CASE STUDY

Professor: Dr. Mary Flannery Teaching Assistant: Jia-Yuh Chen ECON 136 Business Strategy February 27, 2006

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
The retail industry is dominated by few retail giants, with Wal-Mart competing in several retail categories. Wal-Mart competes against Kmart and Target in the general merchandise retailing; against Costco in the warehouse club segment; and against Kroger, Albertsons and Safeway in the supermarket retailing. Competition among retailers centers on pricing, store location, variations in store format and merchandise mix, store size, shopping atmosphere, and image with shoppers. Further analysis provided by the following figure diagnoses the

competitive environment of the retail industry.

Five Forces Model of Competition Threat of Substitute Products Weak: Substitutes for big box retailers are smaller grocery stores; substitutes are higher priced relative to the performance they deliver.

Supplier Bargaining Power Weak: Industry members account for a big fraction of suppliers total sales and continued high volume purchases are important to the wellbeing of suppliers.

Rivalry among Competing Sellers Fierce: Competing sellers have triggered heated price competition and are active in making fresh moves to improve market standing and business performance.

Buyer Bargaining Power Weak: There is a broad base of buyers so no single buyer can demand price concessions; buyers purchase merchandise in small quantities; buyer loyalty for certain brands exists.

Threat of New Entrants Weak: Entry barriers are high due to the presence of sizable economies of scale and large capital requirements; current industry members will strongly contest efforts of new entrants to gain a market foothold.

WALMARTS STRATEGIES
CORE STRATEGY The core feature of Wal-Marts strategy is overall low-cost leadership. It attracts a broad spectrum of customers by supplying a wide selection of the lowest-cost general merchandise. Wal-Mart achieves a cost advantage by controlling its cost drivers and relentlessly wringing cost efficiencies out of its supply chain. COMPLEMENTARY STRATEGIES To strengthen its competitiveness, Wal-Mart collaborates closely with suppliers with strong brand-name who are dominant in their category, who have full product lines, and who can bring in new and better products to retail shelves. Wal-Marts procurement personnel spends

considerable time meeting with vendors, understanding their cost structure, and learning how a vendor could cut down its costs in order to capture win-win relationships for both parties. To expand its geographic coverage, Wal-Marts domestic strategy is backward expansion. The company opens stores in small towns surrounding a targeted metropolitan and saturates each area before moving into new territory. International expansion involves a combination of new store construction and acquisition. As Wal-Mart enters foreign markets, it intends to remain local by customizing its offering to match the taste and preferences of local buyers and operating through the management of natives of the foreign countries.

Wal-Mart also employs simultaneous offensive initiatives on many fronts. Experiments in store layout, merchandise displays, store color schemes, and promotions are always under way. Wal-Mart also engages in preemptive strikes especially when it enters a new market by securing a dominant position in the geographic area and forcing smaller retailers out of business. SUPPORTING STRATEGIES Marketing and Sales: Wal-Mart meets customers needs with four different retail concepts: Discount stores, Supercenters, Sams Clubs and Neighborhood markets. Technology: Wal-Mart is a first-mover in upgrading and improving its technological capabilities. It uses computers, satellite, and information systems in communicating with vendors, electronically purchasing orders, tracking sales and inventory, identifying slow-selling items and squeezing costs out of the supply chain. Distribution Center Operations: Several labor-intensive tasks had been automated and cost-efficient system of conveyors, bar-coding and handheld computers have been utilized to continuously streamline distribution operations. 3

Sales Profits Number of Stores

1970 $31 million $1.2 million 32

2004 $256 billion $9.0 billion 4,906

CAGR 30.38% 30.00% 15.95%

As

measure

of

its

success, Wal-Marts sales since it became a public company in 1970 to 2004

grew at a compound average growth rate (CAGR) of 30.38%, which is unprecedented growth. The companys profit growth rate of 30% is exceptionally attractive and clearly shows the profitability and sustainability of its strategies. The increase in the number of stores is quite lagging and this is an indication of Wal-Marts expansion potential. Overall, Wal-Marts financial results indicate that the company is doing exceptionally well.

SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths Cost advantages over rivals. Costeffective supply chain management practices. Weaknesses A strategy that does not have proprietary protection and therefore can be copied by competing retailers who wal-martificates their supply chain. (Lack of sustainable competitive advantage).

Distinctive competence in distribution

systems; automated and efficient distribution of goods into its stores, from manufacturers to its fleet of delivery trucks that made daily deliveries to surrounding stores.

Weak presence in major metropolitan

areas.

Companys strong We Sell for Less

brand image and reputation that generates loyal consumers.

Plagued with annual turnover rates of

45%.

Economies of scale advantages in

distribution, advertising, and procurement. Opportunities Expansion into new geographic areas; saturating the U.S. market with Supercenters and globalizing Wal-Mart operations. Threats Increasing intensity of competition that may squeeze profit margins.

Federal lawsuit claiming discrimination

against women in pay, promotions, training and job assignments.

Acquisition of smaller retail chains to (1)

increase market share; (2) take advantage of economies of scale; (3) reduce number of competitors.

Fierce local resistance to Wal-Mart entry

into the community.

Entering into alliances or joint ventures

that can expand the firms market coverage and boost its competitive capabilities.

Combative labor unions pressuring WalMart to raise its wages and benefits.

Bad publicity.

Integrating backwards to further control

cost in merchandise production.

WAL-MARTS VALUE CHAIN

Primary Activities and Costs

Supply Chain Management

Distribution

Sales & Marketing

Customer Service

Profit Margin

Secondary Activities and Costs Technology and Systems Development Human Resources Management General Administration

WAL-MARTS STRATEGY EXECUTION PROCESS

Use of cutting-edge technology in procurement, distribution, and inventory control.

Providing superior customer service and striving for continuous improvement.

WAL-MART

Implementing a corporate culture that treats individuals with respect and dignity.

Staffing Wal-Mart with a strong management team and providing employees with state-of-the-art training resources.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Wal-Mart has several competitive strengths that must be turned into sustainable competitive advantages and weaknesses and threats that must be addressed to maintain its strong foothold in the retail industry. A major threat is the discrimination lawsuit the company is facing. Wal-Mart should conduct its own internal investigation of the claim and immediately rectify any wrongdoings it will find. Pressures from labor unions should also be addressed by properly compensating its employees. Although Wal-Mart has been persistent in its pursuit of driving cost down, it should not sacrifice its human resources. Offering competitive salary down to its lowest skilled workers would create more employee loyalty and increase employee productivity and morale, thereby reducing turnover rates. Since Wal-Mart has been successful in executing its low-cost strategy, careful guarding must be implemented as other retailers attempt to imitate Wal-Marts supply chain streamlining. In conjunction with this, Wal-Marts first mover technology advantages should be applied in other areas of its value chain. One avenue is using technology in the continuous training, performance evaluation, and tying rewards and incentives to above average performance of associates. Doing so would make this Herculean task more doable as information systems can be automated and are more objective in labor monitoring. Wal-Mart should project a more community friendly, environmentally concerned, and outstanding employer image. A portion of profits should be returned to the community by sponsoring charity events, scholarships, community clean-up, and the like to remedy the fierce resistance of local residents and replace it with a welcoming attitude. This should allow WalMart to gain easy entry in other smaller towns and even in major metropolitan areas. On a global scale, Wal-Mart should use strategic alliances, joint ventures, and/or acquisitions of foreign companies as the primary vehicle for entering foreign markets. Under Wal-Marts multi-country strategy, it should transfer its competencies and capabilities country to country and then gradually build profit sanctuaries in several countries as it continues its global expansion. Sam Walton is an exceptional entrepreneur and his business principles have proven their potency and effectiveness in Wal-Marts decades of operations. Thus, management should consistently and conscientiously stick with his guiding principles in strategy execution.