Case Analysis: Wal-Mart
History/Development/Growth
Sam Walton founded wal-Mart in 1962. Much of Wal-Mart's success can be attributed to him. He was very simple and ran his company that way. He emphasized hard work and ambition. When the company was in its earlier stages he made it a point to visit every Wal-Mart once a year. He didn't just visit each Wal-Mart and talk with management. He would lead a cheer with the associates. The term associates, which he picked up from his experience working for JC Penney's. He also ran a Ben Franklin franchise with his brother that became extremely profitable. He eventually lost the lease on the store and founded Wal-Mart. They originally started off with 15 stores in the state of Arkansas. David Glass took over as president of the company in 1984. Then in 2000 Lee Scott was named CEO. Scott happened to be recruited by David Glass early in his career. Wal-Mart is now the largest retailer in the world with revenues of 165 billion.
Internal Strengths and Weaknesses
At first glance Wal-Mart seems to be exactly like the next retailer such as Kmart. There are a few distinguishing characteristics that separate them from the rest. First, they always build distribution centers before opening store locations, which saved costs on distribution overhead. Second, they have the most sophisticated inventory system. It operates in real time. As soon as an item is scanned at checkout it is directly sent to inventory and new products are automatically ordered. This process also helps with speedier projections and sales information. Third, they have an outstanding company culture. The same ...