Wal-Smart:What It Really Takes to Profit in a Wal-Mart World

Like it or not, we now live in the Wal-Mart Economy. By providing a new level of convenience, low price, and efficiency, Wal-Mart has substantially changed the rules of the global economy, customer expectations for every business, and the ways that organizations must respond in order to survive.

In Wal-Smart, former Wal-Mart strategist William H. Marquard reveals how any business can compete, and win, in the Wal-Mart Economy. Marquard co-founded the Strategic Advisory Services consulting practice at Ernst & Young, where he helped Wal-Mart develop its strategies for supercenters, tire/lube centers, pharmacies, optical shops, and photo centers.

He was also instrumental in developing Wal-Mart’s food strategy, its merchandising processes, and its five-year strategic plan. He has advised more than 100 organizations in more than 25 industries, including Meijer, Walt Disney World, McDonald’s, Citibank, CompUSA, and the Department of Homeland Security.

In this summary, we’ll examine the elements of Wal-Mart’s success that few people see: its productivity loop, its powerful process disciplines, and its hidden management “DNA.” Then we’ll explore the strategies that any company in any industry can use to survive and thrive in this brave new Wal-Mart world.

Wal-Smart is not a book about Wal-Mart. It is a book for leaders in any industry – public and private, manufacturing and service, large and small, international and local – who want to survive and thrive in the face of industry giants, or who want to become the giant themselves.

In the words of Mark Hansen, former president and CEO of Sam’s Clubs, “Wal-Smart is the business strategy book for the 21st century. It is essential reading for any leader facing the daunting challenges of this global economy.”