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other。
Wal…Mart is the China of companies。 It has so much leverage that it can grind down
any supplier to the last halfpenny。 And it is not at all hesitant about using its
ability to play its foreign and domestic suppliers off against each other。
Some suppliers have found ways to flourish under the pressure and become better at
what they do。 If all of Wal…Mart's suppliers were being squeezed dry by Wal…Mart；
Wal…Mart would have no suppliers。 So obviously many of them are thriving as Wal…Mart's
partners。 But some no doubt have translated Wal…Mart's incessant price pressure into
lower wages and benefits for their employees or watched as their business moved to
China； whence Wal…Mart's supply chain pulled in 18 billion worth of goods in 2004
from five thousand Chinese suppliers。 〃If Wal…Mart were an individual economy； it
would rank as China's eighth138
biggest trading partner； ahead of Russia； Australia and Canada；〃 Xu Jun； the spokesman
for Wal…Mart China； told the China Business Weekly （November 29； 2004）。
The successor generation to Sam Walton's leadership seems to recognize that it has
both an image and a reality to fix。 How far Wal…Mart will adjust remains to be seen。
But when I asked Wal…Mart's CEO； H。 Lee Scott Jr。； directly about all these issues；
he did not duck。 In fact； he wanted to talk about it。 〃What I think I have to do is
institutionalize this sense of obligation to society to the same extent that we have
institutionalized the commitment to the customer；〃 said Scott。 〃The world has changed
and we have missed that。 We believed that good intentions and good stores and good
prices would cause people to forgive what we are not as good at； and we were wrong。〃
In certain areas； he added； 〃we are not as good as we should be。 We just have to get
better。〃
One trend that Wal…Mart insists it is not responsible for is the off…shoring of
manufacturing。 〃We are much better off if we can buy merchandise made in the United
States；〃 said Glass。 〃I spent two years going around this country tryingto talkpeople
into manufacturing here。 We would pay more to buy it here because the manufacturing
facilities in those towns ＇would create jobs for＇ all those people who shopped in
our stores。 Sanyo had a plant here ＇in Arkansas＇ making television sets for Sears；
and Sears cut them off； so they decided they were closing the plant and going to move
part to Mexico and part to Asia。 Our governor asked if we would help。 We decided we
would buy television sets from Sanyo ＇if they would keep the plant in Arkansas＇； and
they didn't want to do it。 They wanted to move it； and ＇the governor＇ even talked
to the ＇Japanese owning＇ family to try to persuade them to stay。 Between his efforts
and ours； we persuaded them to do it。 They are now the world's largest producer of
televisions。 We just bought our fifty millionth set from them。 But for the most part
people in this country have just abandoned the manufacturing process。 They say； 'I
want to sell to you； but I don't want the responsibility for the buildings and
employees ＇and health care＇。 I want to source it somewhere else。' So we were forced
to source merchandise in other places in the world。〃 He added； 〃One of my concerns
139
is that； with the manufacturing out of this country； one day we'll all be selling
hamburgers to each other。〃
The best way to get a taste of Wal…Mart's power as a global flattener is to visit
Japan。
Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry opened a largely closed Japanese society to the
Western world on July 8； 1853； when he arrived in Edo （Tokyo） Bay with four big black
steamships bristling with guns。 According to the Naval Historical Center Web site；
the Japanese； not knowing that steamships even existed； were shocked by the sight
of them and thought they were 〃giant dragons puffing smoke。〃 Commodore Perry returned
a year later； and on March 31； 1854； concluded the Treaty of Kanagawa with the Japanese
authorities； gaining U。S。 vessels access to the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate and
opening a U。S。 consulate in Shimoda。 This treaty led to an explosion of trade between
Japan and the United States； helped open Japan to the Western world generally； and
is widely credited with triggering the modernization of the Japanese state； as the
Japanese realized how far behind they were and rushed to catch up。 And catch up they
did。 In so many areas； from automobiles to consumer electronics to machine tools；
from the Sony Walkman to the Lexus； the Japanese learned every lesson they could from
Western nations and then proceeded to beat us at our own game…except one： retailing；
especially discount retailing。 Japan could make those Sonys like nobody else； but
when it came to selling them at a discount； well； that was another matter。
So almost exactly 150 years after Commodore Perry signed that treaty； another
lesser…known treaty was signed； actually a business partnership。 Call itthe
Seiyu…Wal…Mart Treaty of 2003。 Unlike Commodore Perry； Wal…Mart did not have tomuscle
its way into Japan with warships。 Its reputation preceded it； which is why it was
invited in by Seiyu； a struggling Japanese retail chain desperate to adapt the
Wal…Mart formula in Japan； a country notorious for resisting big…box discount stores。
As I traveled on the bullet train from Tokyo to Numazu； Japan； site of the first
Seiyu store that was using the Wal…Mart methods； the New York Times translator pointed
out that this store was located about one hundred miles from Shimoda and that first
U。S。 consulate。 Commodore Perry probably would have loved shopping in the new Seiyu
store； where all the music piped in consists of Western tunes designed tolull shoppers
into filling their carts； and where you can buy a man's suit…made in China…for 65
and awhite shirt togo with itfor 5。 That's what they call around Wal…Mart EDLP…Every
Day Low Prices…and it was one of the first phrases Wal…Mart folks learned to say in
Japanese。
Wal…Mart's flattening effects are fully on display in the Seiyu store in Numazu…not
just the everyday low prices； but the wide aisles； the big pallets of household goods；
the huge signs displaying the lowest prices in each category； and the Wal…Mart
supply…chain computer system so that store managers can quickly adjust stock。
I asked Seiyu's CEO； Masao Kiuchi； why he had turned to Wal…Mart。 〃The first time
I knew about Wal…Mart was about fifteen years ago；〃 explainedKiuchi。 〃I went to Dallas
to see the Wal…Mart stores； and I thought this was a very rational method。 It was
two things： One was the signage showing the prices。 It was very easy for us to
understand。〃 The second； he said； was that the Japanese thought a discount store meant
that you sold cheap products at cheap prices。 What he realized from shopping at
Wal…Mart； and seeing everything from plasma TVs to top…brand pet products； was that
Wal…Mart sold quality products at low prices。
〃At the store in Dallas； I took pictures； and I brought those pictures to my colleagues
in Seiyu and said； 'Look； we have to see what Wal…Mart is doing on the other side
of the planet' But showing pictures was not good enough； because how can you understand
by justlooking at pictures？〃 recalled Kiuchi。 Eventually； Kiuchi approached Wal…Mart；
and they signed a partnership on December 31； 2003。 Wal…Mart bought a piece of Seiyu；
in return； Wal…Mart agreed to teach Seiyu its unique form of collaboration： global
supply…chaining to bring consumers the best goods at the lowest prices。
There was one big thing； though； that Seiyu had to teach Wal…Mart； Kiuchi told me：
how to sell raw fish。 Japanese discounters and department stores all have grocery
sections； and they all carry fish for very dis141
criminating Japanese consumers。 Seiyu will discount fish several times during each
day； as the freshness declines。
〃Wal…Mart doesn't understand raw fish；〃 said Kiuchi。 〃We are expecting their help
with general merchandising。〃
Give Wal…Mart time。 I expect that in the not…too…distant future we will see Wal…Mart
sushi。
Somebody had better warn the tuna。
Flattener #8
Insourcing
What the Guys in Funny Brown Shorts Are Really Doing
One of the most enjoyable things about researching this book has been discovering
all sorts of things happening in the world around me of which I had no clue。 Nothing
was more surprisingly interesting than pulling the curtain back on UPS； United Parcel
Service。 Yes； those folks； the ones who wear the homely brown shorts and drive those
ugly brown trucks。 Turns out that while I was sleeping； stodgy old UPS became a huge
force flattening the world。
Once again； it was one of my Indian tutors； Nandan Nilekani； the Infosys CEO； who
tipped me off to this。 〃FedEx and UPS should be one of your flatteners。 They're not
just delivering packages； they are doing logistics；〃 he told me on the phone from
Bangalore one day。 Naturally； I filed the thought away； making a note to check it
out； without having any clue what he was getting at。 A few months later I went to
China； and while there I was afflicted with jet lag one night and was watching CNN
Inter