"Somehow over the years people have gotten the impression that Wal-Mart was...just this great idea that turned into an overnight success. But...it was an outgrowth of everything we'd been doing since [1945]...And like most overnight successes, it was about twenty years in the making."

Each Wal-Mart store should reflect the values of its customers and support the vision they hold for their community.

Expenses should never exceed one percent of our purchases.

If you want a successful business, your people must feel that you are working for them - not that they are working for you.

Communicate everything you can to your associates. The more they know, the more they care. Once they care, there is no stopping them.

...You can make a positive out of most any negative if you work at it hard enough.

"Somehow over the years people have gotten the impression that Wal-Mart was...just this great idea that turned into an overnight success. But...it was an outgrowth of everything we'd been doing since [1945]...And like most overnight successes, it was about twenty years in the making."