Sam Walton

Principles are our summary of their public statements.

• Study the competition relentlessly

  Competition

  A business owner should spend significant time in competitors' stores to observe their systems, interview staff, and understand why they are successful.

  Source Walmart | Acquired, 2022  (opens in a new tab)

• Source directly to lower prices

  Strategy

  By bypassing middlemen and sourcing inventory directly from manufacturers, a retailer can offer lower prices and gain a competitive edge.

  Source Walmart | Acquired, 2022  (opens in a new tab)

• Observe and Adapt Innovations

  Learning

  Always look for new operational models being tested by others, travel to see them firsthand, and implement the best ideas immediately.

  Source Walmart | Acquired, 2022  (opens in a new tab)

• Control Your Own Destiny

  Strategy

  Avoid relying on local governments or other developers to build the infrastructure you need; invest your own capital to move faster.

  Source Walmart | Acquired, 2022  (opens in a new tab)

• Go slow to go fast

  Strategy

  Build heavy infrastructure and focus on lowering per-unit operating costs early on to ensure massive profitability at scale.

  Source Walmart | Acquired, 2022  (opens in a new tab)

• Hub and Spoke Expansion

  Strategy

  Build a distribution center first, then open stores within a one-day driving radius to maximize logistics efficiency.

  Source Walmart | Acquired, 2022  (opens in a new tab)

• Adapt to societal scale

  Strategy

  As a business reaches massive scale, it must adopt a middle ground on controversial issues and embrace sustainability to maintain efficiency and public trust.

  Source Walmart | Acquired, 2022  (opens in a new tab)