1. how well is walmart performing? to what extent is its performance attributable to industry attractiveness and to what extent to competitive advantage?
2. in which of walmart’s principal functions and activities (namely: purchasing, distribution and warehousing, instore operations, marketing, it, hrm, and organization and management systems/style) do its main competitive advantages lie? identify the distinctive resources and capabilities in each of these functions and activities.
3. to what extent is walmart’s competitive advantage sustainable? why have other retailers had limited success in imitating walmart’s strategy and duplicating its competitive advantage?
4. what challenges does walmart currently face? what measures does it need to take to sustain its recent performance and defend against competitive (and other) threats?