ABSTRACT
Is Wal-Mart taking over the world? With so much unfavorable press generated in the past few years in the United States over Wal-Mart's labor practices and competition strategies to drive out local independent retailers, its globalization strategies have come under scrutiny. Wal-Mart has been far more successful in globalizing its sourcing activities than globalizing its retail operations. In this chapter, Wal-Mart's challenges in Japan and Germany are analyzed, and the role of local regulations and consumer behavior in retail globalization is explored.
