There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.

Included in the effort was a willingness to find American manufacturers who could supply merchandise for the entire Wal-Mart chain at a price low enough to meet the foreign competition. Upon graduating in 1940 with a Bachelor's of Economics he was voted "permanent president" of the class. Buying in volume and efficient delivery permitted sale of discounted name brand merchandise.