Case Study Walmart's Generic Strategy
According to Michael E. Porter, there are four generic strategies: cost leadership, differentiation, focused low cost and focused differentiation within an industry. Various companies within a particular industry use these competitive strategies to sustain growth and maximize profitability. Walmart is the first retailer that comes to everyone’s mind when you think of “low prices”. Applying the generic strategy framework—by analyzing the Walmart’s case through value-chain/activity system framework and strategic positioning—paints a better picture of Walmart’s past success and uncertain future. In about three decades, since the opening of their first Walmart store in 1962, the net sales of the company grew to an astronomical $67 billion by 1993. None of the top 10 discount stores that were operating in 1962 survived till 1993. In 1993, discount industry sales were $124 billion, of which Walmart’s sales, as shown in Exhibit 3 of the article, accounted for the highest share at 36% ($ 44.9 billion) and the next …show more content…
Sam’s philosophy is strengthened by the study, conducted in mid-1980s, which found Walmart’s prices were on an average 1% lower than Kmart’s when located next to each other. When Walmart, Kmart and Target were separated by 4-6 miles, Walmart’s prices were 10.4 % and 7.6 % lower, respectively. Walmart gave leverage to store managers in terms of setting competitive prices. Analyzing Walmart case through Porter’s generic strategic framework reveals that Walmart employed cost competitive strategy within the retail industry. Walmart’s business strategy is to provide products/services to its customers for less than competitor’s price. The merchandise necessarily may not be the highest quality; however, for the given product, the price will be lowest in Walmart. Walmart has outperformed the competition by creating a comparable value at low cost and understood the needs of price-sensitive
Target's Corporate Fact Sheet
560 Words | 3 PagesSince the company was founded as a corner store, the company’s business plan has always emphasized on expect more, pay less brand promise that sets it apart from its chief rival, Walmart. Although, Walmart is known for its low prices and offers a large selection to its customers; it’s customer service is often found to be nonexistent. This
Trader Joe's Case
1669 Words | 7 PagesIntroduction Re-invention and targeted approach towards achieving competitive advantage were the key strategic actions taken to make Trader Joe’s (TJ) from a glorified regional convenience store to a nationwide specialty retailer, and that might just be the most important thing in the supermarket business. The footprint of this success lies in the efficient utilization of the company’s resources and their unique capacity to deploy its resource and capabilities(BB835). The result of such unique circumstances helped TJ to stay far ahead of its competitors in terms of customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. This TMA proposes that, through a company’s resources and capabilities TJ managed to imitate Key Success Factors (KSF) that created value,
Hi-Value: The Everyday Low Pricing Strategy
762 Words | 4 PagesThis option allows the grocery chain to focus on important determinants of store choice: Grocery and Produce. This option will increase Hi-Value’s competitiveness in the market, especially against chains that are less convenient and more expensive. Customer price perception is category specific so it will be a high impact. Management believes a price war with competitors is unwise and that it is not a viable option to engage in deep discounting across the board like Harrison’s, Grand American, and Missouri Mart. I think it is crucial to reassess pricing strategy on a quarterly basis per store to determine effectiveness.
Summary Of Is Walmart Good For America
1215 Words | 5 PagesThis seems like a smart marketing trick that is surely used in other retailers. And what really matters here is that the average American or even those who cannot afford buying things from regular superstores can actually enjoy shopping at Wal-Mart and buy just anything they need at preferential prices. This is the result of Asian-based imports where cutting costs helps Wal-Mart sell at the lowest prices possible thus being able to serve all classes of the
The Kroger's Corporate Level Strategy
253 Words | 2 PagesIn the review of the corporate level strategy, we can see many different competitive advantages branching from their use of corporate diversification and vertical integration. Going deeper into those strategies the three elements that allow for a competitive advantage for The Kroger Co. include operating into different markets, having a successful customer reward program, and by having many different locations nationwide under many different brand names. The VRIO analysis found that all three of these give Kroger’s a sustainable competitive advantage by being valuable, rare, costly to imitate and having the right organization structure business wide. In the review of the business level strategy, there were just as many different competitive
Rhetorical Analysis Of Walmart
1637 Words | 7 PagesWalmart was founded in the summer of 1962 by Kingfisher, Oklahoma native Sam Walton. Although Walton’s original vision for the store was relatively modest, the half century since its founding has seen Walmart morph into one of the biggest companies in the world. Today headed by one Doug McMillon, Walmart boasts more than 5000 stores in the United States of America alone and employs more than 1.5 million people. Walmart is undoubtedly an American institution, yet each Walmart store feels like its own little country. Walmart seems to have its own laws and customs and the people who shop their on a regular basis appear almost primitive in their behavior as they go about raiding the store’s shelves and wrestling with fellow customers for discount flat screen televisions and bulk packages of two-ply toilet paper.
Swot Analysis Of Trader Joe's
1012 Words | 5 PagesTRADER JOE’S – INDUVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT 1 Part 1 – Introduction What Joe Coulombe did was opening an ordinary supermarket into the industry but the strategies he took were separating the Trader Joe’s from its rivals. What he did was to offer products targeting sophisticated costumers who were searching for good bargains. The offerings of Trader Joe’s were so unique which are not found at rival shelfs. Another crucial decision he made was to take advantage of recent environmental movements such as the rising trend of costumers searching organic foods. The company also decided on selling private labelled products with lower prices than other brands of the same product.
Pricing Strategy Of Walmart
708 Words | 3 PagesThey keep their prices low and attract huge customers . There are other types of pricing which is totally opposite to this strategy. Market penetration pricing is a strategy wherein the product when introduced in the market is set low following its introduction in the market. Prices in order to increase sales for a new product in some case
Mal-Mart Case Study: Ethical Issues Facing Walmart
1021 Words | 5 PagesFurthermore, this paper will discuss some proposed solutions to the current ethical issues facing Walmart that could assist Walmart in its objective of continued growth in an ethical and sustainable manner. One of the major ways in which Walmart was able to grow and out compete its rivals was through its ability to provide retail goods to consumers at prices lower than competitors (Ferrell 407). Walmart ability to keep prices low is based on its ability to secure cheaply made goods from foreign manufacturers while also keeping the wages for its workforce low. The combination of cheaply made goods and a low paid retail staff means that Walmart can pass the savings to consumers which made it a popular retail shopping spot for lower to middle income Americans
Argumentative Essay On Walmart
1125 Words | 5 PagesYISHENG ZHANG MACROECONOMICS - WRITING ESSAY FEBRUARY 27, 2017 Walmart, as one of the world’s largest company it’s corporation contains grocery shopping, pharmacy, electronic sales, an outside garden etc. It is very convenient for people all around the world and low income families who are unable to afford other expensive goods made in the United States. Since Walmart is considered a world wide’s supermarket, it has investments outside of the United States such as in China, United Kingdom, and south America. When the prices are less, people are able to afford these products and throughout the century, it’s easy to tell that Walmart has made a huge impact in the United States economy.
Costco's Competitive Strategies
729 Words | 3 PagesSpecifically, Ralph’s (similar stores are Vons and Albertson’s) and Whole Foods (similar stores are Gelson’s and Trader Joes) are two firms that utilize cost leadership and differentiation. On one hand, we have Ralph’s using cost differentiation by providing a broad range of merchandise at a decent price. On the other hand, we have Whole Foods that has implemented a differentiation strategy by marketing their merchandise as healthier (organic). The trade of for both companies is that they are attracting less consumers by just marketing to a specific crowed. For instance, if Whole Foods had lowered their price and still sold premium merchandise, soon Ralph’s would be in trouble.
Walmart Human Resource Management Analysis
1275 Words | 6 PagesVision, Mission Statement "Price Leadership Drives Global Performance" is the Wal-Mart visualization statement. The management of Wal-Mart emphasises on price leadership in every market since pricing strategy is the direct approach to reach performance and attract customers. In order to implement price leadership, they stated "Save Money, Live Better", which remains as relevant now as it was in 1962 by Sam Walton. The mission is that everybody is able to purchase products in Wal-Mart because the stores offers low price products to them.
Five Forces Of Walmart
989 Words | 4 PagesWalmart has succeeded in achieving the leading position in the retail industry. Walmart now stands as the biggest retailer in the world. However, the external factors constitute pressure on the company that must be address carefully. By analyzing the five forces of external factors we will define the nature and power of our rival power in the market. The five factors are competitors from rival, potential new entrants, substitute products, supplier bargaining power and customer bargaining power all of these competitive forces affecting Walmart position.
Situation Analysis Of Walmart
1009 Words | 5 PagesI. Introduction Walmart Stores, Inc. - the American corporation which was established in 1962, is well-know for the globe’s largest multinational retailer (Walmart 2016). Walmart owns a chain of grocery stores, discount department stores and hypermarkets with about 11,500 retail stores over 28 countries. In 1998, Walmart entered Germany with the acquisition of Wertkauf and Interspar chain (Louisa 2006). Despite having the strongest economy in Europe and the third largest retail market in the world, Germany was not an ideal place for Walmart to achieve its ambition (Knorr and Andt 2003). After nearly a decade struggling to grow, Walmart decided to pull out of German market in 2006 with the loss of one billion dollars (Mark 2006).
Kfc Differentiation Strategy
900 Words | 4 PagesIn 1985, Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter published his new book “The Competitive Advantage” which focuses the organisation internal environment. In this book, along with an in depth analysis of the competitive strategies which are Cost leadership, differentiation and Focus, he also concentrates on the firm’s value chain. 1. Cost Leadership: In cost leadership, an organisation aims to become the low cost provider in its industry. Examples are Aldi, Lidl, Ryan Air etc 2.
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