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SAM SIGHTINGS ARE EVERYWHERE

13 May, 2016 - 13:23

We began this book with some insights on Elvis Presley and related marketing problems. Compared to Sam Walton, Elvis sightings are nonexistent. The spirit of Sam Walton permeates virtually every corner of America. This small-town retailer has produced a legacy of US sales of USD 118 billion, or 7 per cent of all retail sales. In the US, Wal-Mart has 1,921 discount stores ,512 super centers, and 446 Sam’s Clubs. Wal-Mart recently challenged local supermarkets by opening their new format: Neighborhood Markets. Overall, they have more than 800,000 people working in more than 3,500 stores on four continents.

Today, Wal-Mart is the largest seller of underwear, soap, toothpaste, children's clothes, books, videos, and compact discs. How can you challenge their Internet offerings that now number more than 500,000, with planned expansion of more than 3,000,000? Or the fact that Ol' Roy (named after Sam's Irish setter) is now the best-selling dog food brand in America? Besides Ol' Roy, Wal-Mart’s garden fertilizer has also become the best-selling brand in the US in its category, as has its Spring Valley line of vitamins.

So how do you beat a behemoth like Wal-Mart? One retail expert tackled this question in his autobiography. He suggests 10 ways to accomplish this goal: (a) have a strong commitment to your business; (b) involve your staff in decision making; (c) listen to your staff and your customers; (d) learn how to communicate; (e) appreciate a good job; (f) have fun; (g) set high goals for staff; (h) promise a lot, but deliver more; (i) watch your expenses; and (j) find out what the competition is doing and do something different. The author of this autobiography: Made in America-Sam Walton. 1