Question

Amazon

Intel

Walmart

Select one of the above companies and tell me what kind of cost structure you think it has (how much of their total costs are fixed and how much are variable)? What impact does that cost structure have on the way this company may try to weather the current economic conditions?

Answer 1

Wall Mart Cost Structure -

The Wall-Mart cost structure is known to be the lowest In the retail Industry. Many economists do not agree with this structure because although consumers are happy with low prices Wall-Mart has forced Its suppliers and competitors small and big to lower their prices In order for them to maintain the Image and reputation of having the lowest prices around for quality products. Many cities and neighborhoods have banned Wall-Mart due to the fear of small businesses being run out of business sue to not being able to compete with a giant like Wall-Mart.

Like many other businesses Wall-Mart has various factors that affects it cost structure such as purchasing merchandise and real estate which seems to be the biggest expenses for this retail giant. Real estate is the biggest cost due to amount of store openings each year. Wall-Mart has focused its openings to isolated metropolitan areas and will continue to grow in order to conquer the majority of metropolitan areas. Then there Is the Merchandise In which Wall-Mart keeps a large Inventory of .

The fixed and variable costs are nothing more than the corporations' operating average in which the companies assets and liabilities are analyzed. Wall-Mart has used their operating leverage to the utmost of their ability. By purchasing the majority of real estate that the Wall-Mart stores and other divisions are located on, they are able to create assets rather than liabilities. Although there are areas of the united States and many other countries that lease the property for an specified amount. Along with other operating costs the company maintains to continually grow which adds to this dilemma.

Wall-Mart seems to be one of the top corporations with a low amount of fixed costs ND variable costs being large. The merchandise of Wall-Mart amounts to another one of Wall-Mart's biggest costs due to the amount of ,inventory. For when a product rings in they have to pay for the supply of that product in which if the cost of goods sold rises the sales revenues will rise. The price elasticity of Wall-Mart consumer demand is one of a fickle nature. The Wall-Mart management team has analyzed that when times are hard revenues increase.