An Introduction to
Wal-Mart
Walmart.com is a lot like
your neighborhood Wal-Mart store. Wal-Mart feature a great selection of
high-quality merchandise, friendly service and, of course, Every Day Low
Prices. Wal-Mart have another goal, as well: We're striving to bring you
the best shopping experience on the Internet.
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Our office is located near
California's Silicon Valley, but our heart and spirit are still in Bentonville,
Ark., the corporate home of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and the town where Sam
Walton opened Walton's Five and Dime in 1950. From humble beginnings in
northwestern Arkansas, Wal-Mart has grown to become a familiar household
name all over the world.
At the heart of Wal-Mart's
growth is the unique culture that "Mr. Sam" built. His business philosophy
was based on the simple idea of making the customer No. 1. He believed
that by serving the customer's needs first, his business would also serve
its associates, shareholders, communities and other stakeholders. Wal-Mart
goal at Walmart.com is to bring Mr. Sam's culture and philosophy from Wal-Mart
stores to the Internet.
We want you to be completely
satisfied with every purchase you make at Walmart.com.
Sam's Way
"Sam's establishment of
the Walton culture throughout the company was the key to the whole thing.
It's just incomparable. He is the greatest businessman of this century."
- Harry Cunningham, founder
of Kmart Stores and CEO of S.S. Kresge Co.
Sam Walton changed the landscape
of American retailing. How did he do it? By building a culture based on
one simple principle: making the customer No. 1. Just below are a few examples
of how that principle has been built into the foundation of the Wal-Mart
culture. Silicon Valley may be a long way from Bentonville, but the culture
Sam built is alive and well at Walmart.com, and we're proud of it.
The secret
to our success isn't such a secret.
The "10-Foot Attitude"
Sam Walton had a way with
people. He had a charm and a charisma that made people feel welcome and
important.
Sam's people skills can still
be felt today through Wal-Mart's associates. When Sam visited his stores,
he asked the associates to make a pledge: "I want you to promise that whenever
you come within 10 feet of a customer, you will look him in the eye, greet
him and ask if you can help him."
This pledge is what we now
call our "10-foot attitude." Sam learned the power of this attitude in
college while campaigning for class president. "I learned that one of the
secrets to leadership was the simplest thing of all: Speak to people coming
down the sidewalk before they speak to you.... I would always look ahead
and speak to the person coming toward me."
Sam not only won that election,
but he also became a leader in other campus organizations and carried his
leadership and friendly smile wherever he went.
How do you translate Sam's
"10-foot attitude" to a Web site? It starts with striving to build a site
that is easy for customers to use. We work every day to bring you a better
shopping experience. Our online store will always be a work in progress,
but one thing won't change: our commitment to keeping our customers' needs
at the top of our priority list.
We offer our customers the chance
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Don't wait for it to go
on sale
Low Prices, Every Day
"No matter what we pay for
it, if we get a great deal, pass it along to the customer."
One of Wal-Mart's first store
managers recalled Sam Walton saying these words when the manager suggested
raising prices. "Sam wouldn't let us hedge on a price at all," the store
manager remembers.
Pricing philosophy at Walmart.com
is the same as it is in Wal-Mart stores. When we get a price break from
a supplier, we pass it along to our customers, often in the form of a "Rollback."
You'll see lots of Rollback signs on our site, just as you do in any Wal-Mart
store. You can be assured that we share Sam's dedication to bringing you
a superior assortment of the products you most want, all at Every Day Low
Prices.
The Wal-Mart Story
"We're all working together;
that's the secret. And we'll lower the cost of living for everyone, not
just in America, but we'll give the world an opportunity to see what it's
like to save and have a better lifestyle, a better life for all. We're
proud of what we've accomplished; we've just begun."
- Sam Walton (1918-1992)
Sam Walton's dream was simple:
Give people high value, low prices and a warm welcome. That dream was realized
in 1962 with the opening of the first Wal-Mart.
Today, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.,
employs more than 1.2 million associates worldwide. The company has more
than 3,000 stores and offices across the United States and more than 1,000
stores internationally. It has also expanded online with Walmart.com, which
is dedicated to bringing Sam Walton's dream to the Internet.
If you ask customers why
they return to Wal-Mart again and again, chances are they'll say it's because
of more than just the great prices and appealing selection. It's also because
of the people, starting with the friendly greeters at the front of every
store. Prompt, friendly service is a serious matter at Wal-Mart.
This commitment to people
means that we also take seriously our responsibilities as a corporate neighbor.
Local Wal-Mart stores have made a difference in their communities by:
-
Underwriting college scholarships
for high school seniors.
-
Raising funds for local children's
hospitals via the Children's Miracle Network Telethon.
-
Educating the public about recycling
and other environmental concerns via a "Green Coordinator," a specially
trained associate who coordinates efforts to make each store environmentally
responsible.
-
Sponsoring a Community Matching
Grant program, which involves fund-raising efforts by a nonprofit organization
with the participation of Wal-Mart associates.
A lot has changed since the
first Wal-Mart opened, but we continue every day to bring you the highest
value at the lowest prices. And you'll always be greeted with a warm welcome,
whether you walk through the door of your local Wal-Mart store or turn
on your computer to visit us at Walmart.com.
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