The Wal-Mart experience

In vielen deutschen Unternehmen hat man sich im Laufe der Zeit mit Erfolg dem amerikanischen Managementstil angepasst. Doch nicht alles, was in den USA funktioniert, ist auf europäische oder deutsche Verhältnisse übertragbar, wie Robert Gibson berichtet.

The failure of the US retailing giant Wal-Mart in Germany is a good example of the dangers of applying practices that are successful at home to foreign markets. Wal-Mart entered the German market in 1997 and 1998 by acquiring the Wertkauf and Interspar chains. The aim was to get a share of the lucrative German market and have a base for further expansion in Europe. After a series of losses, Wal-Mart announced its withdrawal from Germany in 2006, less than ten years later. Many commentators have asked what went wrong.

Strong competition, the poor location of the stores and an ill-conceived acquisition strategy have been seen as major causes of the fiasco. But it is widely accepted that cultural factors also played a role. Two key areas in which the US management failed to consider cultural differences were labour relations and consumer behaviour.