Wal-Mart Germany: Wal-Mart's Egocentric Foray into the German Marketplace

The primary purpose of this paper is to critique Wal-Mart's entry into the German retail market from its initial acquisitions in late 1997 to its exodus in 2006. In an effort to understand the fiasco in Germany, the proper context must first be established. The paper will begin with a brief history of Wal-Mart's United States (US) operations, a short description of its dismal international track record, an outline of its venture into the German marketplace, and an overview of its competitors in Germany and the global marketplace. This paper attempts to answer the following two questions:

What did Wal-Mart do right or wrong in Germany, and how could they have minimized their mistakes?
What can marketers and global entrepreneurs learn from Wal-Mart's actions in Germany?

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