Walmart is renowned for offering a wide variety of products for significantly lower prices. This has made Walmart the leading retail brand in the USA and other countries. In a typical business world, if you can give customers a wide variety of products at lower prices than your competitors, that means you will have a competitive advantage on two fronts; First, you will be competitive because you have nailed customer satisfaction, that is, a customer can get almost everything they want from you. A customer would rather shop all they want in one place rather than having to check in different stores. The second front is pretty obvious. Many customers are price sensitive, and any rational customer will go for stores that sell at lower prices while maintaining quality.
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Since its opening in 1962 under the founder Sam Walton, Walmart has always capitalized on the two competitive fronts. With time, Walmart has had to adapt to the changing market conditions, such as expanding, which they have done so well. Walmart has grown into the big brand it is today through several competitive strategies like increasing the number of stores in the USA and going beyond borders. In addition, Walmart has been strategizing to fill the market gap in several ways. These are some of the reasons behind Walmart being such a valuable brand. Read on for reviews of the value of Walmart. Different market data sets and insights will be used to estimate Walmart’s worth as a retail store brand. Your Resource For Everything Finance
How Big is Walmart?
Walmart began as a single retail store in 1962 in Arkansas. The number of stores in the state increased as time passed, and by the 1970s, Walmart had expanded beyond Arkansas. Each year Walmart opens new stores all over the USA, employing thousands of people. In 1997, Walmart began expanding beyond international borders.
Walmart’s expansion was coupled with an increase in sales and the number of employees. In addition, Walmart claimed the market share of every state they ventured into, posing competition to local stores. Walmart’s annual sales shot from millions to billions, and its total number of employees increased by hundreds of thousand with its expansion. Moreover, Walmart increased the number of associates they collaborated with across the states.
Currently, Walmart has more than 4700 stores in the US, with 90% of the population living within a 10mile radius of a Walmart store. Walmart employs more than a 1.6million associates in the US alone, working in Walmart stores and other distribution centers. In addition, Walmart operates slightly above 200 distribution centers with 80,000 trailers and 9,000 tractors employing more than 11,000 drivers. This makes their supply chain one of the most successful in the world, reaching out to more than 2 million customers in a week.
Walmart operates more than 10,000 stores in 24 other countries under 46 banners employing close to 1 million employees. Furthermore, Walmart operates a successful e-commerce platform in the US and other countries, giving its customers an exceptional shopping experience.
Walmart’s Financial Performance
According to a recent report, Walmart is on track to regain its financial strength after a blow by the lockdowns effected by covid-19. Despite the disruption of operations, Walmart could reach its customers thanks to its e-commerce platform, delivery centers, and a fleet of delivery trucks all over the US.
Walmart’s sales in the US increased by 6.3% or $23.3 billion in 2022 compared to fiscal 2020 with a net sale of 341billion. This was slightly higher than Fiscal 2021, with a net sale of 369billion. An increase in average customer spending drove these comparable sales, ultimately increasing their transactions. In the first quarter of 2022, customers purchased larger basket sizes, increasing purchases despite reduced transactions.
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Walmart’s gross profit increased from a flat rate in fiscal 2021 and a lower profit in fiscal 2020. This profit was partially driven by cost inflation in the market and growth in Walmart’s advertising business. Despite the positive performance, Walmart’s performance was offset by temporary closures of some centers and an increase in costs within the supply chain.
Walmart incurred an increase in operating expenses in fiscal 2022 realized from a wage investment. This is coupled with other costs related to COVID-19, adding to approximately $1.9billion.
Walmart Performance in The Money Market
Walmart began publicly trading its shares in 1970 when its share value increased with its market share from the 1980s to the mid-2000s. However, its stock does not fit in the list of growth stocks. Many stock investors who wish to grow their portfolio often overlook Walmart.
So How Much Is Walmart Worth?
Based on the profit and loss records from the last two years, Walmart’s worth is estimated at approximately a 429billion. Walmart has the highest number of American employees compared to other private entities.
Final Thoughts
Different variables can be considered when determining Walmart’s worth. The worth of merchandise such as Walmart does not begin and end at the financial estimates. This is because the worth of such an entity is subject to external market forces such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. However, other factors can be considered, such as the direct value creation of such an entity on the community and countries at large. Walmart has been the leading supplier of household goods at relatively low prices. In addition, Walmart creates employment for more than 2 million people in the US and 24 other countries. This value creation, coupled with that of convenience realized by customers, increases the worth of Walmart.
Walmart’s worth is not likely to go down. This concerns its continuous investment and innovative strategies, such as technological advances. Furthermore, as stated earlier, Walmart has very strong competitive fronts that make it thrive even in foreign markets. In addition, Walmart is an established brand with a big revenue portfolio and hence can invest comfortably in other markets.
