Achieving competitive advantage through Porter's Generic Competitive Strategies: Wal-Mart case study

Abstract

Michael Porter presented three generic strategies namely cost leadership, differentiation, and focus that a firm can use to overcome the five forces and achieve a

competitive advantage. This study discussed the role of Porter’s generic strategies on Wal- Mart’s Competitive Advantage. As the descriptive and analytical approach was used to

address the problem of the study. A company like Wal-Mart Stores, Inc (referred to as Walmart henceforth) is a wholesale/retail business that operates through: Walmart US, Walmart International and Sam’s Club, and operates in a highly competitive industry; It has integrated some strategies that enable the company to compete effectively. The purpose of this article is to analyze Wal-Mart's competitive advantage and explain how it has achieved a competitive advantage through its strategies, knowledge and resources.