Walton's Legendary Focus on Moving Merchandise
A lot of attention is put upon Walton's ability and determination to cut prices down to the lowest level he was able to. But there was another side of Walton that was the exact opposite, and he considered even more important than low prices, and that was moving merchandise.
There's one thing about a low-cost strategy, it doesn't work if the merchandise doesn't fly out of the store. That's not a problem that Wal-Mart (WMT) has ever 
had.
The dichotomy to all of this is that the two almost seem to grind against one another if you're not familiar with these two forces. I'm talking about low margins versus moving merchandise. Walton was able to reconcile these two forces within himself so they wouldn't oppose one another.
Walton knew that if the company focused on low margins and prices alone, it would be a complete failure. The only way a company makes it is through sales. So as much as the press and Wal-Mart has focused on the low-price theme, Walton said that it was never as important as the need to move product.
His focus on that and the continual battle against costs were the two powers that coalesced to to make Wal-Mart what it is today. The need to move the merchandise at a speed which made sense was one of the greatest challenges of Walton's life, and it motivated and pushed him to find the answers that would make it happen.
Other Walton Sources:
The Most Underrated CEO Ever The legendary Sam Walton
Sam Walton: The Power of Persistence
Sam Walton Business Quotes for Ya
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