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Essay on Walmart

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Walmart History: Beginning to Today

Wal-Mart is a general merchandise discount retailer, which was incorporated in 1962. Wal-Mart’s history is based on one man, Sam Walton, who changed the course of retailing forever. Sam Walton first entered retailing when he was a management trainee at J.C. Penny Co. in 1940 in Des Moines, Iowa. After serving in the Army in World War II, Walton acquired a Ben Franklin variety store franchise with his brother James Walton in Newport Arkansas, until they lost the lease to the store in 1950. By 1962, when the first Wal-Mart Discount City was opened in Rogers Arkansas, both Walton’s were operating fifteen stores under the “Walton 5 & 10” name, and were the largest Ben Franklin franchisee in the …show more content…

At the end of the fiscal year 2000, total company sales reached $191 billion dollars. This was an increase over the previous year of 15.9%. Total international sales amounted to $32 billion dollars at the end of the 2000 fiscal year, which was an increase of 41% over the previous year. Wal-Mart is widely recognized as one of the leading discount variety store chains. It is the nations largest discount department store chain, and also one of the largest discounters in the nation in terms of sales dollars.

Internal Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths

 Nation’s largest discount department store chain.
 A company with a very defined mission set by Sam Walton.
 Good distribution concepts with no one store more than 6 hrs. away from warehouse.
 Constant expansion over lifetime of company.
 Offers a variety of merchandise for its consumers.
 Valued their employees and consumers happiness.
 “Everyday Low prices” advertising campaign.
 First retailer to embrace “green” marketing.
 Inventory Control system is the best in retail industry.
 Support of different community activities.
 Company’s Name.

Weaknesses
 Illustrates low prices and at the same time, not portray a cheap image to consumer.
 Viewed by some consumers as Mom and Pop shop

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