Essay - An Overview of Walmart as One of the Biggest Worldwide...

AN OVERVIEW OF WALMART

As one of the biggest worldwide retailers, Walmart, Inc., started in 1969, operates in the United States alone some 1, 568 discount stores, *****,***** "Supercenters," 525 "Sam's Clubs" and 49 "Neighborhood Markets." Internationally, *****, Inc. operates stores in Brazil, Argentina, Canada, South Korea, Germany, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Great Britain ***** has recently made agreements to open s*****res in China. Also, Walmart holds a 35 % share in the Seiyu, Ltd., a J*****pan-based retail chain. *****'s mass merchandising operations primarily serve its customers through three major divisions based on overall management responsibility in the ***** States and ***** geographical locations of ***** worldwide stores which are ***** up of its discount stores, "S*****ercenters" and "Neighborhood Markets," while the "Sam's Club" chain deals primarily with ***** w*****house membership clubs which allows customers deep discounts on thousands of items.

*****, Inc. also operates the McLane Company, Inc., a huge subsidiary that is in ********** a separate entity. McLane, as a wholes*****le d*****tributor, sells merchandise to a wide v*****riety of other *****ers, mostly those associated ***** convenience ***** and food service industries. In addition, ***** provides the ***** for all Walmart discount stores, "Supercenters," "Neighborhood *****" ***** "Sam's Club." Some of this merchandise includes grocery items (meat, vegetables, fruits, breads), non-***** items (tobacco, alcoholic beverages, general merchandise, toys, stationery, health and beauty items) and perishable and ********** goods, such as paper products, canned goods and household necessities.

As ***** January 31, 2003, McLane was responsible for operating 19 grocery distribution facilities with two in Texas, ***** in California, and one each in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Arizona, Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Virginia, Mississippi, Minnesota, New

Hampshire, North Carolina, Florida ***** Washington state. Also, McLane operates 18 food ***** distribution centers with four owned exclusively by Walmart and 14 ***** ***** operated as leased subsidiaries.

***** relation to the size of these various entities, Walmart discount stores range from 30,000 square feet to 219,000 square ***** with the average floor space being some 96,000 square feet. The Walmart "Supercenters" ***** in size from some 90,000 square feet and upwards to 261,000 square feet with the average ***** being ***** 186,000 square feet. As to its "***** Markets," the size ranges from 40,000 square feet ***** 64,000 ***** ***** average size ***** 44,000 square feet.

The majority of Walmart stores, including the discount stores ***** the "Supercenters," are organized into fifty-three specific departments which offer to its customers a great variety of merchandise. Each store carries clothing and other apparel for women, girls, men, boys and infants, domestic items ***** the home, fabrics and related essentials, stationery and books, shoes, houseware *****, hardware, electronics (stereo components, VCR's, TV's), home furnishings, small appliances, automotive accessories, horticultural/gardening items, sporting goods, toys, pet food and accessories, cameras and supplies, health and beauty aids, pharmaceuticals, jewelry and optical. In addition, all Walmart stores ***** an assortment of grocery *****, with ***** assortment in the "Supercenters" gener*****y being much wider (*****, produce, deli, bakery, dairy, frozen