Wal‐Mart in Europe: prospects for Germany, the UK and France

Wal‐Mart is the world’s largest retailer with ambitious plans to increase its international sales. Europe is a logical target for Wal‐Mart to consolidate and build upon acquisitions in Germany and the UK. This paper assesses the opportunities for Wal‐Mart in these markets and in France, which has the highest level of sales through food retailers in Europe. While Wal‐Mart has made an impact in both Germany and the UK, it has not been as successful as originally envisaged. Moreover, its growth aspirations have been frustrated by the difficulty in making further acquisitions in Germany and France because of the nature of ownership of targeted companies.