China Meets Walmart (A Think)

MSNBC is reporting that Walmart is bidding $1 billion to acquire a chain of 100 hypermarket stores in China. Hypermarkets are full service supermarkets combined with general department stores. This acquisition could make Walmart China's largest food and department store network. The article states:

With China’s economy growing more than 10 percent a year, the retail market is booming. Retail sales surged 12.9 percent in 2005 over the year before, to 6.7 trillion yuan ($847 billion). By 2020, industry forecasts say the market could expand to about $2.4 trillion.

If you haven't read Thomas Friedman's book The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty First Century, now is the time to read it. It's unbelieveable to stop and think about the globalization discussed in this book as Walmart continues to globalize.

Lesson Ideas:
1. Ask students what it means for Walmart to acquire stores in China. Ask if they've ever acquired anything. Do they know of any stores in the United States that have acquired other stores. You might have students write a poem explaining what it feels like to acquire something. Students could even blog these poems.
2. China's economy continues to grow. Ask students what they know about the United State's economy (or the economy of your own nation.) How does it stack up against China. The White House's Economic Statistics Briefing Room contains useful statistics. But ask students if they think the White House might have reason to slant these statistics in one way or another.
You could have students develop graphic organizers comparing China's economy to the U.S. economy, or the economy of your own nation. In order to do this effectively they will first have to investigate different economic indicators.
3. You might consider showing your students the Powerpoint presentation posted by the blog The Fischbowl. It's entitled Did You Know. (I would strongly recommend removing aspects of the Powerpoint specifically detailing the blogger's local context. But much of the Powerpoint is valuable for everybody) Ask your students how Walmart's latest acquisition attempts figures into the message of the Powerpoint.
4. Tell students that in 1900 England was considered to be the most powerful nation in the world. Their economy flourished; they had a strong military; they had colonies throughout much of the world. Today England is no longer one of the most powerful nations in the world. Tell students to imagine the year 2030. What nation do they think will be the most powerful nation in the world? Why?
5. Within a few years, China will likely have the largest number of English speakers within its borders of any country in the world. Ask students if they think it's important for Chinese to know how to speak English. Is it important for them to know how to speak another language? Encourage students to support their opinions. In a world where the place that you live doesn't matter to the place where you work, ask students what they can do to insure that they will always have a job. Ask them what they think that they need to be able to do.

Edit or expand upon these lesson ideas at our Lesson-Wiki.