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The Wal-Mart vs. Sears Dilemma
As the newest member of the Smith, McCormley, and Mashek Investments analysts' team, I have been given the task to review the financials of Sears Roebuck and Co. and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Upper management recently received DuPont Equation numbers that showed Sears out performing Wal-Mart over the last two years (20.76% to 19.06% in 1997, and 25.70% to 17.83% in 1996). The company has invested much of its retailing funds into Wal-Mart and wants to reconsider that position and consider Sears. It believes that Sears has made some recent positive changes to position themselves for future growth and to compete for some of Wal-Mart's retailing success. I have attached a spreadsheet of financial data and ratios to support my analysis to determine which company will be the true retail superpower in the future.
Although both companies are retailers, they do have some significant differences in the way they do business. Wal-Mart's retail strategy revolves around three different types of stores: 1) Sam's Club membership warehouses, 2) Wal-Mart discount stores, and 3) Wal-Mart Supercenters. Wal-Mart is known as always having the low price because that in its marketing slogan. Whereas Wal-Mart relies on retailing to generate revenue, Sears generates revenue through 3 different types of business: retailing, services, and credit card. Also, Sears's credit business revolves around its proprietary credit card, the Sears Card. Sears offers the Sears Card because it believes it "makes it more attractive for customers to purchase goods and services from the Retail and Services Businesses" . T ...