Walmart C ase Study

Walmart Case Study
Name
Institutional Affiliation

Walmart Case Study
Walmart Store has its headquarters located in the United States. It has the biggest store in the country. It is also the largest chain store globally. Additionally, the Fortune Magazine in the 500 Fortune Index has given the company the first position. The company has more than 1.2 million employees, and it has continuously been experiencing growth. About 4,150 retail branches have been opened across the world (Kamp, 2007). Wal-Mart is general merchandise that deals with a variety of goods and services that include; photo studio, family apparel, electronics, fabrics, household items, toys, shoes, and jewelry. Upon establishment, Sam Walton the founder of the store came up with three policies that were to guide how the store was operated namely; delivery of good services to the customers, striving to be excellent, and respect for all stakeholders.
The company has four corporate strategies, namely retail market dominance, expansion of the store by opening up branches within the United States and across the globe, have a wide range of sectors offered in their retail shops, and ensuring that they have created a positive brand. By opening up new stores, the company must also ensure that each of the stores is competitive enough to scoop a large portion of the customer base. Some of the places that the company has been established in the attempt to spread to the entire globe include; Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Korea, China, United Kingdom, and Germany.

In creating a positive impression, the company has ensured that the consumers will associate it with the best prices in the market. The company has also invested heavily in advertisement through newspapers and televisions.
To enhance the ability of the company to compete, the company has come up with a competitive strategy. The strategy states that the company will open several stores across the globe and expand the scope of their retail stores. Furthermore, the company has ensured that the existing stores are expanded from time to time. Together with the three policies that were outlined by Sam, the founder. The company has also emphasized that the expectations of the customers are exceeded. The company has excellent hospitality whereby the customers are greeted on their way into the stores and being thanked on their exit from the shop (Keller and Kotler, 2016). Wal-Mart has also been actively involved in community projects where they give back to the society which is a good gesture. Sundown Rule allows the customers’ questions to be answered within 24 hours. The Ten-Foot Rule demands that the employees should smile, greet, and attend to the customers that are within a distance of 10 feet.
The strength of the company is that it is the leading dealer in America with the majority of chain stores across the globe. The company makes many sales, and this is an additional advantage. However, there are a few weaknesses that are associated with the store. There is an extensive problem in labor relations in the company. The employees are not allowed to be members of any union, low wages, and some of the rights given to employees by the labor force are being abused. There is also a problem with the way the company relates to the community since it is being accused of destroying local retailers. The majority of the critics are people that have been thrown out of business by the stores. Additionally, the company has been accused of unfair use of its power. For instance, the company believes in being family friendly; therefore if a CD content is for adults only, then it is not to be sold in any of the Walmart retailer stores.
The types of stakeholders of Walmart include the market and the non-market stakeholders. The market stakeholders have an economic impact on the operations of the company. They include the shareholders, the executive, employees, consumers, the community in the areas where the store is located, online retailers, competitors, and the non-profit organizations. On the other hand, the non-market stakeholders include the labor unions, politicians, and international retailers.
In conclusion, we have seen that Walmart is not only the largest retailer in America but also, it operates other chain stores across the globe. The company has expanded the scoop on the products sold and services given over time. Some of the sectors that the company engages in include groceries, auto maintenance services, and gas stations. The company has more than 1.2 million employees and has about 4,150 chain stores across the globe. Sam Wilton founded the company, and he has continuously said that Walmart is a family-friendly retail store. He also came up with three guiding principles upon which Wal-Mart operates, and they include respect for all the stakeholders, offer good services to the customers, and strive to be the best retail store. For the company to maintain its position at the top, it must ensure that the reputation of the company has been guarded and improve their relationship with all their stakeholders.

References
Kampf, C. (2007). Corporate social responsibility: WalMart, Maersk and the cultural
bounds of representation in corporate websites. Corporate Communications:
An International Journal, 12(1), 41-57.
Keller, K. L., & Kotler, P. (2016). Marketing management. Pearson.