Sam Walton- empire builder wal mart .
Mr. Sam was a truly unique person. Probably the most successful entrepreneur in the history of the world. His company, with sales in excess of $300 billion in 2005, continues its explosive growth today. With approximately 7,000 stores worldwide and creating 2 million jobs, Wal-Mart is a big force to be reckoned with. Interestingly, Sam Walton never intended Wal-Mart to be largest company on the planet; his goal was to be the best company!
Company wal mart Since its foundation, it has been following a strategy of low prices. Strategies through which it can offer products cheaper than other competitors.
On the one hand, this is, of course, a huge plus for buyers. But on the other hand, this entails such consequences as low salaries of employees, the ruin of Wal-Mart's smaller competitors (including local players), through which many people lose their jobs. Finally, Wal-Mart encourages the degrading of certain products in this perpetual race for low prices.
At the same time, the quality of not only goods that are sold in wal mart, but also those who challenged the company by abandoning it. They still have to make adjustments to the production process because low prices Wal-Mart doesn't let them breathe freely. wal mart dictates his conditions for suppliers. Even as big as Procter & Gamble. Everyone does not like it, but there is no choice. It all started with a smile...
Founder of Wal-Mart Sam Walton I believed all my life that success can only be achieved thanks to perseverance, continuous improvement and a friendly attitude towards customers and partners(= employees of the company). America remembers her hero with a constant smile on his face, greets customers in such a way that he talks to employees. Walton had a big goal, and he walked towards it, guided by his values.
Youth
The future "king of trade" was born in the small town of Kingfisher, Oklahoma, in 1918. Little is known about his childhood, and he himself was not disposed to memories of him. His parents often quarreled and generally did not get along well with each other. Therefore, Sam often had to gain life wisdom in street universities. He disappeared either at the stadium or in the company of scouts. And since childhood, he learned two lessons well: you can achieve something only by perseverance, and a smile helps in this.
Sam started working at the age of 7 as a delivery boy for the morning papers. In addition, the future founder of Wal-Mart was actively involved in sports - basketball and American football. Subsequently, he will remember that it was football that taught him how to play as a real team. It was there that he realized how to compensate for his disadvantages at the expense of partners.
After high school, Sam Walton went to the University of Missouri, from which he graduated in 1940. His specialty was economics. After all, already at that time he showed great interest in retail. At the same time, he worked as a manager in a small company. All this was a necessary experience for him. At 42, Walton is drafted into the army. Certainly not for war. Sam was diagnosed with heart problems, through which he was sent to serve in one of the DuPont gunpowder factories. The service turned out to be successful, because it was there that Sam met a girl named Helen Robson, with whom he would live the rest of his life.
Returning to his native land, and feeling like a hero, Sam decided to put pressure on his father-in-law in order to take a loan from him. The father-in-law could not resist, and the start of his own business was laid. Sam Walton received a $20,000 loan. Borrowing another 5,000 from relatives, Sam and Helen opened a store with the money in Newport, Arkansas, with a proud sign of "Ben Franklin" - a well-known trademark (under a franchise agreement).
Walton's shop was ridiculously small, even for Newport with its 4,000 inhabitants. The only big shop in town belonged to Mr. Sterling. It seemed futile to compete with him. But it only seemed. Sam knew for sure: perseverance and a charming smile can make a big difference.
He personally met each visitor on the doorstep and showed such cordiality, as if he saw a long-awaited, dear and close person. He communicated with him as if he had opened his own shop exclusively for him. He spent hours talking to each client about everything in the world. He tirelessly talked about his son Robson and family affairs.
First successes and failures
And the ice has broken! Less than a year later, the gloomy Sterling was forced to give way to Sam Walton buyers, and there the palm in all financial reports.
Success inspired. To borrow money again, Sam expanded the trade: he bought a tray with ice cream. Now he felt a real business excitement. That there were long lines of children for ice cream gave him great pleasure. Maybe even more than the queue at the checkout of the store.
Five years later, Walton's small shop has become the most profitable outlet of the Ben Franklin chain. And the owner of this trademark began to suffer from envy. He decided that it was not the seller's attempts at all, but the brand. When the next term for the renewal of the contract for the lease of Sam's retail space approached, he was refused.
Birth of Wal-Mart
In this city, Sam opens his first store called "Five & Ten Cents". It was then that he turned his attention to a strategy of low prices. To do this, Walton tried in every possible way to avoid intermediaries, buying goods from the manufacturers themselves. In addition, he cut prices, making less profit than competitors. Sam Walton thought it would pay off in the long run. He was right.
For 10 years was 
o Opened 10 Five & Ten Cents stores. However, some of them are outside of Arkansas - in the state of Missouri. During these 10 years, Walton devoted himself not only to his family, but also to the study of trade. He wanted to combine small, family-run stores run by their own owners with huge supermarkets located in major cities. It was clear that he needed atmosphere from the first, and scale from the second. At the same time, Walton not only read a lot, most of all he liked to visit shops and supermarkets, and note in his notebook interesting ideas who kept getting in his way.
It was then that the future strategy of Wal-Mart was formed. The whole point was that it was simply impossible to open a large supermarket in a large city in the east. dear earth, work force, competition with large and rich companies - all these were the factors that small provincials could not pull. Walton thought, why not start by opening large supermarkets in small towns on the outskirts. The big players of that time did not look there. Rent was much cheaper, and labor was not as expensive as in the center of a big city.
In 1962, the first Wal-Mart store was opened, which was then called Waltons Five & Dime. The store was located on the outskirts of the city of Rogers, and immediately attracted the attention of local residents. They all noted that it was a really big supermarket, like in big cities. But besides that, it differed from them with low prices and a friendly atmosphere of a small family shop. Finally, it is worth noting that the Walton family hired local residents in such stores, which further set them up for the company. Subsequently, it turned out that several generations of which family worked all their lives at Wal-Mart. Hence the belief that Wal-Mart creates many new jobs. It used to be so, but not now.
After 5 years, in 1967, he already had 24 stores, and sales reached $ 12 million. Sam remains true to his chosen strategy, and it does not fail him. He himself travels to buy goods, and is not afraid to take risks and lose, because he is sure that he will succeed.
Sam always told his employees, “There is one boss, the customer. He can remove anyone in the company, from the director to the loader, by simply spending the money elsewhere.”
Later, in memoirs Sam Walton formulated ten universal commandments of success .
Be committed to business.
Share profits with partners (as he called the store staff).
Motivate partners.
Discuss problems with partners.
Appreciate what partners do.
Celebrate success.
Listen to each partner.
Anticipates customer expectations.
Control your expenses.
Swim over the course.
In general, some of them are quite vague. Although for the author they are clear and not only verified, but also gained through rich practice.
Note that half of these commandments apply to partners. By them, Sam understood his store employees. He tried to communicate with them as often as possible and demanded the same from the members of the board of directors of the company.
« Most best ideas came to us from clerks and warehouse workers (among them - free parking at the store and permission to take out carts with goods directly to the car). If you take care of store employees, then they, in turn, will take care of customers in the same way.", - he said ... All his life, Walton remained friendly with everyone, and especially with junior staff.
Good deeds
Walton's benevolence towards people was not ostentatious, but sincere. It is characteristic that he never advertised his charity. Having lived all his life in small provincial towns, he knew their problems well. Building new shop, he forced his employees to find out the addresses of local charitable foundations. In order to make contributions later.
It became the rule that everyone opened a store, set up scholarships for local college students, and held occasional charity sales. Money was donated to zoos, libraries, hospitals, theaters, churches, fire departments. They did not ignore the mayors of small towns. He created the American Hometown Leadership Award, which is given to provincial presidents who carry out long-term projects in their homelands.
In 1992, Walton published his autobiography Made in America: My Story (Made in America: My Story). It quickly became a bestseller and caused such a resonance that his services to American society could no longer be ignored. And in March 1992, US President George W. Bush (senior) presented Sam Walton with the Medal of Freedom. In the same year, Sam Walton died.
Until the end of his days, he remained himself. "Star disease" did not touch him. The billionaire treated fame indifferently. He still drove around his stores in a pickup truck, ignoring the luxury limousines. And he preferred the company of his beloved dogs to the companies of bankers and oligarchs.
Wal-Mart today
Sam Walton's business is alive and well. Today, this "empire" has more than 4 thousand stores scattered around the world, with a daily assortment of seventy thousand products. It is the world's largest retail chain operator retail sales toys, electronics, pharmaceutical products, footwear, textile products, etc.
Total sales exceed $200 billion a year. Wal-Mart stores serve more than 100 million shoppers a week. Today, according to the Financial Times, it is the most respected company in the world, symbolized by a wide smile of a cheerful person.
The principles that guided the creator of the trading empire are not outdated. They cannot become obsolete, because they are based on the “human factor”. And not only trade, but also any business will flourish if it is focused, first of all, on a person, on his needs. Seemingly banal truths. But it was they who helped not only Walton, but also many others to become big businessmen.
If you visit today from Wal-Mart stores in America, any salesman or packer will kindly tell you about the Law of 10 Steps. This is a list of the above rules, crystallized by "Uncle Sam" half a century ago. But they are relevant today, and therefore it is like an oath for a recruit.
Appreciate the smile
A prospective "partner" salesperson, upon entering a job at any Wal-Mart store, solemnly vows that whenever a customer is within 10 steps of him, smile at him and ask if he needs help. “The bigger Wal-Mart department stores get, the more we need to avoid megalomania while maintaining a small store feel,” said Sam Watson. And it became an axiom.
And today, eleven years after his death, the progressive inertia of the ideas of the great merchant keeps the family income in the top ten. 
billionaires of the world. They say that his children, who are well over fifty, did nothing special for the prosperity of the family business. In his old age, he enjoys gardening and equestrian sports. Almost nothing is written about the sons of the Walton family.
Even the Forbes magazine that accompanies short biography each person in the ranking, took the liberty of writing the same thing in the accompanying article about Helen, Alice, Jimmy and Johnny Walton: about the merits of their father, to whom they owe this money. And the ubiquitous journalists are haunted by the thought: how many years will it take for children to have nothing left of Sam Walton's fortune.
Perhaps they are talking about Sam's descendants in vain. If they continue to cherish the principles bequeathed by the founding father, then the envious will never wait for the impoverishment of the Waltons. So far, they are all among the ten richest people on the planet. So, probably, his son Jim Walton takes the sixth position with his $ 20.8 billion, his other son John is the seventh ($ 20.7 billion), the daughter Alice is the eighth ($ 20500000000). And Helen Walton, widow of the late founder of the Walton empire, holds 9th place with a net worth of $20.4 billion. The third son, Robson, was less fortunate, in tenth place ($18.5 billion).
And now count - how many in the family as a whole. Over $100 billion! Where is Bill Gates. And therefore - appreciate a person, appreciate a smile, love your client the way Sam Watson loved him and you will see that your business will go uphill!
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We continue the series of publications about foreign companies. In the first review of this issuer, we will try to present detailed information about the company's profile, as well as an analysis of production and financial results for several years and for the last reporting period.
Wal-Mart Stores is the world's largest retail network, which includes 11,539 stores in 27 countries. Among them are both hypermarkets and supermarkets selling food and industrial goods. The network strategy includes such components as the maximum range and minimum, tending to wholesale, prices.
The company's operating activities are organized in three areas - Walmart U.S., Walmart International, Sam "s Club. Within these segments, the company discloses financial results and a number of operating indicators.
So, the key segment for Wal-Mart Stores is "Walmart USA" or "Walmart U.S." Walmart USA is the largest segment in terms of gross profit as a percentage of net sales (gross profit rate). In addition, it has historically had the highest value of net sales (net sales) and operating income (operating income) among the company's segments.
As can be seen from the table, the division's record operating profit was achieved in 2013. Rising spending on wages last year put significant pressure on the margins of the segment. The growth in sales volumes was primarily due to the commissioning of new stores.
The results of the first half of 2016 came under pressure from the cost of closing old stores. In January, Wal-Mart announced its intention to close 269 stores, mainly in the US (154 stores) and Brazil (60 stores). In addition, the decline in margins was due to continued investment in digital retail and information Technology. As for our estimates of the segment's future performance, we expect the segment's operating income to be around $18 billion in 2016 and start growing to $22 billion by 2020 as early as next year. financial results should come from the resumption of expansion of the trading network, as well as from our projected increase in operating margins.
The international segment of Walmart International includes the company's operations outside of the United States, including various shopping websites.
Due to the strong dollar, the closure of more than a hundred stores in Latin America and the deteriorating economic situation in China and Brazil, as well as increased competition from online retailers, revenue international business Wal-Mart decreased in 2015 by 9.4%, and in the first half of 2016 by 6.9%. The growth of the operating margin, which has been outlined in the last half of the year, can be attributed to the positive aspects. As for the future results of this segment, we expect that the increase in the efficiency of this division and the stabilization of the situation with the number of stores will allow us to return to the results of the segment in 2011-2012.
The Sam's Club segment includes centers for wholesale and small wholesale trade, as well as samsclub.com. Stores in this segment have a club character, in order to purchase goods in Sam's Club centers, you must have a membership (annual fee of about $ 40).
As can be seen from the table, the results of Sam's Club are stable - over the past 5 years, operating profit has been in the range of $ 1.8 - 1.9 billion. A feature of this segment is more high level revenue per unit of selling space (1.5 times), but lower operating profit per unit of selling space (20% lower), resulting in an operating margin that is two times lower compared to standard stores in the Walmart U.S. segment.
The released results for the first half of 2016 reflected a slight decrease in the level of operating margins, for the same reasons as in the Walmart U.S. sector. - Increasing wage costs. We expect the division's operating income to reach $2.2 billion by 2020.
Next, we turn to the analysis of consolidated financial indicators companies over the past 5 years. It should be noted a stable level of operating profit. The company's policy regarding the distribution of net profit is also striking - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. pays about 40% of net profit in the form of dividends, and about 30%-50% of the profit comes from share repurchases. Note that Wal-Mart Stores shares are included in the so-called "dividend aristocrats" group (stocks whose dividends have been growing for more than 25 years). Thus, the company is actively replacing equity capital with borrowed capital, while the Debt/Equity ratio is at an acceptable level - about 0.5. Due to share buybacks and stagnating financials, earnings per share remained flat, with shares outstanding down 11% over 5 years. Note that the table shows closing prices of the last business day of the corresponding period.
As for the results for the first half of 2016, it should be noted that they showed zero dynamics. We also note that the company significantly increased the volume of share buybacks. At the same time, despite our expectation of a decrease in net income in absolute terms, our EPS forecast for 2016 should be equal to the result of 2015 due to a reduced number of shares outstanding.
Looking at the company's future results, we expect Wal-Mart to be able to generate $15-17 billion in net income over the next few years. retail space. It is expected that the company will allocate about 40% of its net profit to dividends.
The low price strategy has allowed Wal-Mart Stores to become the world's largest retail chain. Its annual turnover exceeds $480 billion, which is comparable to the GDP of some developed European countries.
What do you think, which non-state company is in first place in the world in terms of revenue? Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, automotive conglomerate Volkswagen, or perhaps Swiss commodity trader Glencore, dubbed the "commodity whale" because of the size of the business? Although all of these players are leaders in their industries, none of them is still the leader in terms of annual revenue. Moreover, this title does not belong to an industrial company at all, but to a player from the consumer sector, representing the "most banal business" - retail.
This is Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Although this name will not tell the majority of Russians much, since the company does not work on the Russian market. Its annual turnover is $485.65 billion. This is more than the GDP of countries such as Austria or Israel. At the same time, despite the effect of a very high base, the retail giant is growing steadily, and almost every quarter its revenues increase by 0.5-2%. What is the secret of success?
The success story of Wal-Mart Stores is a classic example of the realization of the American dream. The company was founded by businessman Sam Walton, whose parents were farmers. When the future billionaire was 12 years old, the Great Depression began, and to help his parents, he began to deliver fresh milk in the morning. A year and a half later, he began raising rabbits and pigeons for sale while also working as a newspaper delivery man. With all this, Sam Walton led an active public life: for example, he turned out to be the youngest Eagle in the history of the Scouting movement in Missouri at that time. In 1942, he was drafted into the army, but due to heart problems, he never got to the front line.
Almost immediately after serving in the army, Sam Walton decided to open his own business. For $25,000, he rented a small space in Newport and opened a Ben Franklin store under a franchise. Things went well: if in the first year the store's income was $70,000, then in the third year it increased to $170,000. The stores under his management became the most profitable among the entire Ben Franklin chain, and Sam Walton decided to go to work under his own brand.
In 1951, he opened Walton's Five and Dime. For 10 years, the network has grown to 17 stores, which have become the undisputed leaders in their districts. How did they do it?
The main advantage of Sam Walton stores has always been a low price. Knowing how retail works from the inside, the businessman every year looked for opportunities to reduce costs for each individual store. While other players were buying up advertising space, the businessman preferred to change the decoration of the windows frequently and tell customers about the low prices of new products almost every day.
Instead of working with distributors, he relied on his own fleet of cars, which bought goods from manufacturers directly.
Walmart store branding
Even the change in the name of the Walton's Five and Dime trading network to Wal-Mart was largely due to savings: to design the "cap" of the store, it was required to order from suppliers only 8 letters, not 19. That's the name Walton's Five and Dime, and since 1962 Wal- Mart has become synonymous with low prices.
Another innovation of Sam Walton was the bet on small towns. While most retailers were vying for wealthy New Yorkers or San Francisco, Wal-Mart was betting on expanding into cities with populations of less than 100,000. None of the local players could compete with him, and low prices quickly attracted new buyers.
The success of the new network was so rapid that Sam Walton decided to take it public to raise additional capital. In May 1971, its shares began trading in New York. The price of securities during the IPO was $16 per share. Subsequently, to maintain their liquidity, the company carried out several splits. If we exclude this effect, then now the cost of one security would be more than $270.
Wal-Mart used the additional capital received from the placement to enter other segments of the retail market. The trading giant began to open stores not only in the format of discounters and hypermarkets, but also launched a network of small grocery stores Walmart Market, Walmart Express mini-stores, Sam's Club wholesale chain. To accelerate the development of the network, Wal-Mart management allowed store directors to co-invest in their capital and receive a share in the final profit.
The desire for economy drove progress. Perhaps Wal-Mart's most notable contribution to progress retail was that back in 1974, to speed up and reduce the cost of the purchase process, the network introduced a barcode reading system. By that time, her strength was already so great that her demand was enough for manufacturers to start labeling goods in the right way. Very soon, other retailers realized how convenient and economical it was. The fact that barcodes are now on all products is the merit of Sam Walton.
In parallel, the company was expanding overseas. For example, in 1977 it entered the Mexican market, where Wal-Mart discounters quickly took the lead. In 1994, Wal-Mart entered the Canadian market through the acquisition of Woolco. A year later, the company began to open stores in Brazil and Argentina, and in 1999 entered the European markets for the first time.
All these steps were revolutionary for their time. From 1985 to 1988, Sam Walton was number one on the Forbes World List. At its peak, his fortune was estimated at $58.6 billion.
Sam Walton died in 1992 at the age of 90. His financial condition, which then, according to Forbes magazine, was $ 58.6 billion, was divided between the spouse and children, who are still taking active participation in company management.
According to Forbes magazine, the Walton family is now the wealthiest dynasty in the world. True, now her fortune has tripled and reached $ 149 billion. The market value of the entire network of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. now valued at $234 billion. It has more than 11,000 stores under 65 brands in 28 countries and employs more than 1.1 million people, making it also the world's largest employer.
Wal-Mart is an American retailer operating the world's largest retail chain operating under the Walmart brand. The headquarters is in Bentonville, Arkansas. The company takes 1st place in the Fortune Global 500 (2010).
About 50% of the shares in Wal-Mart stores are owned by the heirs of the founder of the company, Sam Walton. Chairman of the Board of Directors - Robson Walton. The general manager is Lee Scott. Hillary Clinton, wife of President Bill Clinton, was a board member of Wal-Mart from 1986-1992.
Walmart is the world's largest retail chain, with (as of 2012) over 10,130 stores in 27 countries. Among them are both hypermarkets and supermarkets selling food and industrial goods. The network strategy includes such components as the maximum range and minimum, tending to wholesale, prices. Walmart's main competitors in the US retail market are Home Depot, Kroger, Sears Holdings Corporation, Costco and Target. Walmart is a leader in the implementation of technologies related to the use of RFID tags in commerce.
The total number of the company's personnel is 2.1 million people (January 2010). Turnover of the company in 2009 - $405.0 billion (in 2008 - $401.2 billion), net profit - $14.33 billion ($13.4 billion in 2008), operating profit - $23.95 billion ($22.7 billion in 2008).
Story
2018
Savings of $200 million after switching to LED lighting
On October 16, 2018 it became known of reduction of annual expenses of Walmart for $200 million in connection with transition to light-emitting diode lighting (LED). The world's largest retailer saved another $20 million thanks to the use of a new mastic for polishing floors.
According to him, such a project is not only aimed at taking care of environment, but also allows the retail chain to significantly reduce costs.
According to CNBC, in the US alone, Walmart spends tens of billions of dollars buying goods and services that the company does not sell in its stores, but uses itself. It is, for example, about tourism services and all kinds of spare parts. One of these things is mastic for rubbing floors.
Walmart's slogan is "Everyday Low Prices". To live up to this motto, a company needs to sell cheap products, and to do that, it needs to save itself. How less expenses at Walmart, the more shoppers save on purchases, CNBC reports.
In addition, Walmart is forced to save money in connection with the acquisition of companies. For example, in 2018, Walmart acquired a 77 percent stake in Indian retailer Flipkart for $16 billion. In connection with this transaction, Walmart worsened its revenue forecast for fiscal year 2019 to include expenses of $0.25 per share related to financing the acquisition. leader in the Indian e-commerce market.
Online cinema
American network retail stores Walmart confirmed in July 2018 that it would launch a video-on-demand (VOD) service as early as 2018. According to Advanced Television, the streaming service is scheduled to launch in the last quarter of 2018 through the Vudu platform, which operates on an advertising model. Walmart acquired this platform in 2010 for $100 million.
The service will provide access to a library of licensed TV shows, movies and original programming at a lower price than key competitors like Netflix and Amazon. It also appears to be considering launching the service on a free, ad-supported model.
Launch of virtual 3D shopping
At the end of June 2018, Walmart launched a virtual 3D shopping service on the Internet. In a special section on the retailer's website, customers can "walk into" the designed apartment, which is lined with items available for instant purchase. While exploring a home, buyers click on items of interest to get more information about them.
By the time the service was announced, there were about 70 products from both third-party manufacturers and Walmart itself. Mostly furniture and the most important household goods are available. In the virtual apartment, you can find a Microsoft Xbox One game console and a Samsung refrigerator, but it is not yet possible to select and order them.
In July 2018, Walmart will allow product groups to be added to the shopping cart so that users can select multiple items to purchase at once and imagine how they will look together.
Opening of the first high-tech mini-store
In early April 2018, Walmart launched what the company claims is its first high-tech mini-supermarket. In it, purchases can be paid through the messenger, and most goods are also available for purchase via the Internet.
According to the news agency Reuters, citing a statement by Walmart, this point of sale, which is open in the southern part of the city of Shenzhen, presents more than 8 thousand products, including fresh fruits, fried mussels and much more. Visitors can pay for their purchases using WeChat messenger using their smartphones .
At the end of March 2018, Walmart and the Chinese holding Tencent entered into an agreement under which the American retailer began using the WeChat Pay service to pay for purchases in all of its stores in the west of China. The supermarket in Shenzhen was the first in this project.
In addition to the ability to pay for products through a mobile application, the new point of sale is also interesting because about 90% of the entire range is available in the Walmart online store on the JD.com site, part of which is owned by the American online retail giant.
All people who come to the "smart" Walmart supermarket, as well as users of JD.com, can order the delivery of purchased products. True, the store will deliver goods only to those places that are located within a radius of 2 km. It is claimed that delivery will be carried out in a maximum of 29 minutes.
Walmart is actively introducing new technologies into its trading network. So, at the beginning of 2018, about 100 grocery stores of the retailer received the Scan & Go service, which allows customers to scan product barcodes in mobile application and pay for purchases by phone. Thanks to the innovation, there is no need to stand in queues and use the services of cashiers. Until the end of 2018, Scan & Go should work in 200 Walmart supermarkets.
2017: The Wal-Mart retailer accelerated warehouse accounting by means of robots
American retail chain
2013: Wal-Mart figured out what to do with big data
In May 2013, it became known that one of the largest retailers in the world, Wal-Mart, found an interesting use for the so-called "big data": Wal-Mart's accounting systems accumulate data on transactions when purchasing goods and a list of items purchased specific person. Based on the analysis of this data, Wal-Mart intends to create individual shopping lists and send them out using a mobile application.
Gibu Thomas(Gibu Thomas), Wal-Mart's head of mobile technology, said this is just one of the initiatives to boost in-store sales through e-commerce. “The future of retail, paradoxically, is in its past, in creating personal interactive communication with each customer individually through smartphones,” he said. Citing an unnamed study of the US market, he also added that in-store purchases fueled by mobile technology could double the size of the e-commerce market in 2016.
Wal-Mart's head of mobile technology: "The best shopping list is the one you don't have to make"
On the mobile devices already accounts for about a third of Walmart.com's traffic, according to Thomas. Moreover, those users who use the Wal-Mart smartphone app are more likely to go to the network's offline stores than other customers and spend 40% more, he added. At the same time, most of the network's clients have smartphones at their disposal.
The Wal-Mart app already has a shopping list feature, but it requires user input. It also tells you where to find specific item on the shelf, and also gives out digital coupons for discounts. Wal-Mart is also testing a system called "Scan and Go", which works like this: shoppers scan each item with their smartphone when placing it in the shopping cart at the hypermarket, and then use the smartphone at the checkout to pay for it themselves. shopping.
Walmart - what is it? The name of the company is increasingly appearing on the lips of people and on the Web. For 10 years now, it has been the largest supermarket chain in America. The management of this giant is constantly looking for new markets, and the brand is gradually being mastered in various countries.
The secret of success is very simple: the company adheres to a deliberately winning policy of low prices. This made it possible to get used to any city very quickly and forced competitors to reduce prices. Despite the tremendous decline in the cost of goods, profit indicators are constantly going up.
History of Walmart
Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, the largest chain of stores in the United States, opened his first store immediately after serving in the army on September 1, 1942. He received funds from his father-in-law as a loan immediately after the wedding.
It was a small, franchised establishment in a town of 7,000, but it became so popular and profitable that the owner didn't renew Sam's franchise. He decided that he was just lucky to find a good place, which means that further business can be done without him.
The young American gained invaluable experience and moved with his family to an even smaller town and opened own store, which was called "5 and 10 cents". Then there was the second, third, and after 5 years there were 24 of them, and the total family income was $12,000,000.
The founder of a young company decided to conquer small cities, because there was too much and serious competition in megacities, but, fortunately for him, small and remote settlements were unimportant to seasoned "sharks".
This strategy, combined with a low-price policy, proved so successful that by 1979, the number of stores bearing the Wal-Mart name reached 230, and revenues were over a billion. After another 11 years, the company became one of the largest, and in 1992 its founder received a medal from the President of the United States.
To date, turnover Money brand exceeds $400 billion. For decades, the company has been guided by the Save Money principle. Live Better, which translates to "Save your money. Live better."
Walking around Sam Walton's supermarkets, you can see that at least a third of the presented products are produced by completely unfamiliar brands, but you can not find names known all over the world.
The fact is that the brand's popularity makes up the bulk of the price, which is contrary to the company's policy, because the cost of most goods tends to the manufacturer's price.
What does Walmart mean? For most of their customers, this is the place to get what you want at a price no one else has. Family atmosphere attracts people different ages and they no longer want to go to other stores.
Range
Now the Walmart store has an extremely huge offer for any need. You can choose stylish clothes from famous brands and more budget options. New models of the season, trends of past years - almost everything that comes to mind is in the catalog.
Household appliances, computers, tablets and other gadgets. The products of such companies as Apple, Samsung, Asus lie next to unknown brands. The company offers everything for home and garden, beauty and health, cars and their repair.
Regardless of age or gender, everyone will find what they need and be satisfied. The range is constantly growing and replenished with new products and products from little-known companies.
Producing countries
In the Walmart (Canada) catalog, as in others, you can find special marks “Made in USA”, which mean that the product was produced directly in America, and not in any other country, and assembled in the United States. There is a product from the most different countries, but the largest partner and supplier, of course, is China.
Due to the fact that the main principle of the company is low prices, the products of the Middle Kingdom are the most suitable for fruitful cooperation. If there are any doubts about the quality of the proposed product, there is always the opportunity to read the reviews left by real customers.
Discounts and promotions
Walmart - what is it? Literally translated, this is a territory where, despite the very low prices and already profitable offer, the administration of supermarkets and online stores constantly offers amazing promotions and discounts, which can be random or tied to a specific event.
For example, "Black Friday" is known all over the world - sale on a grand scale. Especially on this day, there are breathtaking offers that make buyers just go crazy and behave inappropriately.
The "product of the day" promotion is also very popular. For some product for the whole day, a very low price is set, so you can save a lot.
Payment
At Walmart Stores, you can pay for your purchases in any convenient way. The only difficulties that may arise during the payment process are related to shipping to another country. But even in this case, managers are always ready to help and provide advice.
The company's management is constantly adding new payment methods and improving existing ones. Therefore, buying goods in such a supermarket is not only profitable, but also convenient.
Delivery
Another service offered by Walmart. What it is? A large staff allows sorting, packaging and dispatch of the order to the customer extremely quickly and without any delay. The only negative is that they only do it in the United States. The good news is that if the purchase amount exceeds $50, then the delivery will not cost a penny.
Checkout
Walmart online store - what is it? A convenient and fast platform that allows you to place an order as simply as possible and in a short time. There is no need to go anywhere or take any action at all. Just a couple of clicks - and the goods will be sent to the specified address.
All you need is to have your own account. For this, it is enough to go through a very simple registration. In the window you will be asked to subscribe to the newsletter of offers, promotions and other company news. After that, the system will prompt you to enter the delivery address and payment details. It is important that when filling out the delivery address and the payer address match, this will avoid some difficulties in the future.
These fields are filled in once, then all purchases will be made in a couple of clicks, which can significantly save time. You don’t have to worry about the safety of the entered payment data, because the system is reliably protected from various kinds of threats.
Walmart in Russia
The company's management constantly makes statements about the importance of the Russian market and about the great prospects. In fact, several attempts were made to expand its network on the territory of the Russian Federation.
The first steps in this direction were taken in 2008. After the registration and opening of the Walmart office, Moscow became the first city in which a successful American brand appeared.
The very first attempt to create branded supermarkets on the basis of the existing network "Karusel" was not successful. The giant's management did not stop trying and in the same year tried to acquire other hypermarkets. But this deal did not take place.
In 2010, the last attempt was made to introduce Russian market by purchasing the Kopeyka chain of stores, but then a large domestic retail X5 got in the way Retail Group who first bought all the property.
At this, the management decided to suspend the expansion. If you believe the statements of Walmart representatives, then the American giant will definitely try to “conquer” the Russian market again and is only waiting for the right time.
