Wal-Mart Stores, Inc

Wal-Mart

Company profile

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc was established in 1969 and it is a company that operates different formats of retail stores across the world. Wal-Mart offers a variety of general merchandise to its customers and this includes electronics, home furnishings, housewares, healthy and beauty aids, hardware, automotive products, jewelry and other products. Wal-Mart operations are classified into three business segments which include Wal-Mart U.S, Wal-Mart international and Sam's club.

The company has different retail formats that includes discount stores, supercenters, neighborhood markets, express stores, market side and also does business online through Walmart.com (Wal-Mart, 2011). Reuters (2011) provides that Wal-Mart has retail stores in 50 states and also in Puerto Rico. Wal-Mart has 681 discount stores in 45 sates and in Puerto Rico, 2,952 supercenters nationwide, 185 neighborhood ma

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in Puerto Rico. Most Wal-Mart supercenters have specialty shops such as bank, pharmacy, employment agency, Tire & Lube express, health clinic, vision center, and hair salon (Wal-Mart, 2011).

Reuters (2011) provides that during the financial period that ended on January 2011 Wal-Mart U.S business segment contributed 62.1% of the company's total sales. In addition to selling products Wal-Mart U.S is involved in providing financial products and services such as bill payment, money orders, and check cashing. Wal-Mart is also involved in marketing lines of merchandise under licensed brands and also through private label store brands (Reuters, 2011).

Wal-Mart international business segment has operations in 14 countries. The company has fully owned subsidiaries in Canada, United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina, and Japan. Operations in 5 Central America countries are through majority owned subsidiaries while Wal-Mart has joint subsidiaries in China and India. rkets, Reuters (2011) provides that Wal-Mart has retail stores in 50 states and also