2. Do you apply to become a Wal-Mart supplier, with all that entails? Why or why not?Selling to Wal-Mart Because of your company’s success, the end-of-theyear accounting review is usually an upbeat occasion, and this December is no different. Your company manufactures an innovative kickstand that reduces injuries by keeping a child’s bike from falling all the way to the ground. After the device was written up in a parents’ magazine recently, sales to specialty bike shops—your primary customers—

have started to climb. Despite the increased demand, you can still make kickstands to order.

At a meeting with your management team, you remark that although sales are increasing at a slow but steady rate, the company still has a large amount of excess capacity.

A colleague agrees and then enthusiastically announces,

“I know how to take care of that. Let’s sell to Wal-Mart!”

A hush falls over the meeting. Becoming a Wal-Mart supplier would mean honing your current distribution process into a fi nely tuned, perfect delivery operation. The retailing behemoth gives suppliers a 30-second window to deliver their goods to Wal-Mart distribution center