Wal-Mart in India: a success or failure?

摘要

Purpose - The main purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges that Wal-Mart may face as it expands into the Indian retail market. Wal-Mart's failures in Germany and South Korea are analyzed to identify learnings that could be utilized in the Indian expansion. Design/methodology/approach - Dunning's eclectic theory as applied to international expansion is used to analyze Wal-Mart's advantages and disadvantages in Germany and South Korea. The theory is then applied to India to understand the possible advantages and disadvantages for Wal-Mart in entering the Indian retail market. Findings - The key findings of the study are that Wal-Mart faces many ownership as well as locational disadvantages while expanding in India. These significant challenges need to be well-understood and suitably addressed for success in the Indian market. Originality/value - This report makes a contribution towards understanding the challenges in entering an international market using a case study. The study helps analyze international experiences can be leveraged in future plans of international expansion.