• Sam had essentially been run out of Newport, Arkansas
• When Wal-Mart first moved to Bentonville, the economy wasn’t very stable
• Sam Walton insisted on a 99-year lease upon initially finding the appropriate building in Bentonville he would make a Wal-Mart
• By 1960, Sam was one of most superior small variety store owners in the country
• The trigger went off in Sam’s head when we was told and comprehended the idea that lower prices ultimately bring in more money
• Sam’s strategy for controlling – or more appropriately, counteracting – debt was expansion
• By 1985, Sam Walton was the wealthiest man in the United States
• Wal-Mart is a prime example of “good, old-fashioned American enterprise”
• K-Mart and Target wasn’t available to majority of small towns around the country

When Compared to Bergdorf Goodman…

• Bergdorf originated much earlier in 1899, as Wal-Mart made its initial appearance in 1945 when an idea for a business was sparked in former JCPenney employee Sam Walton’s mind
• Sam Walton’s strategy was to sell products at low prices to get higher-volume sales at a lower profit margin, while Bergdorf has maintained a consistent strategy over the years of selling their merchandise at almost ridiculously high prices in order to maintain a persona of exclusivity, uniqueness, and class
• Bergdorf attempted and was successful in building a classy and exclusive brand image for themselves; with Sam Walton to attribute, Wal-Mart personified a large store of a wide variety of products, all cheap to purchase and to sell for
• Reputations and brand images of stores are contrasting
• As location plays a significant role in how consumers perceive a particular brand or store, Bergdorf’s appropriately origins in New York City and Wal-Mart, small-town Arkansas. This undoubtedly affected consumer perception.
• Not only is Wal-Mart defined by “low