This paper examines the evolution of the supermarket industry, from the birth of the chain store concept in the early 1900s to the recent rise of the Wal-Mart supercenter. The central message is that the major themes relevant today (the importance of scale and standardization, technological...

From modest beginnings as a tea shop in New York, the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company became the largest retailer in the world. It was a juggernaut, the first retailer to sell 1 billion dollars in goods, the owner of nearly sixteen thousand stores and dozens of factories and warehouses. But...

As it headed into 2005, Wal-Mart faced an array of difficult stakeholder issues, bad publicity, and a stagnating stock price. Despite good 2004 financials, fundamental issues assailed the company. More than anything, Wal-Mart needed to address the issues that had arisen over the years, and...