The slogan "Everyday low prices" is common throughout the store and many goods are signed indicated that they have been subject to a recent price reduction.
Wal-Mart does appear to want to establish a strong presence in the community. The store is large, as is the parking lot. There is a clear intention to draw a substantial number of customers from the community and to become a major retailing force in the area. The location is a primary form of marketing for the company. Geographically, the location is out of the way, but physically its large presence makes stands out even among other box stores. And the Wal-Mart is much larger than conventional retailers. It would take a long time to walk past the Wal-Mart, and it cannot help but be noticed by all who pass it. Wal-Mart does have a large Internet presence -- they are second to Amazon in online retailing -- but the physical store appears to remain the cornerstone of the company's business.
The establishment projects dominance more than anything else. It is large and imposing. The selection of goods is immense, the customer base broad and the prices low. Whatever Wal-Mart does, it appears to do better than its competition does. It is not particularly welcoming -- the color schemes are unattractive and the store layout is a bit sloppy. The lighting is harsh...
The store appears more to be designed for efficiency, particularly in the way you are guided to certain low price goods throughout the store, something that brings you to different sections where you can be exposed to other goods as well. The Wal-Mart store does not connote high-tech -- everything looks cheap -- although it is well-known that behind the scenes Wal-Mart's distribution network is one of the most high-tech and innovative in the retailing world. One would not guess this from the in-store experience.
I did not find the service personalized at all, and the store was not convenient. In addition to be located out of the way, the parking and shopping experience is very time-consuming, especially for people only buying one or two items. However, Wal-Mart does attract a lot of customers from the community. People travel from distance to visit the nearest Wal-Mart, so it obviously has an attractive proposition. The company does not attract people with its environmental record, although there is no indication that this record is particularly poor. The company in general does not project an image of being responsible, however. I have seen many advertisements for Wal-Mart. They advertise using a number of different media, and of course are a household name at this point.
