Decoding the Development Strategy of a Major Retailer: Wal-Mart's Expansion in the United States

Abstract

This research aims to provide insight regarding Wal-Mart's retail development strategy in its expansion across the continental United States. The study examines store location patterns and relationships between Wal-Mart's store and distribution center locations and markets. The study shows that, although radial expansion is broadly characteristic of the dense store patterns that have been well established for Wal-Mart at the national level, expansion patterns at the regional level are consistent with a selective process based on factors other than store density. These results provide a new perspective on Wal-Mart's expansion, providing insights of value to retail practitioners and local government.

本研究旨在对于沃玛在美国大陆扩张的零售店发展策略提供洞见。本研究检视商店区位模式, 以及沃玛的商店与配送中心区位和市场之间的关係。本研究显示, 儘管沃玛在全国层级完整建立的密集商店模式, 以激进扩张为其显着特色, 但区域层级的扩张模式, 却吻合根据商店密度之外的因素之选择过程。这些研究结果, 对于沃玛的扩张提供了崭新的视野, 对于零售业从业者与地方政府亦提供了具有价值的洞见。

Con esta investigación se pretende lograr una mayor compenetración con la estrategia de desarrollo del mercadeo al por menor de Wal-Mart en su proceso de expansión a través de los Estados Unidos continentales. El estudio examina los patrones de localización de las tiendas y las relaciones entre éstas y la distribución de localizaciones de centros y mercados de Wal-Mart. El estudio muestra que, aunque la expansión radial es ampliamente característica de los densos patrones de tiendas ya bien establecidos para Wal-Mart a nivel nacional, los patrones de expansión a nivel regional son consistentes con un proceso selectivo basado en factores diferentes de la sola densidad de tiendas. Estos resultados proveen una nueva perspectiva de la expansión de Wal-Mart, proporcionando valioso entendimiento a quienes manejan el comercio al menudeo y al gobierno local.

Key Words:

• distribution center location
• location intelligence
• retail chain expansion
• store location
• Wal-Mart

关键词:

• 配送中心区位, 区位智能, 零售店扩张, 商店区位, 沃玛。

Palabras clave:

• localización del centro de distribución, inteligencia locacional, expansión de la cadena de menudeo, localización de tiendas, Wal-Mart

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the contributions of Tony Hernandez and the anonymous reviewers to this article. Any remaining errors are the authors' responsibility.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Murray D. Rice

MURRAY D. RICE is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203. E-mail: [email protected]. His research interests include the spatial analysis of business activity and regional urban and economic development.

Anthony Ostrander

ANTHONY OSTRANDER is a former graduate student in retail geography in the Department of Geography at the University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203. E-mail: [email protected]. His research interests include the geographic expansion and dispersion patterns of retailers in the United States.

Chetan Tiwari

CHETAN TIWARI is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203. E-mail: [email protected]. His research interests include health and medical geography, location modeling, computational geography, and geographic information science.