沃尔玛的企业文化

The Corporate Culture of Walmart

美国沃尔玛公司作为世界排名第一的零售业企业,1999年的销售额达1136.19亿美元,与1998年周期相比,增长了17％。至今,沃尔玛公司已在全球拥有3925家连锁店,其中在美国有2485家(包括682家购物广场),山姆会员店456家;海外机构984家。公司已开设和即将开设的连锁店和会员店遍及阿根廷、巴西、加拿大、中国、德国、英国、韩国、墨西哥和波多黎各,员工总数达103.5万人,其中国际员工22万人。

As the number-one retailing en terprise in the world, US Walmart Corp. achieved a sales income of US$ 113.619 billion in 1999, up by 17% over the same period in 1998. At present, Walmart boasts 3,925 chain stores globally. The chain stores and membership stores Walmart established or about to establish are all over the world. Its employees total 1.035 million, including 220,000 international employees. Walmart is also quite successful in the Chinese market. Since it opened the Chinese market in Aug 1996, Walmart has invested a total of RMB 905 million and achieved a sales volume of nearly RMB 3 billion. Then what contributes to Walmart's success? Reasonable Price Every Day In Walmart stores, one seldom sees price tags of US$ 2.99 or US$ 5.95 approximating to an integral; rather, most price tags are US$ 2.73 or US$ 5.22. Why that? Since a shop named Walden opened in Bentonville, Arkansas in 1950, over half a century, Sam Walden, the founder of Walmart, has set the business objective of providing commodities of the lowest prices possible to consumers. The success of Walmart also relies on this simple and common principle.Then how does Walmart keep its promise of reasonable price every day? It is not by selling commodities in stock in low prices or low-quality commodities, but by reducing management costs continuously.- Reducing the purchase price of products as low as possible. In Walmart headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, the purchasing staff of different departments bargain with suppliers so as to conclude the agreement at the lowest purchase price.-Reducing operation costs by waging an anti-waste war. To maintain the low price level, Walmart reduces the waste to the lowest extent. All the employees of Walmart make efforts to reduce costs. Measures of large-scale cost reduction and hundreds of tips for cost reduction make the operation costs of Walmart greatly lower than its counterparts. - Localizing purchase. In China, 95% of commodities in Walmart are made in China, which saves costs and meets the consumption habits of local consumers.- Establishing modern material distribution centers. Unifying materials, business and information through distribution centers and realizing high-tech and computerized management so as to greatly increase efficiency and reduce costs. Walmart introduces the sales concept of reasonable price every day to Europe, Asia and Latin America by opening business, which has been widely accepted. The sales concept targets the largest consumption group in retailing business, that is, people with medium and low incomes. Thus it is representative and has become the principle of chain business. Only by forming economies of scale, reducing management costs to a great margin and relying on the small-profit principle can chain business win the largest group of consumers and achieve sustained development. Experience shows that small profits but quick turnover also can create giant international enterprises. Paramount position of customers to ensure satisfactionIt is well known that Walmart considers customers to be of paramount importance. Its two rules are also famous: first, customers are always right. Second, if customers happen to be wrong, please refer to the first principle. The customer relationship philosophy of Walmart is: customers are the bosses and superiors of employees.Every employee new to Walmart will be taught that you are not working for the superiors or managers. You are not different from them. You have only one boss - customers.To guarantee that customers feel satisfied in shopping, Walmart requires its employees to provide services beyond their expectations.Walmart has been stressing on the creation of a good shopping environment and often carries out promotion activities of various kinds in the stores to attract customers.Walmart's unconditional refunding policy of returning ensures that every customer will not have any after worries. With the dawn of the new century, customers have higher and higher expectations for the retailing industry. How to provide good and diversified serv