Opportunities abound as Wal-Mart's global expansion paves the way for heightened interest in American fods

摘要

American pop culture and fast food are being gobbled up around the world, but Wal-Mart could boost the popularity of U.S. food products to new heights. Many U.S. retail chains, including Costco and Whole Foods, are now expanding beyond U.S. borders, but the largest American retailer, Wal-Mart, has the most aggressive global strategy. When McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken branched out beyond their domestic U.S. markets, they introduced American eating preferences and habits along withhamburgers, French fries, pizza and fried chicken to nearly every continent. Subway, the health-conscious sandwich chain, has translated its vast U.S. presence to encompass some 20,000 franchises in more than 75 countries.