Publications
Publications
- April 2017 (Revised October 2017)
- HBS Case Collection
Wal-Mart Update, 2017
By: David B. Yoffie and Eric Baldwin
Abstract
In 2017 Wal-Mart was still the world’s largest company, with over $480 billion in annual revenue and operations in 28 countries. Although it had mostly vanquished its rival discount retailers in the U.S., it was struggling to find the right growth strategy. Facing a mature U.S. market, it had looked to international sales as an engine of growth in the early 2010s, but international sales had also stagnated over the past few years. Wal-Mart's leadership had targeted the rapidly growing e-commerce arena as a strategic priority, but there it faced intense competition from dominant online retailer Amazon. In such a competitive environment, how should Wal-Mart respond to the reality that its traditional strengths no longer guaranteed robust growth?
Keywords
E-Commerce Strategy; Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Business Growth and Maturation; Growth and Development Strategy; Global Range; Business Strategy; Corporate Strategy; E-commerce; Retail Industry
Citation
Yoffie, David B., and Eric Baldwin. "Wal-Mart Update, 2017." Harvard Business School Case 717-468, April 2017. (Revised October 2017.)