...Introduction Wal-Mart is one of the world’s largest retailers in the world. They strive themselves in saving people money so they can live better. Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart in 1962, he believed that leadership through service was what it took for a business to be successful. It was that mentality that made Wal-Mart’s working environment revolves around good customer service and great value. The first Wal-Mart store opened on July 2, 1962 in Rogers, Ark. By 1967, the Walton family owned 24 stores, and gaining 12.7million in sales. By 1969, Sam Walton realized that Wal-Mart was going to be much bigger than he anticipated and he officially incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Walmart). In was not long after he incorporated the company that Sam or Mr.Sam as many called him, decided to take Wal-Mart national. His vision’s widespread appeal was so successful among Americas that by 1972, Wal-Mart was listed on the New York Stock Exchange as WMT. At this point Wal-Mart was growing so fast and being so successful that by 1990, Wal-Mart had officially became the nation’s number-one retailer. Their focus was still to provide its customers with a one-stop shopping supermarket that had every day low prices (walmart). Wal-Mart had become so successful in America due to its size, power, and low prices that globalizing was just a matter of time and money. At first, Wal-Mart considered entering Europe, Asia, and other countries in the western hemisphere. However, they realized that...
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...towards society. (Amason, A. 2010) Executive Summary: Strategic Management involves formulation and implementation of strategies to improve the performance and to gain competitive advantage. It involves decisions and acts that managers undertake in order to attain the desired goals. Strategies are planned means to attain end results. Strategic management is long term in nature and gives a direction to the organization. Before going into the usage of Strategic Tools, the paper details strategic management, need for it, approaches for strategy and the strategies involved at various levels. Then a brief of importance of stakeholder analysis in planning is given. My paper would comprise environmental analysis that is required by Wall-Mart in strategic planning to improve its market in escalating competition....
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...Mini Case 12.1 Q2 International Business Wal-Mart’s success in Latin America and Canada was due to the fact that they could respond quickly to cultural errors such as creating a large parking lot in Mexico’s Wal-Mart when many customers used the bus. This was solved by creating bus shuttles to make customers’ travels across the parking lot easier. They were “easy to address” mistakes. It also changed its competitive emphasis to customer service and providing more variety in its stores than the competitors. They also bought other local stores for pursuit of internal growth. Wal-Mart also quickly learned that when expanding internationally sometimes it does not work in your favor to “stick so closely to the domestic Wal-Mart blueprint…”Latin American Wal-Marts also had large success because they were large developing nations where market entry was easier. Although Canada was a more matured nation than those of Latin America, Wal-Mart still thrived there and bought 122 Woolco stores and transition teams were also brought in from the U.S. to aid the transformation. Entry was the hardest in Europe. Although Wal-Mart took a similar approach as they had in Canada ( by acquiring 95 chain stores in Germany and 229 stores in the United Kingdom), but the market was very advanced and competitive. This was true especially in Germany. Wal-Mart had a limited European infrastructure with too many U.S. employees who didn’t speak German. Wal-Mart’s well-known inventory and systematic specialties...
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...Wal-Mart Financial Analysis Wal-Mart, also famously known as “Wally-World”, is said to serve at a rate of about 200 million times per week at more than 9,029 retail units under 60 different banners in 15 countries. Wal-Mart currently employees an estimated 2.1 million associates worldwide and continues to grow. A leader in sustainability, corporate patronage and employment opportunity, Wal-Mart ranked in the top ten among retailers in Fortune Magazine’s 2010 Most Admired Companies survey. [ (About Us, 2010) ] In 2010, Wal-Mart was named the largest public corporation by revenue. The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962. Wal-Mart is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, they are also known as the largest grocery retailer in the U. S. Internationally, Wal-Mart operates under different names. Mexico as Walmex, United Kingdom as Asda, Japan as Seiyu, and India as Best Price. Wal-Mart has high-volume relationships with several companies whose success depends on its association with the retailer. For instance, twenty-eight percent of Dial Corporation’s business comes from its affiliation with Wal-Mart. Other large suppliers include Revlon, Proctor & Gamble, Kraft Foods, General Mills and Kellogg’s. These companies sell more than twelve percent of its product through Wal-Mart. [ (Adam, 2008) ] Wal-Mart’s ultimately goal is to keep prices low and the customers satisfied, and it expects their suppliers to do the same. The push for low prices has caused affects on a global...
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...Case Study: Wal-Mart Stores “Every Day Low Prices” In China Webster University INTB 5000 1 Webster University 2 Wal-Mart Stores “Every Day Low Prices” In China FACTS: First opened in Shenzhen on August 12, 1996 As of December 2007 94 stores in 51 cities Employs 43,000+ associates Serves around 5 million customers per week Transition from rural US to metro/urban in China Competitive analysis a core value of the company Shopping 1,500 items and price matching them through “Special Buy” Analysis Major pressure from the Chinese regional governments to centralize in high growth regions About-face by Chinese govt. on Shanghai is of interest Has major implications on Wal-Mart’s ability to provide infrastructure for stores Supply Chain Challenges Abound Tier 1 cities include Beijing – Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou Tier 2 cities include Chengdu, Nanjing, Chongqing, & Wuhan Tier 3 cities include Changzho, Jinhua, Mianyang Webster University 3 Wal-Mart Stores “Every Day Low Prices” In China 7,058 Units 1.9 Million Associates 23 offices sourcing from 70 countries UK 340 Units Canada 292 Units Japan 393 Units US 4,103 Units Mexico 943 Units Central America 433 Units China 86 Units Trust-Mart 101 Units India JV –Aug 2007 Puerto Rico 54 Units Brazil 297 Units Argentina 16 Units Webster University 4 Wal-Mart Stores “Every Day Low Prices” In China Webster University 5 Wal-Mart Stores “Every Day...
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...Urban Outfitters Continuing Case Study: Marketing a Business Robyn Miller Professor Marietta Lewis Business 100 August 28, 2011 Urban Outfitters Continuing Case Study: Marketing a Business 1. Explain why Sears or Wal-mart cannot effectively create a trendy counterculture image. Sears or Wal-Mart cannot effectively create a trendy counterculture image because Wal-Mart, for instance, operates on a high volume low profit margin and Sears operates on a high profit margin. The only way this can be done is to have the products mass produced which make it impossible to be either trendy or counterculture. To be trendy counterculture is to be unique when going against other retailers. Sears on the other hand are higher priced but still mass produced items which they think will appeal to the general public. Neither Sears nor Wal-mart can make the changes that would be needed to adopt the image. If they do, they would risk turning off their existing customer base. Lastly, the extensive product selection does not lend itself to the image. Furthermore, the best either of these could do is create a mini-shop, given the current brand image, the trendy image may be a hard sell for "trendy" customers, that may be the target. 2. Could the big box stores sell merchandise identical to Urban Outfitters? Explain your answer. Yes and no. Yes the big box stores can purchase the items that are sold at Urban Outfitters and place the products on the shelves. These stores are trying to modernize...
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...value chain. As stated by Schein, culture is relevant and it matters because it is a powerful, latent, and often unconscious set of forces that determine both our individual and collective behavior, ways of perceiving, thought patterns, and values (Guzman et al., 2008). In order to take a look deep inside an organization’s social and technical dynamics, via value chain we turn our attention to “The Mini-cases: 5 companies, 5 strategies, 5 transformations”. This unique interaction case study was conducted by Balu Bagopal, Maurice Berns, Zayna Khajat, Martin Reeves and Andrew Townsend a MIT Sloan Management Review and knowledge partner. The Boston Consulting Group, with sponsorship support from business analytics provider SAS, are collaborating on a project called the Sustainability Initiative. This case study is a survey of five corporate executives and managers about their perspectives on the intersection of sustainability and business strategy (Berns, M., Townsend, A., Khajat, Z., Bagopal, B., Reeves, M., et al. (2009). The researchers started their analysis by separating the case study participants into three...
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...Dollar Tree Analysis Name: Date: Analyze the business-level strategies The sluggish economy has created a perfect storm in favor of the retail business. Dollar Tree, Wal-Mart, and Dollar General have generated significant profits as a result of the sluggish economy. These firms have embraced the financial opportunity amid consumer pessimism. This evaluation will disgust the business level-strategy practiced by Dollar Tree. We will discuss its strength, weakness, opportunity, and threats. The organization strength has made it possible to respond to realistic opportunities. The firm’s decision makers thrive to increase profit. Consequently, their proven ingenuity has shaped the strategic business model. In short, Dollar Tree has the ability to sustain long-term growth, and sufficient cash to invest in new ventures. As a result, company’s estimates have significantly increased. Organizations can maintain a competitive advantage only if they can provide their customers competitive products at low prices (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson, 2013). Dollar Tree offers consumers this service, more value for 1$, no other competitor has been able to match this strategy. Dollar Tree operates as a discount variety store selling products at a uniform price of $1 or less. Dollar Tree operates 4,842 stores nationwide and 5 Canadian Providence (Dollar Tree, 2013). Moreover...
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...WAL-MART'S SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES Do No tC op y OPER - 020 This case was written by P. Mohan Chandran, under the direction of Vivek Gupta, ICFAI Center for Management Research (ICMR). It is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. The case was compiled from published sources. 2003, ICFAI Center for Management Research. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic or mechanical, without permission. To order copies, call 0091-40-2343-0462/63/64 or write to ICFAI Center for Management Research, Plot # 49, Nagarjuna Hills, Hyderabad 500 082, India or email icmr@icfai.org. Website: www.icmrindia.org OPER/020 WAL-MART'S SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES “When you start to collapse the supply chain, accuracy in execution becomes critical. Any lack of accurate information and processes creates costly bottlenecks in the flow of goods and materials.” -- Bruce Richmond, Global head, Andersen Consulting. y INTRODUCTION tC op The US-based Wal-Mart ranked first in the global Fortune 500 list in the financial year 2001-02 earning revenues of $219.81 billion (Refer Table I). Wal-Mart was the largest retailing company in the world. The company was much bigger than its competitors in the US –...
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...Value Chain and Competitive Forces ITM 524 - Foundations of Information Technology Management Module 2 – Case 1 Trident University International January 4, 2016 Value Chain and Competitive Forces The value that an organization creates and acquires is referred to as the profit margin. This means that the more value the organization creates the more profitable the it has a chance of becoming. In order for an organization to remain profitable, they must develop a competitive strategy. Michael Porter developed the concept of the “value chain,” which is a “set of activities that an organization carries out to create value for its customers (Porter's Value Chain, 2015).” The Five Forces The five forces model was developed by Michael E. Porter to help organizations evaluate the quality of a particular industry’s competitiveness and develop business strategies accordingly. The five forces are supplier power, buyer power, competitive rivalry, threat of substitution, and threat of new entry (Porter, 2008). Supplier Power With supplier power an organization determines how easy it is for suppliers to drive up prices. This is determined by the number of suppliers of each key input, the exclusivity of their product or service, their strength and control over the business, the cost of transferring from one to another, and etc. The scarcer the supplier choices an organization has, and the more the need for suppliers' help, the more powerful the suppliers become (Porter’s...
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...Alexander Hernández Martínez 801-08-2694 ADMI 4007-005 Prof. R. Martínez Mini-Case Study: McDonald’s Corporation: Firing on all cylinders while preparing for the future McDonald’s Corporation is the largest fast food restaurant chain in the world, operating more than 32,000 restaurants in 118 countries. In 2008, McDonalds and Wal-Mart were the only stocks in the Dow Jones to end the year with a gain. From 2007 to 2008 they raised revenues in billion dollars earning above average returns. Its ability to create value for its stakeholders is impressive, but this trend hasn’t always been the same. This mini case study takes place in the year 2003 when for the first time they had a quarterly loss and its stock price devalued almost $35. This case study talks about the factors that took McDonald’s to this downgrade and what strategic decisions they made to regain their position as the largest and most successful fast food chain in the world. The case study mentions several facts about McDonald’s situation in 2003 which can lead us to make a brief SWOT analysis for a better understanding of the characteristics of McDonald’s at that exact moment. Some of the facts mentioned can be rearranged as the following SWOT analysis: Strengths: dominates the quick service restaurant industry, possess the largest number of restaurants + 32,000, most recognized brand in its industry, largest expansion on its industry, largest variety of products. Weakness: low quality service, poorly...
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...Good morning/afternoon everyone. We are the analysts from Apple and today, we will give you a presentation on the latest tablet made by Amazon – the Kindle Fire. We will discuss about its main features, as well as compare the overall cost to make our iPad 2 with the Kindle, to see whether it can be our direct competitor or not. Firstly, let’s take a brief look about Amazon and its main weapon – the Kindle Fire. Amazon is an international electronic commercial organization, with the headquarters located in Washington, United states. Together with Alibaba, Wal-mart and eBay, the company is considered to be one of the largest online retailers in the US. At first, Amazon is purely an online bookstore. Later on, it has decided to diversify its merchandise to provide many other goods, such as movies, songs, applications and many more. The Kindle Fire is a mini portable computer, also known as a tablet, which is Amazon’s attempt to enter the promising tablet market. Initially, it was just a device that allow people to read online books and that’s it. When it was firstly announced at the end of 2011, it has been considered by many reviewers to be the real competitor of the iPad 2. It was the second best selling tablet at that time, right after the Apple’s iPad 2. Now, we compare the Kindle Fire with the iPad 2, based on the functionality aspect. <Nhìn bảng so sánh 3 tablet> We can see that in general, the iPad 2 has more functionalities than the Kindle Fire. It has camera...
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...University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Business Department of Business Administration BADM 449: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT / BUSINESS POLICY (FALL 2015) Section J: Tuesday – Thursday 11:00 A.M. – 12:20 P.M. BIF 2041 Name: Shinjinee Chattopadhyay Visting Assistant Professor Office: 465 Wohlers Hall Office Hours: Tuesday, 2-3.20 pm (Or by appointment) Office Phone: 217-300-1033 Email: schattop@illinois.edu Website: Maintained on Illinois Compass 2g INTRODUCTION AND COURSE OBJECTIVES Strategic management deals with decisions that fundamentally influence the direction of the organization and effective implementation of the direction chosen. Strategic management addresses the organizational structure, resources & capabilities, and the strategic positioning of the organization to create, capture, and sustain competitive advantage. In addition to economic value creation, management also must make decisions concerning the distribution of this economic value across stakeholders. In BADM 449, you will develop your skills at: • Understanding how firms create, capture, and sustain competitive advantage; • Analyzing strategic business situations and formulating strategy; and • Implementing strategy and organizing the firm for strategic success. Success ultimately depends not only on the soundness of the formulated strategy, but also on effective implementation through appropriate organizational choices. This capstone business course focuses...
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...MINI COOPER: MARKETING STRATEGY, DIGITAL MARKETING, BRAND & ETHICS 10.2478/cris-2013-0005 MINI COOPER: MARKETING STRATEGY, DIGITAL MARKETING, BRAND & ETHICS MARIIA MOISEIEVA The report is designed to examine, analyse, and evaluate where appropriately the current Mini Cooper’s marketing strategy, its digital marketing initiative, branding, and the importance of ethical values in Mini Cooper as well as other organisations. That is important for understanding of the practical applications of marketing is achieved by applying theory to them. It is determined that Mini’s marketing strategy has shifted in terms of targeting and brand positioning. As previously it was an affordable iconic British car, now it has become a cool luxury car dominantly for a young segment. Its international marketing strategy is differentiated in a way that a brand is built up on the historical iconic image of Mini for the UK and associated market, but it is not associated with any values in the past for the US customers. Overall, Mini’s marketing strategy is considered to be innovative, creative, and sometimes ‘silly’, which is of great value for its young energetic target audience. Digital marketing initiative also corresponds to the latest IT and social trends worldwide by ‘digitalising’ marketing initiatives and active social networking with the consumers. Brand is a core competence and ‘everything’ for Mini. Marketing is centered on its brand, not vice versa. An analysis of the Mini’s strategy...
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...MINI was born in 1959 in United Kingdom and became an independent brand of BMW group in 1994 by SIR Alec Issigonis (BMW Group, 2009) At the beginning it was an affordable iconic British car, now it has become a cool luxury car dominantly for a young segment. Its international marketing strategy is differentiated in a way that a brand is built up on the historical iconic image of Mini for the UK and associated market, but it is not associated with any values in the past for the US customers. Overall, Mini’s marketing strategy is considered to be innovative, creative, and sometimes “silly”, which is of great value for its young energetic target audience. Mini focused on group of young generation – up to thirty five years old, well-educated and wealthy background. Those people that want to be different and willing to pay a big amount of money to show their status and images. Mini has used “un-traditional” way to advertise its products. Only $20 million was spent on traditional media in 2012 such as television, compared to $80 million spent by its competitors Fiat. Under direction of BMW group, beside TV and Magazine advertising, an extensive amount around @20.7 million euro was spent on E-marketing to bring people awareness about the product. As it is a technology world today, the Yo ungers would prefer accessing the internet to search for wanted information, rather than sitting at home and watch television. In addition, customers can access and see the cars in a fancy...
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