In the next year, Wal-Mart plans to open 79 new stores and 11 new distribution centers. They also plan to remodel, expand or relocate 253 of their existing stores. Internationally, they plan to add between 90 to 100 new stores within the next year.
Just by looking at these two aspects of the company, it is easy to see why they are the number one retailer in the world. They devour the competition. In his book, Bob Ortega tells or the Tibetan belief of the realm of hungry ghosts, ghosts who are the reincarnations of people who were covetous or greedy in real life, in the realm they are constantly ravenous and can never be satisfied they consume endlessly and insatiably (Ortega 376). He sees this as the perfect metaphor for Wal-Mart. They conquered the discount chain market. They conquered the Warehouse club market. They are also in the process of doing so internationally. It is only a matter of time before they conquer the grocery market, a market in which they are still fairly inexperienced. .
To the average person, it might look as if Wal-Mart is just a huge greedy corporation out to make a buck. The company wasn't founded by a bunch of rich investors or by another rich corporation. It was founded on the principles of one man. He started with one store and built his way up to over 3,000. He went from a simple southerner to the richest man in America. He didn't let this change him. He still drove a pick up truck and dressed in store bought clothes. The worst thing Sam Walton could have been accused of is of being stingy or tight-pocketed. He learned the value of the dollar and never forgot it. He insisted on finding a bargain wherever he could. He found great deals on wholesale merchandise and past these deals along to his customer. He instilled these views in his company. .
If you have ever been in a Wal-Mart store, and witnessed one of the "meetings", you have truly experienced something amazing.
