How has Wal-Mart grown from a small region chain to the largest discount retailer in the world? How has its strategy contributed to the firm's growth?
The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962. The first Wal-Mart store was opened in Rogers, Arkansas. Seventeen years later, annual sales were more than $ 1 billion. In January 2006, Wal-Mart was the largest retailer in the world, with a turnover of $ 218 billion (for the same period, Kmart’ turnover $ 37 billion, Sears’s $ 40,9 billion, Target’s $ 36,9 billion, Walgreen’s $ 21,2 billion). However, the biggest figure of net income for the same period received Walgreen $ 3,7 billion, Target $ 3,4 billion, Sears $ 3,3 billion, the same as Wal - Mart$ 3,3 ...