Walmart: SWOT Analysis and the Factors Influencing its Competitive Advantage
I would like this assignment done on Walmart. Thank you
Assignment Content
Successful businesses regularly analyze their processes to ensure they’re operating as efficiently as possible and maintaining their competitive advantages. Although you can assess a company in many ways, a common technique is the SWOT analysis. In this assignment, you will practice using a SWOT analysis to better understand the factors involved in making business decisions that promote sustainable competitive advantage.
Select and research a company from the 2019 Fortune 500 list that demonstrates a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Evaluate the selected company’s sustainable competitive advantage using the SWOT analysis technique.
Write a 700- to 1,050-word modified SWOT analysis that includes the following:
An introduction with a detailed description of the company
A SWOT analysis diagram that includes strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
An evaluation of how specific internal factors (strengths and/or weaknesses) support and/or promote a competitive advantage; examples may include:
Financial, physical, or human resources
Access to natural resources, trademarks, patents, or copyrights
Current processes (employee programs or software systems)
An evaluation of how specific external factors (opportunities and/or threats) support and/or promote a competitive advantage; examples may include:
Market trends (new products or technology advancements)
Economic trends (local and/or global)
Demographics
Regulations (political, environmental, or economic)
Conclusion with an evaluation of how the company has retained its competitive advantage
Include APA-formatted in-text citations and a reference page with at least 2 sources. Note: You may include your textbook as 1 of the sources.
Note: You can view sample SWOT Analyses by visiting the University Library > Databases > B > Business Source Complete: SWOT Analyses.
Modified SWOT Analysis: Walmart
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Modified SWOT Analysis: Walmart
Introduction
The retail industry makes for one of the most competitive sectors of the global economy. Business entities or organizations within the industry have to develop and implement strategic interventions towards ensuring sustainable growth and development in the highly competitive economic sector. Sustainable growth and development of a business organization is a function of the competitive advantage built on effective business practices within both the internal and external business environments. Walmart Inc. is one of the business organizations whose competitive advantage across various aspects of its daily operational activities makes it one of the leading retail entities in the United States and around the world. Walmart Inc. is a multinational retail organization founded in 1962 by Sam Walton in Bentonville, Arkansas, on the premise of providing customers with quality goods and services at the lowest prices anytime and anywhere. Walmart became a public trading company in 1972 following its incorporation as Walmart Stores, Inc. in 1969 and has since expanded its operations to approximately 26 countries around the world CITATION Wal21 \l 1033 (Walmart, Inc., 2021). Walmart Inc. thrives on the mission to help customers around the world save money and live better across different locations and at any given time by providing diverse platforms for shopping or purchasing their preferred goods and services. Walmart allows consumers to purchase directly from the over 11,443 stores across the 26 countries within which it operates and through its effective e-commerce platforms CITATION Wal21 \l 1033 (Walmart, Inc., 2021). The company had approximately 2.3 million employees in 2017 and registered a 6.7% increase in revenue from $523.964 billion in 2020 to $559.151 billion in 2021. Its main competitors in the industry include Amazon.com, Inc., Kmart Corporation, Target Corporation, and Costco Wholesale Corporation.
SWOT Analysis
The sustainable growth and development recorded by the retail organization since its founding in 1962 reflect the incorporation of strategic business practices. The said practices characterize both its internal and external environments, allowing Walmart to maintain its competitive edge in the highly competitive retail industry. A SWOT analysis on Walmart highlights its strengths and opportunities across its internal environment and its impact on its competitive advantage in the market. It also highlights the company’s opportunities and threats within its external environment and their subsequent effects on Walmart’s competitive advantage.
Strengths
Weaknesses
* Cost leadership
* Wide-scale of operations
* Advanced information system
* Effective supply chain
* Wide range of products
* Lack of product differentiation
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