Walmart 2009 Annual Report Download - page 5

Already this year, the global economy
continues to be challenging. But even
with this uncertainty, we’re optimistic
about Wal-Mart’s opportunity, because
we are so well positioned. Our custom-
ers expect us to o er the lowest prices.
We simply cannot forget that what we
do makes a di erence in their lives.
Price Leadership Drives
Global Performance
There’s no doubt that we are
bringing to life our global vision for
Wal-Mart. Our strategy is working,
and we’re building more and more
momentum. We will maintain our
focus on price leadership in every
market, whether we’re talking to the
working mom in São Paulo or the
businessman in Tokyo.
As vice chairman responsible for
Wal-Mart International, I saw first-
hand how much our business model
resonates around the world. I make
it a habit not only to walk our stores,
but also to visit our customers in
their homes. I remember one woman’s
tiny house in Costa Rica. She told
me that everything she needs is at
our Pali store. We owe every cus-
tomer our very best – lower prices,
higher-quality goods and a better
store experience.
We also must continue assuming the
larger role that Lee helped us realize
we can play in the world. People have
been asking me, “Mike, during these
di cult times, can we a ord to do
things like sustainability, responsible
sourcing, associate opportunity and
health care?” Every time my response
has been, “We can’t a ord not to.” At
Wal-Mart, we have an opportunity and
a responsibility to lead in the world.
Sustainability is a permanent part of
our culture. It helps us remove waste,
lower costs and provide savings to our
customers. There will be no part of
this Company anywhere in the world
that does not contribute to making
Wal-Mart more sustainable.
One way is through responsible
sourcing. Last year, I stood in front of
more than 1,000 suppliers in Beijing,
China and committed our Company
to building a more socially and envi-
ronmentally responsible supply chain.
We’ll make a di erence in responsible
sourcing that no other retailer and no
other company can make.
Job Creation and Advancement
We’re also o ering opportunities for
associates. Last year, Wal-Mart created
33,000 jobs in the United States and
thousands more in our other markets.
These good jobs offer competitive
wages and bene ts and the oppor-
tunity to advance. We plan to create
tens of thousands of jobs again this
year. And, we’ll continue to be a force
for inclusiveness everywhere we
operate. We need our associates
more than ever.
We will find ways to make a
di erence through our participation
in debates on issues, including energy,
health care and trade. At Wal-Mart,
we won’t sit back and say, “That’s
someone else’s job.” We have a role to
play. Wal-Mart has great relationships
with governmental leaders in many
countries around the world. Whether,
for example, it’s with Democrats or
Republicans, or President Obama’s
new administration, Wal-Mart will
play a role.
My  rst day in the new job fell on
the  rst Sunday in February. So my
wife Susan and I took a few hours to
move some boxes and belongings
into my new office. But we didn’t
replace the carpet, furniture, or even
Sam Walton’s old wood paneling. With
the exception of a couple of pictures
on the wall, we kept it as the same
office in which Sam Walton, David
Glass and Lee Scott made the deci-
sions that built our great Company.
I could not be more honored or more
humbled to sit at their desk now.
Although there will continue to be
many changes at Wal-Mart, there is
one thing that will never change – our
culture. Wal-Mart associates operate
with honesty and integrity. We respect
people as individuals and strive for
excellence. And, most important, we
obsess about our customers and ways
to serve them better than ever before.
I’m certain of our strategy, our
opportunity and our ability to perform
as individuals and as a Company. By
executing well and adhering to our
values, we plan to distance ourselves
even further from the competition and
do even more to “save people money
so they can live better.”
Michael T. Duke
President and Chief Executive O cer,
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
“ …we obsess about our
customers and ways to
serve them better than
ever before.”
Wal-Mart 2009 Annual Report 3