In order to understand why Walmart has been so successful in implementing their strategies, you have to first understand the man behind the vision. Sam Walton came from humble beginnings. Sam grew up on a farm and because his father learned that there was not enough profit in being a farmer he decided to pursue a career in the mortgage. He grew up during the Great Depression and was responsible for financially contributing ranging from selling bottled milk and newspapers to magazine subscriptions. Sam Walton graduated from the University of Missouri with an economics degree in 1940. His first job was as a management trainee at Penny’s. Here he learned the basics of business management. His stay at Penny’s was short lived as he was called to active duty for World War II.
Once the war ended, he purchased a franchise and opened a Ben Franklin retail variety store in Newport, Arkansas. Soon after he opened his own store called Walton’s 5 and 10 and operated it as Ben Franklin affiliated store. Shortly thereafter, Walton became the largest Ben Franklin franchise owner, with nine stores. He became concerned about the competitive threat that discount stores were having on variety stores and so he decided to study the changes in retail stores and there trends. He wanted to develop a discount store of his own. He had a strong desire to offer significantly discounted prices in order to expand sales volume in order to increase overall profits. On July 2, 1962, Sam Walton started his own discount store in Rogers, Arkansas. It was hugely successful and Walton wanted to expand into smaller markets and get the talent he needed to grow the company.
Analyze the company’s mission and vision statements against the performance of the organization. Then, evaluate how well the company lives out its mission and vision statement. Provide support from