Recently, we have seen the scale increase another level with
major mergers or takeovers on the international stage, eg Wal-Mart of
Woolco in Canada, Asda in the UK and Seiyu in Japan; the merger of
Carrefour and Promodès in France; and the expansion of Ahold and
Delhaize across the world (though scale alone may not always guarantee
success). The world’s leading retailers are now amongst some of the
biggest organizations around and have an increasingly international
approach. Their professionalized management approach has changed
the sector and its supply systems.