Abstract
Wal-Mart, US operates 4,663 stores with 187 being in Illinois
(http://corporate.walmart.com/ourstory/locations#united-states/illinois). The Chicago-land Area
is the one of the fastest growing urban markets for new development in Wal-Mart, US. Trying to
break into the urban markets has been challenging for Wal-Mart, Us and as a result of that
challenge, Walmart, had to implement a new growth strategy and change the way we view
“traditional” stores. Wal-Mart, Us reached out our banner company, ASDA, which operates in
the United Kingdom. ASDA successfully operates four prototypes: Asda Supercentre
(comparable to our Supercent-er), Asda Superstore (comparable to our Division 1), Asda Living
(comparable to our Neighborhood Market) and Asda Supermarket (comparable to our Express)
(http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/our-stores/united-kingdom-stores).
When Region 25 (Chicago-land Area), first was challenged with developing a strategic
plan for building, staffing, executing and maintaining the smaller formats in their urban market
they were challenged by a quote from Steve Young which captured Sam Walton’s intense drive
to always challenge ourselves as leaders, as an organization, as a store and as a member of our
community to be better. “The principle is competing against yourself. It’s about selfimprovement, about being better than you were the day before” (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc, 2008, p.
71).
