Preview

Wal-Mart Epic Idea Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
683 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Wal-Mart Epic Idea Essay
Wal-Mart: An Epic Idea
“Save Money, Live Better.” A greeter welcomes you into the phenomenal discount store we Americans call Wal-Mart. A one stop shop for just about anything and everything you need, Wal-Mart is a major investment to America: 1) Wal-Mart is one of Americas most leading discount stores 2) Wal-Mart employs many people 3) Wal-Mart sells its products for a lower price, making it more favorable to consumers. In 1962, the first Wal-Mart was founded in Rogers, Arkansas. Its growth and succession has lead to its spread around the world. One man, one vision; Sam Walton’s mission was to save people money to help them live a better quality lifestyle. With its earnings and its improvements, Wal-Mart has played a major role in America’s economy.
…show more content…
The year the birth of discount retailing began. The chain of variety stores that Sam Walton owned during the 1950’s faced stiff competition from the many regional discount stores. Before the opening of Wal-Mart, Mr. Walton traveled the country studying just about everything about discount retailing. He noticed that American consumers wanted a fresh new type of store. Acting on instinct, Sam and his wife Helen invested about 95 percent of their income into their first Wal-Mart store in Rogers, Arkansas. In 1972, many other discounters expanded, yet Wal-Mart only opened 15 stores. Later, Wal-Mart stock was offered to the New York Stock Exchange. With the infusion of capital, the company then grew to 216 stores in 11 states by the end of the decade. By the year of 1981, there were 1402 Wal-Mart stores. Employment had increased tenfold; sales had grown from 1 billion in 1980, to 26 billion. Today, 8416 stores and club locations have been opened. Wal-Mart employs more than 2.1 million associates, serving more than 176 million customers a year. Wal-Mart is a perfect example of how to manage growth without losing sight of your

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Sam Walton opened his first store in the 1960’s among a small town in Arkansas. As a known supporter of American manufacturers, Sam Walton promoted American business and economic growth. Throughout the years, the company expanded rapidly, and with the passing of Wal-Mart’s original founder the corporation’s ethics declined. The retail chain we all know of today is not the same as it once had been. Wal-Mart went from a local competitor to the monopolized money hungry corporation that is currently spread across the globe. According to research by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, there were over “4,300 world-wide Wal-Mart and Sam 's Club stores” in the year 2003. A documentary titled “Wal-Mart Nation” also states that “Wal-Mart opens a new store every 1.5 days” (Munger). The corporation also shifted their use of American manufacturers to foreign producers along with company expansion.…

    • 2954 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mgt/521 Management

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The company that is listed as number one on the Fortune 500 list is Wal-Mart. This company has much strength that makes it very interesting for investment. Wal-Mart was founded by Sam Walton in the 1950’s and faced competition among many regional discount stores. In 1962 Wal-Mart officially began with its first store in Rogers, Arkansas. Wal-Mart now has over 600 discount stores in the United States and stores located in 28 countries. No matter the size of the company its purpose has not changed over the years. Mr. Sam Walton said, “If we work together, we’ll lower the cost of living for everyone... we’ll give the world an opportunity to see what it’s like to save and have a better life.”(1)…

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Wal-Mart discount store was opened by Walton, in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962. On October 31, 1969 the business incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores. Wal-Mart was opened with the objective of helping people save money and live better, which became Wal-Mart’s slogan: Save money. Live better. Wal-Mart has changed the way business is conducted worldwide by making a significant impact on the retail industry. Through careful study of the precedence set by Wal-Mart management, we can observe how the organization utilizes external and internal factors to affect the four functions of management: organizing, planning, leading, and controlling. A few of the internal and external factors which Wal-Mart has excelled in applying the four functions of management are globalization, technology, innovation, diversity, and ethics.…

    • 1305 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Walmart

    • 6499 Words
    • 26 Pages

    The first Wal-Mart store was opened in Rogers Arkansas in the Year 1962. From Wal-Mart’s company website a common misconception people have in regards to discount retailing is put to rest. That being this was the year it all started, When Kmart, Target, and Wal-Mart first opened. In actuality however, the chain of variety stores Sam Walton owned during the 1950’s faced stiff competition for many regional discount stores. In 1972, Wal-Mart stock was offered for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange. With this infusion of capital, the company grew to 276 stores in 11 states by the end of the decade. Also from the company’s official website, it is important to note that in 1983 the first Sam’s Club members-warehouse store opened. The first Supercenter opened in 1988, featuring a complete grocery, and 36 departments of general merchandise. By 1989, there were 1,402 Wal-Mart stores and 123 Sam’s Club locations. Employment had increased tenfold. Sales had grown from $1 billion in 1980, to $26 billion. Wal-Mart’s company website states that Today, 7,262 stores and club locations in 14 markets employ more than 1.9 million associates,…

    • 6499 Words
    • 26 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Walmart vs Target

    • 1078 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The founder of Wal-Mart Sam Walton major competition during the time was K-Mart and Target. Before opening Wal-Mart, Sam traveled the country studying everything he could about discount retailing. He became convinced American consumers wanted a new type of store. With his vision in mind Sam and his wife front loaded 95% of the initial cost to start the chain while many of the chains were expanded nationally. They opened their first store in Rogers, Arkansas. The chain was able to expand by 15 stores in the 1960’s. The company hit the stock market in 1972 and went viral with a current inventory of 1,402 stores and 123 Sam’s Club locations. Wal-Mart stores provide a wide variety of discount merchandise, groceries and prescription medication. Sam stated in his autobiography which attributed to his success “if you think about it from the point of view of the customer, you want everything: a wide assortment of quality merchandise; the lowest possible prices; guaranteed satisfaction; friendly, knowledgeable service; convenient hours; and a pleasant shopping experience. You love it when a store exceeds your expectations, and you hate it when a store inconveniences you, gives you a hard time, or pretends you 're invisible."…

    • 1078 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Wal-Mart Research Paper

    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The first Wal-Mart store was opened on July 2nd 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas by Sam Walton, who believed that the future of retailing lay in discounting. To avoid competing head on with companies like Sears and Woolworths which dominated big cities, Walton opened stores in less populated areas that was ignored by other retailers. The stores aimed to serve customers who, up until then, had to travel long distances to save money, and to purchase daily household goods. Now they could buy the same goods cheaply at home. This positioning proved to be critical to Wal-Mart’s success in the years to come as it expanded underneath its competitors radar screens to earn substantial market size. (Farhoomand, 2005)…

    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Who Is Sam Walton?

    • 105 Words
    • 1 Page

    It all began with Sam Walton. In summary, envisioned with the ideas “of offering lower prices and great service” Sam opened Walton’s nickel-and-dime variety store in rural Bentonville, Arkansas in 1950; by 1960, he owned 15 stores (“Our History”). Seeking more profits, Walton then took up a new strategy: build big stores in small towns, discount everything, and sell in high volume (“Sam Walton”); thereafter, he opened his first Wal-Mart store in 1962 (“Our History”). By 1992 – after taking the company public in 1970 – Wal-mart achieved one of its missions: it became the number one retailer in the U.S., operating in 1,928 stores.…

    • 105 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although to some of us it may seem Wal-Mart is only a few years old, it is actually over forty years old. It was founded in 1962 by Oklahoma native, Sam Walton. He was known to be a very cheap man; he was always on a hunt for low prices, it was a natural lifestyle for him. He still visited his regular barber and spent no more than $5 for his haircuts, although he was ranked as America 's richest man during the 1980 's. He always found a way to save money, therefore saving his customers money and still make a profit through volume. His charisma and leadership skills helped him to keep his staff or "associates", as he called them, happy. Also, the fact that he lived his life modestly showed that he was on a crusade for the lowly consumer, as he was always looking for better deals from suppliers.…

    • 684 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Assignment 2 HRM 522

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Wal-Mart’s business is the result of Sam Walton’s visionary leadership, along with generations of associates whose focus was on customers and how they could save money and live better. Sam Walton believed that by putting everything a person may need in one place such as food, electronic, clothing, toys, home goods, office supplies and even automotive items would increase the amount of people that would shop and decrease the amount of different places customers would have to go for different items.…

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Is Walmart Good or Bad

    • 432 Words
    • 2 Pages

    On May 9, 1950 Sam Walton opened Walton's 5&10 store in Bentonville, Arkansas. His idea of making a profit was very different than many others. He made sale prices lower than his competitors, thus reducing the store's profit margin. In the mid 60's Walton's changed the name of the 5 & 10 store as Wal-Mart permanently. By 1980 Wal-Mart was a billion dollar company with stores operating across 28 states. To this day, the company is still run by Sam Walton’s idea of low cost items being sold in a very high volume. Currently Wal-Mart is the one of the biggest corporations in the entire country. Maybe people believe Wal-Mart is actually hurting the consumers of America, with its low prices and imported products. Some of this may be true, but Wal-Mart offers many more positives toward the country than negatives.…

    • 432 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Walton was the founder of the World’s number one biggest company, according to Fortune 500. In 1950, along with his wife Helen, Sam Walton owned his first store. In 1962 Sam opened the very first Wal-Mart store in Rogers, Arkansas. Wal-Mart is one of the largest companies in the United States, but internally touching base in countries just as Japan, China, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and India. Wal-Mart supercenters locate worldwide and make billions of dollars in profit wish is hard for other retail stores to compete with them. Wal-Mart is consider the largest retailer and largest company in the history of the world because…

    • 815 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Walmart History Essay

    • 1951 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is an international discount department store chain operating in many towns and cities in multiple countries. Wal-Mart’s founder, Samuel Walton, “decided that small-town populations would welcome, and make profitable, large discount shopping stores” (Healy 493).Therefore, he started to build the largest discount department stores and opened the first Wal-Mart discount store in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962 (Healy 493). Wal-Mart sells many different kinds of products, such as clothes, food, books, furniture, and many more. Wal-Mart has been growing very fast. “In 1979, there were 276 Wal-Mart stores in 11 states. Sales had gone from $44 million in 1970 to $1.25 billion in 1979. Wal-Mart became the fastest…

    • 1951 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Walmart History

    • 3732 Words
    • 15 Pages

    Wal-Mart is one of the largest retail markets in the world and continues to increase its revenue because of its products and services that are provided. I have to admit Wal-Mart has made a lot of money from me because it's my one stop supermarket. I can go to Wal-Mart and find just about any and everything I'm looking for which makes my shopping experience just that much more supreme. Let me share some of the businesses history with you and its timeline. The very first store to open was in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962 its founder was Sam Walton. In 1970 Wal-Mart opened its first distribution center and home office in Bentonville, Ark.1972 Wal-Mart was approved and listed on the New York Stock Exchange.1983 First SAM'S CLUB opened in April in Midwest…

    • 3732 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sam Walton opened the firs Walmart in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas with the foundation being that it would offer “The Lowest Prices Anytime, Anywhere” (Walmart Corporate, 2014c), and by 1967 it had over 24 stores and $12.7 million in sales. By 1969, the company was officially incorporated and offered an initial public offering to raise funds to build a distribution center in Bentonville, Arkansas (Johnson & Mark, 2013, p. 3).…

    • 3997 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Wal-Mart Market Structure

    • 971 Words
    • 3 Pages

    When Wal-Mart Stores Inc. opened its doors to their first discount store in 1962, Sam Walton had no idea his business would take off like it has to this day. The reason for Wal-Mart's success has been their ability to create a basic structure for their very own business ecosystem. Wal-Mart came to the conclusion that if they offered a variety of well-known brands and sold them about 15% cheaper than other retailers, then this would make them a powerful force in the retail business.…

    • 971 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics