Walmart Swot Analysis
SWOT Analysis – Wal-Mart
Juan Carlos Escobar
BUS 137 20 Principles of Management
Dr. Harry J. Caldwell
March 21, 2013
SWOT Analysis – Wal-Mart
In the study of management is very interesting making an analysis exercise of a market company like Wal-Mart which has revenues greater than the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of many countries. The last fiscal year, ended January 31 2013, Wal-Mart reported revenues of 466,1 US billion (Walmart Inc., 2013). This amount is greater than the last GDP reported by Colombia of USD 362,2 billion or Argentina of USD 347,3 (Portafolio 2012). If this company, Wal-Mart, were a country it would rank as a rich country just below South Africa and above Switzerland, Belgium, Venezuela, Austria, Chile and Others (World Fact Book, 2012). Not only is amazing analyzing a company which its revenues are bigger than entire countries’ economies and trying to determine which are the factors for this success, what things has this company constructed, what are its strengths, how is it dealing with competitors, and what are its core competences but also leaves many lessons.
Wal-Mart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton when he opened the first Wal-Mart Discount City in Rogers, Arkansas. It went public in 1972 when was the first retail stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1983, it opened the first Sam’s Club membership warehouse and in 1988 opened the first Wal-Mart supercenter, which features a complete grocery department in addition to general merchandise. In 1991 through a joint venture with Cifra, a Mexican retail company, Wal-Mart went global, opening a Sam’s Club in Mexico City. In 1996 Wal-Mart opened its first stores in China. In 2002 Wal-Mart entered the Japanese market through its investment in Seiyu, and in 2010 Bharti-Wal-Mart, a joint venture, opened its first store in India (Walmart History Timeline, 2013).
Today, celebrating more than fifty years, Wal-Mart is operating its everyday low price model at more than 10,700 retail
Juan Carlos Escobar
BUS 137 20 Principles of Management
Dr. Harry J. Caldwell
March 21, 2013
SWOT Analysis – Wal-Mart
In the study of management is very interesting making an analysis exercise of a market company like Wal-Mart which has revenues greater than the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of many countries. The last fiscal year, ended January 31 2013, Wal-Mart reported revenues of 466,1 US billion (Walmart Inc., 2013). This amount is greater than the last GDP reported by Colombia of USD 362,2 billion or Argentina of USD 347,3 (Portafolio 2012). If this company, Wal-Mart, were a country it would rank as a rich country just below South Africa and above Switzerland, Belgium, Venezuela, Austria, Chile and Others (World Fact Book, 2012). Not only is amazing analyzing a company which its revenues are bigger than entire countries’ economies and trying to determine which are the factors for this success, what things has this company constructed, what are its strengths, how is it dealing with competitors, and what are its core competences but also leaves many lessons.
Wal-Mart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton when he opened the first Wal-Mart Discount City in Rogers, Arkansas. It went public in 1972 when was the first retail stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1983, it opened the first Sam’s Club membership warehouse and in 1988 opened the first Wal-Mart supercenter, which features a complete grocery department in addition to general merchandise. In 1991 through a joint venture with Cifra, a Mexican retail company, Wal-Mart went global, opening a Sam’s Club in Mexico City. In 1996 Wal-Mart opened its first stores in China. In 2002 Wal-Mart entered the Japanese market through its investment in Seiyu, and in 2010 Bharti-Wal-Mart, a joint venture, opened its first store in India (Walmart History Timeline, 2013).
Today, celebrating more than fifty years, Wal-Mart is operating its everyday low price model at more than 10,700 retail
References: Martha Morales, M. G. (30 de 08 de 2012). El PIB de Colombia ya superó el de Argentina: Echeverry. Portafolio. Recuperado el 15 de 03 de 2013, de http://www.portafolio.co/detalle_archivo/DR-6124 Walmart. (2013, 03 15). Walmart History Timeline. Retrieved 03 15, 2013, from Walmart Corporate: http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/heritage/history-timeline Walmart. (2013, 03 15). Walmart Investors. Retrieved from Walmart Corporate: http://stock.walmart.com/ Walmart. (2013, 03 15). Walmart Store Locations. Retrieved from Wal-Mart Corporate: http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/locations Walmart Inc. (2012). Walmart 2012 Annual Report. Walmart. Retrieved 03 15, 2103 Walmart Inc. (2013). Earnings Release Q4. Walmart. Retrieved 3 15, 2013 World Fact Book. (2012, 12 04). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 12 4, 2012, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/