Business level and Corporate level Strategies for Retail Industry

Abstract

This research paper intended to demonstrate and illustrate about business and corporate level strategies of a retail industry. One of the publicly traded corporations within the industry is Wal-Mart. This paper also analyzes the competitive environment of the corporation's strong competitor. Analysis of competitor's strategies and environment facilitate an organization to improve its approach towards business and corporate level. It also sustains to survive and thrive in a competitive market of the contemporary world. The overall research is conducted through Wal-Mart's website, the public filings on the Securities and Exchange Commission EDGAR database and other scholarly journals and articles. The first part of the paper provides an overview about the company, and its strategies. The next section includes the major part of the study. It is classified into four subsections; investigation about business and corporate level strategies, competitive environment analysis and an evaluation about slow and fats cycle markets. The last segment of the paper concludes the research and revisit again on all aspects of study to provide a final touch for the research paper.

Table of Content

ABSTRACTII

INTRODUCTION1

DISCUSSION1

Business Level Strategies1

Wal-Mart Business Level Strategies2

Corporate Level Strategies3

Wal-Mart Corporate Level Strategies4

Analysis of Competitive Environment5

CONCLUSION7

REFERENCES8

Business level and Corporate level Strategies for Retail Industry

Introduction

One of the biggest companies in the retail industry offers services to its customers over 200 million times in a week. The company provides services in a way that customer demands for like in retail stores, services via mobile device and through internet (online). It operates in 27 nations worldwide under 69 various banners. It is an American company and employs 2.2 million workers and associates globally. The company had sales of around $444 billion through the fiscal year of 2012. The company articulates a commitment of saving people money so they can live a healthier and wealthier life. This motto has provided the business that the company represents today, and it is determining what it will be in the next decades (www.corporate.walmart.com). The company is America's largest retailer, and it was commenced by “Sam Walton” in 1962. It comprises of a chain of discount stores. It exerts its power to maintain the prices as low as possible for its customers, and the company is none other than “WAL-MART.”

Discussion

Business Level Strategies

Customers are the primary focus of business level strategies of an organization. These strategies are more inclined towards satisfying demands and preferences of customers to accomplish returns over an average. It also depicts strategies or plans that a company operate to conduct different purposes in its business maneuvers. Since large corporations have various departments and stores, therefore they frequently use a number of business strategies. These strategies also facilitate business owners, stakeholders, managers and employees in providing guidelines throughout business operations (Vitez, 2013).

Figure 1: Business-level Strategies (www.csupomona.edu)

Wal-Mart Business Level Strategies

The Founder of the Wal-Mart “Sam Walton” notified his employees in the 2012 annual report, “Customers are the reason why we are in business. And when we exceed their expectations, we are at our ...