Walmart 1997 Annual Report Download - page 20

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Supercenter she manages
in Harrisonville, Missouri. “My
dad has been with Wal-Mart for
20 years, and I always had an
interest in retail. So here I am,
after 14 years with Wal-Mart.”
There are many families
like Murphy’s represented
in Wal-Mart, and it’s only
appropriate that she works
in the Supercenter division,
where Wal-Mart “family
values” combine with the
industry’s hottest shopping
format to lead our company
into the future of retailing.
With its blend of a discount
store with groceries and
such additional services
as restaurants, Vision Centers,
Lube Express, hair styling, dry
cleaning, shoe repair and bank-
ing, the Supercenter is designed
for shopping convenience —
a sizable competitive advantage
in an age when consumers
complain that they don’t have
enough time to shop.
The Supercenter “works
everywhere, and we think it
is quite likely going to prove
to be the most flexible retail
concept ever and, by definition,
to have the longest life yet
achieved,” according to a recent
analyst’s report by CS First
Boston Corp.
Focusing on the Supercenter
division as a growth vehicle, the
CS First Boston analyst gave
Wal-Mart stock a “strong
buy” rating.
The Company’s fastest-
growing division, Supercenters
combine one-stop convenience
with Wal-Mart’s focus on top-
quality merchandise, services
and food at everyday low prices.
“It’s one-stop shopping for
most people,” Murphy said.
“Before you needed to go to a
grocery store and any number
of specialty retailers to get what
you needed. Now you can just
go to the Supercenter.
“We always preach that we
sell for less, so we’re saving
people both time and money,”
she said. “It’s real convenient
for most customers.”
And while the Supercenter
offers the shopping of tomorrow,
Ann Burchett is in a stockroom
at the back of the Harrisonville
store, getting a peek at the day
after tomorrow.
That’s where Burchett,
a seven-year Wal-Mart associate,
handles fulfillment for orders
received through Wal-Mart
Online, our World Wide Web
site, on which an experimental
online shopping service was
rolled out last November.
Wal-Mart changes because
18
CONTINUED STORY
Ann Burchett: Personal
shopper in cyberspace.