Watching the Growth of Walmart Across America(projects.flowingdata.com)
projects.flowingdata.com
Watching the Growth of Walmart Across America
http://projects.flowingdata.com/walmart/
8 comments
I think this drives an important aspect of growth home: don't over stretch. Their geographic center is probably pretty darn close to the weighted center. They didn't just start and then create stores in every major metropolis overnight.
I'd like to see the overlay of global expansion, to see if their US growth was used as a model for other countries as well.
I'd like to see the overlay of global expansion, to see if their US growth was used as a model for other countries as well.
Also check out Target - http://projects.flowingdata.com/target/
Walmart grows like a tumor out of Arkansas. Target grows like an ant colony scavenging for pockets of food.
Walmart grows like a tumor out of Arkansas. Target grows like an ant colony scavenging for pockets of food.
You would think that Walmart would have an advantage in distribution since most of its stores seem to have grown out closer together.
Also, it would be nice to avoid the inevitable Walmart bashing. :-)
Also, it would be nice to avoid the inevitable Walmart bashing. :-)
Yes, I was intrigued by this same question. Did a little research on Wikipedia - it tells an interesting story:
First Distribution Center: Target - 1969 in Fridley, Minnesota. $130M in sales on 11 units; Walmart - 1970 in Bentonville, Arkansas. $44.2M in sales on 38 units w/ 1500 employees.
Noted Acquisitions: Target - 1969 Lechmere Electronics in New England. 1982 Fedmart in Arizona, California and Texas; Walmart - 1991 The Wholesale Club (John F Geisse's company). 1994 Woolco's Canadian discount retail units.
Profitability: Target - 1965; Walmart - 1962
Founding: Target - 1962 with 4 stores in Minnesota. Founded by the John Geisse for Dayton family (also the founders of B. Dalton book stores). The Dayton family had had investments in department stores since 1902; Walmart - 1962 with 1 store in Rogers, Arkansas. Founder Sam Walton had experienced previous success with running a Ben Franklin discount retail franchise.
Technology Infrastructure Milestones: Target - 1969, Computerized distribution system; 2004 RFID inventory tracking trials; Walmart - 1987, Satellite network allowing inventory and sales communication between all stores.
Target was an investment from the get-go. The Dayton's were the investors, and Geisse was the visionary who understood and founded the discount retailing business model. The Company grew through acquisition and strategic investment - even booting the founder (Geisse) in 1968.
Walmart was a spin-off of an existing discount retailer franchise. Sam Walton understood his customers, and his business from a local level. He grew the company organically from town to town at first because its all he was familiar with. The company was built from the ground up to distribute and market discount retail products.
First Distribution Center: Target - 1969 in Fridley, Minnesota. $130M in sales on 11 units; Walmart - 1970 in Bentonville, Arkansas. $44.2M in sales on 38 units w/ 1500 employees.
Noted Acquisitions: Target - 1969 Lechmere Electronics in New England. 1982 Fedmart in Arizona, California and Texas; Walmart - 1991 The Wholesale Club (John F Geisse's company). 1994 Woolco's Canadian discount retail units.
Profitability: Target - 1965; Walmart - 1962
Founding: Target - 1962 with 4 stores in Minnesota. Founded by the John Geisse for Dayton family (also the founders of B. Dalton book stores). The Dayton family had had investments in department stores since 1902; Walmart - 1962 with 1 store in Rogers, Arkansas. Founder Sam Walton had experienced previous success with running a Ben Franklin discount retail franchise.
Technology Infrastructure Milestones: Target - 1969, Computerized distribution system; 2004 RFID inventory tracking trials; Walmart - 1987, Satellite network allowing inventory and sales communication between all stores.
Target was an investment from the get-go. The Dayton's were the investors, and Geisse was the visionary who understood and founded the discount retailing business model. The Company grew through acquisition and strategic investment - even booting the founder (Geisse) in 1968.
Walmart was a spin-off of an existing discount retailer franchise. Sam Walton understood his customers, and his business from a local level. He grew the company organically from town to town at first because its all he was familiar with. The company was built from the ground up to distribute and market discount retail products.
1962 was a good year for discount store startups. In addition to Walmart and Target, K-Mart was also founded in 1962.
Like Target, Kmart was founded by someone who had founded a previous chain, namely Kresge dime stores. (Ben Franklin, Walton's previous employer, was/is "dime stores".)
Like Target, Kmart was founded by someone who had founded a previous chain, namely Kresge dime stores. (Ben Franklin, Walton's previous employer, was/is "dime stores".)
Walmart grew around its distribution centers.
If you watch it in reverse, you can visualize Circuit City's fate.
More accurately: just close the browser.
And now with $4.8bn revenue in 2007, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets are taking over grocery store market: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal-Mart_Neighborhood_Market
Nice low prices, snazzier inside than a Super Wal-Mart, but compared to a 'real' grocer, the knowledgeability of the staff is appalling. Good luck if you ever ask where they keep the couscous.
Nice low prices, snazzier inside than a Super Wal-Mart, but compared to a 'real' grocer, the knowledgeability of the staff is appalling. Good luck if you ever ask where they keep the couscous.
[deleted]
I buy ammo at Walmart, nothing else. the store is a shithole.
I guess once you get three stores, You will grow like wild fire.
Sam Walton's autobiography remains one of the great classics in business leadership. Too bad Wal-Mart managers don't seem to read it anymore. If I were Wal-Mart. I'd make reading it a requirement to be a manager. I think if they did that, their customer service would improve drastically.