Wal-Mart vs. Target Essay Example

Introduction Wal-Mart and Target are the two largest retail chains in the United States categorized of SIC code 5331 which is the retail-variety group assigned by the SEC. Both American based corporations, they are the two most recognized and successful supercenters of their kind rendering several other smaller companies obsolete. Wal-Mart is the larger of the two and has gained enough resources to quickly spring into international business endeavors and expansion of different segments while Target remains a primarily domestic corporation with just one segment. While both stores serve generally the same purpose, the stores attract different markets and both feel intense competition from one another. While Wal-Mart is much larger in scale, Target is very competitive from a financial standpoint. The following will attempt to analyze both corporations’ finances and give some determinant to which company would be more prosperous for a typical investor based on integral financial information found in the companies’ annual reports and some from other reputable resources.

Wal-Mart Overview: Background, Goals and Marketing Strategy
Wal-Mart originated in 1969 under the leadership of Sam Walton. Wal-Mart is the largest superstore chain in the United States. Their products vary from groceries and perishable items to car care in some stores. However Wal-Mart is not just made up of the traditional supercenters that over 100 million people frequent weekly. Wal-Mart is comprised of three separate segments. A segment of a company is defined by a subsidiary or part of a corporation that makes up more than ten percent of its assets or revenues. “Wal-Mart Stores” is a heading that includes the company’s supercenters, discount stores, and neighborhood markets that are located in the United States as well as walmart.com. The “Sam’s Club” segment comprises the warehouse membership clubs in the United States and samsclub.com. The “International” segment is made up