OverviewWhen someone says "Wal-Mart", there are several ideas that probably come to mind; an idea like “Everyday Low Prices,” Wal-Mart superstores, and Wal-Mart being the largest corporate giant in the world wouldn't be too far-fetched. However, Wal-Mart almost went bankrupt before it even started. In 1962, Sam Walton (the founder of Wal-Mart) probably never imagined that Wal-Mart would reach the astronomical heights that it has. Early on, Wal-Mart entered the discount retail industry when it was barely a market, opening locations specifically in the Mid-West area. Sam Walton personally had several million dollars in debt and was even quoted as saying that Wal-Mart was "underfinanced and undercapitalized." What a difference a couple of years makes. Walton decided to publicly offer Wal-Mart stock, and with the initial public offering bringing in $5 million in capital, Walton and Wal-Mart never looked back. In 1996, Wal-Mart accounted for 17 percent of sales of general merchandise, clothing and furniture, and up to 30 percent of goods such as hair products and disposable diapers. With sales of $258 billion, Wal-Mart has become the largest U.S. company in terms of sales. Part of the company's success may be contributed to Walton's vision or idea for his company, as Walton said: “the idea was simple: When customers think of Wal-Mart, they should think of low prices and satisfaction guaranteed. They could be pretty sure they wouldn't find it cheaper anywhere else, and if they didn't like it, they could bring it back. With an innovator like Walton, it's no wonder Wal-Mart is as big as it is today. This case report basically goes over the history of Wal-Mart, how they run their company, some of the technologies that allow them to produce and distribute the way they do, and how competitors are trying to survive Wal-Mart's dominance . Summary: HR : Employees receive multiple benefits by working for Wal-Mart. They offer classroom courses, computer-based learning, tutoring programs, skills assessments, and job postings, just to name a few. This would be terribly expensive, which is why competitors don't offer the same training to their employees. They also keep employees motivated by allowing them to have a say in their business operations and by hiring locally they provide job opportunities for the city they are located in. It also allows Wal-Mart to hire a diverse number of employees which keeps each store it opens unique..