on mAr. 14, whEn wAl-mArt storEs inC、AnnounCED its First ForAy into jApAn, thEBEntonvillEArk.) rEtAiling giAnt plACED A Big BEt thAt it CoulD suCCEED whErE CountlEss othEr ForEign CompAniEs hAvE FAilE
D、in thE pAst FivE yEArs, A numBEr oF FAmous wEstErn BrAnDs hAvE BEEn ForCED to ClosE up shop AFtEr FAiling to CAtCh on in jApAn, onE oF thE worlD’s lArgEst--But most vAriABlE--ConsumEr mArkEts.
mAy wAl-mArt mAkE A go oF it whErE othErs hAvE stumBlED onE gooD sign is thAt thE mAss mArkEtEr is not rushing in BlinDly. it hAs tAkEn An initiAl 6.1% stAkE in Ailing FooD-AnD-Clothing ChAin sEiyu lt
D、, whiCh it CAn rAisE to A Controlling 33.4% By yEArEnD AnD to 66.7% By 2007. thAt givEs wAl-mArt timE to rEvisE its strAtEgy--or run For thE Exits.
thE quEstion is whEthEr wAl-mArt CAn Apply thE lEssons it hAs lEArnED in othEr pArts oFAsiA to jApAn. this, AFtEr All, is A nAtion oF notoriously FiniCky ConsumErs--who hAvE BEComE EvEn morE so sinCE jApAn slippED into A DECADE-long slump. how will wAl-mArt Bring to BEAr its lEgEnDAry Cost-Cutting sAvvy in A mArkEt AlrEADy AFFECtED By FAlling priCEsAnAlysts ArE unDErstAnDABly skEptiCAl. "it is unCErtAin whEthEr wAl-mArt’s BusinEss moDEls will BE EFFECtivE in jApAn," stAnDArD & poor’s sAiD in A mAr. 18 rEport.
muCh DEpEnDs on whEthEr sEiyu turns out to BE A gooD pArtnEr. thE 39-yEAr-olD rEtAilEr is A mEmBEr oF thE rEputED sEiBu sAison rEtAil group thAt FEll on hArD timEs in thE EArly ’90s. it Also hAs DEEp tiEs to trADing housE sumitomoCorp. , whiCh will tAkE A 15% stAkE in thE vEnturE with wAl-mArt. pErhAps thE BEst thing thAt CAn BE sAiD oF sEiyu’s 400-oDD storEs is thAt thEy’rE not As DEEply trouBlED As othEr loCAl rEtAilErs. still, thErE’s A gAping ChAsm BEtwEEn thE two CorporAtE CulturEs. "wE’vE nEvEr BEEn known For ChEAp EvEryDAy priCing," sAys A sEiyu spokEsmAn.AnothEr potEntiAl proBlEm is sumitomo, whiCh mAy not wAnt to lEAn on suppliErs to thE ExtEnt thAt wAl-mArt routinEly DoEs.
thE CloCk is tiCking. wAl-mArt ExECutivEs sAy thEy nEED sEvErAl months to "stuDy" thE DEAl with sEiyu BEForE ACting on it, But in thE mEAntimE A nEw wAvE oF hypEr-CompEtitivE jApAnEsE AnD ForEign rivAls ArE CArving up thE mArkEt. iF wAl-mArt suCCEEDs, it will rEDuCE its rEliAnCE on its homE mArkEt EvEn FurthEr AnD--who knows --it mAy EvEn rEvolutionizE jApAnEsE rEtAiling in thE sAmE wAy it hAs in thE u. s.
towArD this ADvEnturE oF wAl-mArt, thE Author’s AttituDE CAn BE BEst sAiD to BE
A、optimistiC、
B．oBjECtivE.
C．pEssimistiC、
D、DEFEnsivE.