A Wal-Mart VP for international marketing has suggested that Wal-Mart will soon announce its expanding ownership of the Japanese retailer, Seiyu, which Newsflash reported last spring. When Wal-Mart bought a 6% interest in Seiyu, it had the right to increase that level to 66%. Seiyu operates roughly 411 stores in Japan. A number of analysts have suggested that Wal-Mart’s international sales, which are currently 17% of total sales, could become the majority of sales within the next decade. A recent report from Retail Forward, called “The Age of Wal-Mart”, said that further foreign acquisitions are expected, “however it is unlikely that Wal-Mart’s overseas expansion will move swiftly enough to fuel the company’s growth engine.” Wal-Mart’s
international division currenly runs around 1,200 stores in 11 countries.
For more comments by Wal-Mart’s international VP, go to morningnewsbeat.com for the October 29, 2002 report. Wal-Mart moves into countries like Mexico, Britain, Germany and Japan by buying into existing companies, like Cifra, Asda, Wertkauf, and Seiyu. So the same devastation and uniformity that you have seen come to your hometown, could soon greet you everywhere you travel globally. One planet. One store. For All. The Walmartians conquer Earth.
