An interview with Wal-Mart’s John Fleming - The McKinsey Quarterly - wal-mart john fleming - Retail & Consumer Goods

Retail & Consumer Goods, Strategy & Analysis Article, wal-mart john fleming

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Confronting proliferation ... in retail: An interview with Wal-Mart’s John Fleming

With $350 billion in sales and more than 6,000 stores across the globe, Wal-Mart Stores would face complex marketing challenges even in a tranquil environment.
As the needs of customers fragment, the task becomes still more daunting.
In this interview, chief merchandising officer John Fleming, who previously served as president and CEO of Walmart.com and as chief marketing officer of Wal-Mart, describes the company’s efforts to segment customers more finely than it has in the past and to tailor the in-store experience to the needs of those segments.
Fleming also describes how Wal-Mart is building its marketing capabilities to cope with an increasingly complex world.

This article contains the following exhibit:

Biography of Wal-Mart’s John E. Fleming

Confronting proliferation
This interview is part of a series of conversations between the Quarterly and senior marketers about the challenges and opportunities created by marketing proliferation. Read how these other executives are navigating today's complex, rapidly changing marketing environment.

Confronting proliferation ... in beer: An interview with Carlsberg’s Alex Myers
Carlsberg’s senior vice president, Western Europe, explains what the company is doing to cope with proliferating channels, media, and customer segments and describes the benefits of its functional-excellence programs.

Confronting proliferation ... in mobile communications: An interview with Nokia’s senior marketer
Keith Pardy discusses the challenges of maintaining a strong global presence while keeping pace with the explosion of products and marketing channels.

Confronting proliferation...in online media: An interview with Yahoo!’s senior marketer
Cammie Dunaway explains how she is preparing for the future by shifting the company’s marketing dollars to vehicles whose returns can be measured and by fostering intellectual curiosity.

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