Wal Mart Vs Zellers
ZELLERS VERSUS WAL-MART: A COMPARISON OF RETAIL STRATEGY Zellers versus Wal-Mart. A discussion that is gaining popularity as Wal-Mart continues its Canadian expansion. ... Company Overviews Wal-Mart Sam and Bud Walton founded the Wal-Mart Corporation in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas (Wal-Mart Timeline, 2003). ... The rule was simple, whenever a Wal-Mart employee comes within ten feet of a customer, they are encouraged to look them in the eye, greet them and ask if they need any help (Ten Foot Rule, 2003). ... Another reason customers are drawn back into the Wal-Mart environment is their excellent customer service practices. There are many different levels to the service that Wal-Mart provides, and each is specifically designed to improve the customers experience in every way possible. For starters, as soon as one walks into a Wal-Mart store, he or she is greeted by a friendly face that asks if any immediate assistance is required. ... This is not, however, the aspect of customer service that Wal-Mart stresses; it is just everyday courtesy. ... “Its a rule we take seriously at Wal-Mart. ... All of these factors together make Wal-Mart not only a great place to shop, but also a great place to work. ... One more factor must be in place to attract the customer into the store, and this is where the many Wal-Mart price guarantees come in to play. ... This statement shows how Wal-Mart is able to offer their three price deals: Every Day Low Pricing, Rollback, and Special Buy. This ensures that customers will consider going to Wal-Mart first in order to obtain the best deal. From this point it is up to the customer service and sales staff to turn a new customer into a dedicated Wal-Mart customer. By successfully implementing these beliefs, the Wal-Mart Corporation has grown from a 24-store chain in Arkansas, to a 4,777 store worldwide chain, and FORTUNE 500’s number one ranked, and most admired company in America (Wal-Mart Timeline, 2003). Zeller’s The Zeller’s story is similar to Wal-Mart, but with a purely Canadian heritage. ... The overview of Zeller’s is quite different when compared to Wal-Mart. ... The Wal-Mart Business Strategy Promotion Television. Like all companies of similar size, Wal-Mart has a wide variety of television commercials airing at one time. ... Later on during the News, one will find a commercial advertising the overall savings on anything from Wal-Mart. ... All of the commercials show “real life” people enjoying the tremendous savings they found at Wal-Mart, and displays a number of products that people might not expect to find. ... When it comes to producing high quality, or high value print advertisements, Wal-Mart is one of the best in the business. ... Instead of taking the easy way out and producing a generic flyer for the entire province, Wal-Mart waits for the proper times in a specific area to advertise their problem-solving products. ... Overall, the pricing strategies used by Wal-Mart portray a low sense of urgency with their flyers. ... This method is very effective, but if the consumer is offered a choice to either go immediately to the competitor, or go whenever they choose to Wal-Mart, the choice is fairly obvious. Wal-Mart offers a choice, and the customers seem to appreciate that. ... With all of the things that the Wal-Mart Corporation has done over the years, the one thing that they take the most pride in is their community involvement. Recognized around the world as one of the leaders in community and charitable aid, Wal-Mart has a “philosophy of operating globally and giving back locally” (Our Commitment…, 2003). ... Although this involvement is mostly located throughout the United States, people everywhere have expressed their gratitude towards Wal-Mart’s efforts. ... Figure 1: Recognition of Community Involvement · In 2003, Wal-Mart was named by FORTUNE magazine as the most admired company in the United States. · In 2002, Wal-Mart was presented with the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership, a presidential award that recognizes companies for outstanding achievement in employee and community relations. · Forbes magazine recognized Wal-Mart in 2002 as being one of the most philanthropic companies in America. · In 1999 and 2000, Americans named Wal-Mart as the company they think of first in supporting local causes and issues, according to Cone, Inc. · Wal-Mart ranked among the top five corporate foundations by giving in 1999 and 2000, according to the Foundation Centre. With annual donations and support of approximately $150 million a year, it is easy to see why Wal-Mart is as respected as they are. ... Figure 2: Wal-Mart’s Community and Charitable Contributions · More than $88 million in community grants. ... The Wal-Mart Foundation may match funds raised by each location. ... Wal-Mart is the No. ... Every dollar raised by each Wal-Mart store, SAMS CLUB and distribution centre throughout the year is distributed to a local CMN-affiliated hospital. ... The Wal-Mart Foundation will matches associate payroll deductions and present a gift to the local United Way chapter. In 2002, United Way chapters received almost $19 million from the Wal-Mart Foundation. ... Grants for community organizations are available to Wal-Mart associates who volunteer their time to local non-profit organizations including schools, and faith-based organizations. ... The Salvation Army estimates its kettles at the front of Wal-Mart stores and SAMS CLUBS collected more than $14 million during the 2002 winter holidays. By donating these funds, the Wal-Mart Corporation is well recognized and well respected in every community, and will therefore have a large wave of support throughout the United States, and worldwide.