The company owned a fleet of more than 3,000 trucks and 12,000 trailers.(Most competitors outsourced trucking.) wal-Mart had implemented a satellite network system that allowed information to be shared between the company's wide network of stores, distribution centers, and suppliers. The system consolidated orders for goods, enabling the company to buy full truckload quantities without incurring the inventory costs.
In its early years, Wal mart strategy was to build large discount stores in small rural towns. By contrast,competitors such as K-mart focused on large towns with populations greater than 50,000. wal-Marts marketing strategy was to guarantee "everyday low prices" as a way to pull in customers. Traditional discount retailers relied on advertised "sales'