Q1) Wal-Mart, discount merchandiser, started by putting large stores in small Sunbelt towns that its competitors had neglected. Company then wrapped its stores in concentric rings around regional distribution centres.

i) Compute Wal-Mart's original strategy for creating value?

ii) Describe how sustainable is company's competitive advantage?

iii) How is growth in its markets probable to affect Wal-Mart's strategy?

iv) More newly, Wal-Mart has invested huge sums of money in the telecommunications system which links its store together and accumulates information instantaneously on store-by-store sales of each item in stock. How might this investment make a competitive advantage for Wal-Mart.