Global Wal-Mart
An article in the Washington Post notes the growing dominance of Wal-Mart stores in countries outside the US.
The company…opened its annual shareholder meeting last week with Bollywood-style dancers, Asian balancing acts and Brazilian martial artists representing some of the 14 foreign countries in which Wal-Mart operates. Last year, its international division topped $100 billion in sales for the first time and this year it is expected to surpass the United States in number of stores.
We’ve written about the company’s successes and failures in countries around the world, and it has learned to embrace the cultures of its customers in a truly robust fashion. Ultimately, Wal-Mart has found a way to bring value to its global audience in a culturally aware way, which has influenced its success.
Have you been to a Wal-Mart business outside of the US? We’d love to hear about your thoughts on the approach the discount retailer takes and its reputation in the countries it currently operates in, e.g. Argentina, China, Mexico and the UK. Let us know what you think.
Paul
I found it really interesting that in many countries Wal-Mart is operating under other brands instead of Wal-Mart we’re familiar with in the U.S. I’m sure in many cases this is because of an acquisition of an already popular brand, but I wonder if they’ve intentionally launched new brands in some countries, while preserving the same underlying Wal-Mart model.