Wal-Mart Keeps Growing Globally

Wal-Mart (WMT) serves more than 49 million international customers weekly at 3,146 stores in 13 markets outside the continental U.S. (see chart above), and employs 620,000 international associates. International sales were $90.6 billion for Wal-Mart's latest fiscal year (through 1/31/2008), a 17.5% increase over the previous year.

Comments

[deaverb]

Mr. Perry, as usual, is clear and succinct, willing to comment on the obvious that is easy to overlook. Wal-Mart is taking a page from McDonald's book and becoming a worldwide force. At some point in Bentonville, they will figure out to "leave" America alone, avoid the hostility, and expand where people want them--China, South America, and so on and so on. And they may get really smart on do a Halliburton--move out of the country. Bejing would be smart, the center of all of it for them--new customers/suppliers (such as ours).
We are "too cheap" for the US Wal-Mart stores; China stores welcome us as being "too cheap" for the US. So they have balance too--know what price points work, where. An awesome achievement!

[jerico]

Wal-Mart has begun operations in India, looking seriously at Russia and Chile. Never count out Australia, Indonesia, perhaps South Africa. Everyone needs to save money and live better.

[mbmbythesea]

my god all this guy needs is to pick out his VILLIAN outfit...does he want to be the Penguin or the Riddler? "Dr." Perry you are evil incarnate, a mouth piece for every scam corporate, blood sucking entity going. Who will you defend next? I'm looking for the "Give Satan a Chance" article in your repetoire. Walmart abuses its employees and sucks money from the tax bases of the communities where it locates--because its workers must go on medicaid and get food stamps. ALMOST EVERYONE KNOWS THIS. Although it would be extraordinarily cheap to employ reasonably paid Chinese labor--Walmart goes the extra mile to pay scummy wages and provide poor working conditions to Chinese workers. they are a bunk of billionaire junkies in their $4M beach houses in Walton county Florida and they will all rot in hell for their sins of grotesque greed against humanity. but hey they made the Forbes list...ain't they proud?

[berberick]

the above person most likely is a poor investor . WMT is a stock ! Put your money where you can maximize returns . Evil , how can a biz. be EVIL , they are trying to maximize returns for shareholders like me . Hitler you can call evil , Wal-Mart please . Usually the thrower of stones need only to look inward to find the real problems .

[madmilker]

jerico and Mr. Perry with his "Phd" with to open their eyes...
retailnu.wordpress.com.../
and takin' tat star out of the name and putin' a "starburst" at the end ain't gonna change the facts...

quote*****In China, as elsewhere, we follow the Wal-Mart tradition of building our business one store and one customer at a time. We strive to provide our customers with friendly service and a wide selection of quality products at Every Day Low Prices. With each Wal-Mart store we bring advanced retail know-how to the local market. By fostering a healthy, competitive environment, we hope to constantly improve our business operations and customer service in order to contribute to the prosperity of the local economy.

Wal-Mart firmly believes in local procurement. We recognize that by purchasing quality products, we can generate more job opportunities, support local manufacturing and boost economic development. Over 95% of the merchandise in our stores in China is sourced locally. We have established partnerships with nearly 20,000 suppliers in China. At Wal-Mart, we always work with our suppliers to grow together. In August 2007, Wal-Mart once again secured the top spot of the 2007 Supplier Satisfaction Survey conducted by Business Information of Shanghai. Additionally, Wal-Mart directly exports about US$9 billion from China every year. The export volume by third party suppliers is also estimated to be over US$9 billion.....*******end of quote!

Now! if there be 182 country's making items for the world to buy and they have only 5% of the pie in China...duh! This company makes the nice people of China support their currency(yuan) by keeping it in their country working for the people there.... but with the "yuan" going up in value and the US dollar going down...all the foreign items that the American consumer buys thinking it is cheap has went up in price. People...its all about the currency and to keep a currency strong you got to keep it floating around the country you live in so it can work for you. For the past 12 years all them US dollars are being shipped overseas to a foreign bank and with the American worker not making anything for the foreigner to buy the "we the people" have to turn to the "second" largest employer in America(Uncle Sam) to sell "we the people" debt in order to get all them dollars back! 50 years ago a foreigner would had given their left nut for a US dollar or a Hershey's chocolate bar and today the same foreigner has got Uncle Sam and the American consumer by both all the while Hershey is moving the chocolate factory to Mexico. Wakeup! America and think "MADE IN AMERICA" and put the word Washington back in D. C.....Washington had been reelected unanimously in 1792. His decision not to seek a third term established a tradition that is now embedded in the 22d Amendment of the Constitution. Read his Farewell Address of Sept. 17, 1796 and think American made for a change.

Maybe you'll need to red...oops! read what the smart Governor of Tennessee said a few weeks ago.