Wal-Mart
Response to the following problem:
Wal-Mart, as the world's largest retailer, is well known for its ability to keep its cost of goods sold very low. However, as pointed out in its Management's Discussion and Analysis for 2006, Wal-Mart's costs are influenced by a number of other factors including interest rates, employment and labor costs, inflation, fuel prices, and weather patterns. Discuss how each of these factors could affect Wal-Mart's cost of goods sold.