 2005. Print.
There is a lot that goes into being a successful company, and making the Fortune 500 list is most every business owner’s dream. Sam Walton is credited with being the founder and first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Wal-Mart. Walton and other CEO’s of the company were able to shape the success of Wal-Mart by implementing strategies that would revolutionize the way retail stores do business, all while pushing Wal-Mart to the top spot on the Fortune 500 list. This paper looks at a few different strategies Walton implemented that ultimately benefitted the company to increase revenue. How did Wal-Mart become the retail giant that it is today? T.A. Frank of Washington Monthly gives a brief history of Wal-Mart in his article Everyday Low Vices.
Dukes v. Wal-Mart, Inc. (2004). Class Certification Status Decision, United States District Court, Northern California. Retrieved July 15, 2005 from http://www.walmartclass.com/public-home.html.
Walmart is one of the most successful franchises of all time and continues to take fire from multiple angles, whether it’s about the costing of jobs, the wages, the health insurance, the small business destruction, or the environmental impact, but can always back itself up by negating those claims with facts that proves that it is beneficial to the community.
During the last 20 years, Wal-Mart has moved into many areas wiping out all the stores around causing people to loose jobs, slashing the tax base and causing many more disturbing problems to neighborhoods so people should stop supporting Wal-Mart for many of these reasons. Always low prices, does this sound familiar? Well this would be the slogan of the world’s most controlling company; Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart grew over the years into a 256 billion dollar company after making its name across the world in 1915. The major problem with Wal-Mart is that it maintains its own mini-economy. Some people believe Wal-Mart supports the American economy while most others hold that Wal-Mart’s global outsourcing will and has damaged the economy over time. When comparing these two opposite points, Wal-Mart has and is continuing to be more destructive than constructive to our economy. It has left employees with little to even no healthcare at all, destroyed more jobs then it has even created and it has also dishonored our environment. The second most common job, cashiers, are suppose to earn just about $7.92 per hour and work 29 hours a week which was said in a 2003 analysis. This only brings in yearly wages of only $11,948 (Wal-Mart Wages and Worker Rights 1). It is incredible that their employees can support themselves with making such low wages."With its low price focus, Wal-Mart may appear to help the U.S. economy. But, the reality is that with its poor wages and benefits, massive China sourcing and tax avoidance, Wal-Mart makes its workers and the communities where it operates poorer."-David Nassar.
“Our competitors are better because Wal-Mart exists” stated by the chief financial officer of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is a retail store, which provides groceries, electronics, household appliances, and high quality items to consumers. The retail chain has made a household name within every house by selling products all over the world at a bargain price. Wal-Mart’s strength and pace of growth contributed to a retail store in every city and state across America. Wal-Mart is a powerful conglomerate, which contributes to businesses and people on a global scale through supporting the economy, creating jobs, and bettering the lives of millions.
Wal-Mart’s competitive environment is quite unique. Although Wal-Mart’s primary competition comes from general merchandise retailers, warehouse clubs and supermarket retailers also present competitive pressure. The discount retail industry is substantial in size and is constantly experiencing growth and change. The top competitors compete both nationally and internationally. There is extensive competition on pricing, location, store size, layout and environment, merchandise mix, technology and innovation, and overall image. The market is definitely characterized by economies of scale. Top retailers vertically integrate many functions, such as purchasing, manufacturing, advertising, and shipping. Large scale functions such as these give the top competitors a significant cost advantage over small-scale competition.
The top two reasons for such success in ranking first in retail store market, is because Wal-Mart is convenient globally and so are there prices in the competitive market . Wal-Mart has three segments which are superstores, discount stores, and Sam's Club stores, all of these are scattered in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Brazil, and Asia. One downfall was from Sam's club because too many were opening all over internationally it decreased the number of customers per location. Overall despite the company's decline on Sam's club sales, the Corporations did well over all with the figures brought in and conditions.
Wal-Mart is one of the world's greatest assets to most people. It provides consumer's a place they can go to virtually get anything they need from, car repairs, to groceries, prescription's, even the latest toys and electronics. With all that said, this paper relates to the different forces in business that affects business: competitive, economic, political + legal + regulatory, technological, cultural + social, demographic, and natural forces. Although there are technically seven we are going to focus on competitive, political, technological, and natural forces.
Walmart has had a long-standing presence in America society since the middle of the 20th century, seen as a place to get everything done, Walmart has become a fixation in our society. From grocery shopping, to changing your oil and even filing your annual tax returns, Walmart is always there, everyday. Started by Sam Walton in 1962, it began as a small operation catering to a small Arkansas community. It was started on principles very similar to small local businesses in small towns. Today Walmart has gotten a different, darker reputation. On the surface, Walmart may seem like the solution to everyday issues. Low-income families are attracted to the low prices, and people who work odd hours benefit greatly from the 24 hours a day that many Walmarts are open. Lately, Walmart has also managed to be publicly recognized as a store that sells many of today’s green products, including organic food, environmental conscious cleaning products, as well as, paper products made from recycled paper. However, underneath all this, Walmart has a different side. Exploitation of its workers is widespread amongst Walmarts who do not belong to a union, especially in the United States. Wal...
Walmart is one of the largest supermarket chains in America. They have mastered the technique of how to get customers to buy their products once in their store. Walmart has an abundance of products ranging from groceries to gardening to automotive. Walmart’s easy flow and strategic placement of an abundance of products entices customers to buy more than the customer anticipated.
Bianco, Anthony and Zellner, Wendy. (October 6, 2003). Is Wal-Mart too Powerful? Low Prices are Great. But Wal-Mart’s Dominance Creates Problems for Suppliers, Workers, Communities, and even American Culture. Retrieved on March 30, 2011 from http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_40/b3852001_mz001.htm.
To do a true evaluation of Wal-Mart Stores, the environment surrounding the market it is in must be observed. In doing so, the firm can neutralize threats or jump on opportunities that affect it in any way. “The goal is to identify and evaluate trends and events that will affect strategy either directly or indirectly” (Aaker, 1985).
Wal-Mart is known to beone of the best supply chain companies in the world. Throughout the years Wal-Mart has adapted strategies that keep up to their name. Unlike many retailers, Wal-Mart purchases goods directly from manufacturers, skipping a few steps of the supply chain cycle. Buyers use advanced negotiation skills to make sure they are receiving the best price on purchases. Wal-Mart also has their own trucks picking up from warehouses, reducing the price significantly on transportation. Long term relationships with vendors are extremely emphasized to understand prices and cost structure. These practices build Wal-Mart to its name and keeps low prices for retail customers all over the world. Supply Chain studies have shown that in 1998, Wal-Mart would fill up stock in 2 days compared to their competitors which would complete it in 5. Part of the reason Wal-Mart would replenish so