Wal-Mart

Overview

When someone says “Wal-Mart,” there are several ideas that probably come to mind; an idea such as “Everyday Low Prices,” Wal-Mart superstores, and that Wal-Mart is the biggest corporate giant in the world wouldn’t be too far fetched. However, Wal-Mart almost went bankrupt before it even started. Back in 1962, Sam Walton (the founder of Wal-Mart) probably never imagined that Wal-Mart would reach the astronomical heights that it has. In the beginning, Wal-Mart entered the discount retail industry when it was barely even a market, opening up locations specifically around the mid-west area. Sam Walton was personally several million dollars in debt and was even quoted saying that Wal-Mart was “underfinanced and undercapitalized.” What a difference a couple of years make. Walton decided to offer Wal-Mart stock publicly, and with the initial public offering yielding $5 million in capital, Walton and Wal-Mart never looked back. As recent as 1996, Wal-Mart accounts for 17 percent of general merchandise, apparel, and furniture sales, and as much as much as 30 percent of goods such as hair products and disposable diapers. With $258 billion dollars in revenue, Wal-Mart has risen to become the largest U.S. corporation in sales.

Part of the company’s success can be contributed to Walton’s vision or idea for his company, as Walton said “the idea was simple: when customers thought of Wal-Mart, they should think of low prices and satisfaction guaranteed. They could be pretty sure they wouldn’t find it any cheaper anywhere else, and if they didn’t like it, they could bring it back.” With an innovator like Walton, it’s no wonder Wal-Mart is as big as it is today. This case report basically goes through the history of Wal-Mart, how it operates its company, some of the technology that enables them to produce and deliver the way they do, and how competitors are trying to survive Wal-Marts dominance.

Summary:

HR: Employees receive multiple advantages by working for Wal-Mart. They have classroom courses, computer-based learning, mentor programs, skills assessments, and job announcements just to name a few . This would be awfully expensive, which is why competitors don’t offer the same training for their employees. They also keep employees motivated by allowing them a voice in their business operations and by hiring locally they provide job opportunities for the town they locate in. Also, it allows Wal-Mart to hire a diverse amount of employees which keeps each store they open unique.