--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know what would have happened to…" description: "\"I don't know what would have happened to Wal-Mart if we had laid low and never stirred up the competition. My guess is that we would have remained a st..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/sam-walton-4376_competition_i-don-t-know-what-would-have-happened-to_659763.jpg" --- # I don't know what would have happened to Wal-Mart if we… ![“I don't know what would have happened to Wal-Mart if we had laid low and never stirred up the competition. My guess is that we would have remained a strictly regional operator.” quote by Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/sam-walton-4376_competition_i-don-t-know-what-would-have-happened-to_659763.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/sam-walton-4376_competition_i-don-t-know-what-would-have-happened-to_659763.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/sam-walton-4376_competition_i-don-t-know-what-would-have-happened-to_659763.jpg) > “I don't know what would have happened to Wal-Mart if we had laid low and never stirred up the competition. My guess is that we would have remained a strictly regional operator.” [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If Wal‑Mart had avoided competition, it likely would have stayed a local retailer instead of becoming a global chain. **In simple terms:** Avoiding competition would have kept Wal‑Mart regional. Key Takeaway Embrace competition to grow. Themes competition growth strategy market dynamics Mood determined optimistic strategic Type business motivational When to use this quote - retail expansion - market entry - business planning - strategic risk assessment Key Concepts economics scale regional vs global expansion Questions to Reflect On - What risks arise from aggressive expansion? - How can a company balance competition with stability? A Different Perspective Competition can also bring higher costs and market volatility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Guess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guess/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Happened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happened/) [Happened Wal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happened-wal-5259213/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Laid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laid/) [Low](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/low/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Operator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/operator/) [Regional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regional/) [Regional Operator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regional-operator-5259210/) [Remained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remained/) [Remained Strictly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remained-strictly-5259212/) [Stirred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stirred/) [Strictly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strictly/) [Strictly Regional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strictly-regional-5259211/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Wal Mart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wal-mart-338804/) [Wal-mart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wal-mart/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) ## Related quotes > [“A big-time operator does not sleep with a woman of the town.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anyaele-sam-chiyson/a-big-time-operator-does-not-sleep-with-a-woman-of-the-town/) [Anyaele Sam Chiyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anyaele-sam-chiyson/) > [YouTube's traffic continues to grow very quickly. Video is something that we think is going to be embedded everywhere. And it makes sense, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/youtube-s-traffic-continues-to-grow-very-quickly-video-is-something/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [“Being an operator will make you a living. Being an owner will make you a fortune - Tony Robbins”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-wagner/being-an-operator-will-make-you-a-living-being-an-owner-will-make-you/) [Tyler Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-wagner/) > [Yes, if I had it my way I would do all the shots myself - I used to do that when I was just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-muren/yes-if-i-had-it-my-way-i-would-do-all-the-shots-myself-i-used-to-do/) [Dennis Muren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-muren/) > [I love Ableton's vocoder and Operator for basic side subs and general low-end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oneohtrix-point-never/i-love-ableton-s-vocoder-and-operator-for-basic-side-subs-and-general/) [Oneohtrix Point Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oneohtrix-point-never/) > [Mark de Mori is a solid operator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/mark-de-mori-is-a-solid-operator/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) > [Operator! Give me the number for 911!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/operator-give-me-the-number-for-911/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You’ll also hear developers refer to === (strict equality) as the “identity” operator.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-freeman/you-ll-also-hear-developers-refer-to-strict-equality-as-the-identity/) [Eric Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-freeman/) > [911 operator what's your emergency Are ya'll hiring? follow me on FACEBOOK ; Dee Rackedd Upp II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-bey/911-operator-what-s-your-emergency-are-ya-ll-hiring-follow-me-on/) [Derrick Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-bey/) > [A common pickpocket trick is for the operator to carry a shawl or overcoat carelessly over the left arm, and to take a seat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-houdini/a-common-pickpocket-trick-is-for-the-operator-to-carry-a-shawl-or/) [Harry Houdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-houdini/) > [It ain't the picture and it ain't the camera - it's the operator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-travaglia/it-ain-t-the-picture-and-it-ain-t-the-camera-it-s-the-operator/) [Simon Travaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-travaglia/) > [In 'Winter's Bone,' it's literally the director and the camera operator. That's it. Just a super-small Kubrick crew. You know what I mean? Like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hader/in-winter-s-bone-it-s-literally-the-director-and-the-camera-operator/) [Bill Hader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hader/) > [Being a 911 operator means balancing seemingly contradictory skills. On one hand, operators have to be fanatically precise and well-organized. On the other, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-wolf/being-a-911-operator-means-balancing-seemingly-contradictory-skills/) [Gary Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-wolf/) > [If you had a national grid with one operator, you had twenty or even a hundred operators, if you don't have the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-abraham/if-you-had-a-national-grid-with-one-operator-you-had-twenty-or-even-a/) [Spencer Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-abraham/) > [Every serious nuclear accident involves operator error, so you want to eliminate the operator altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/every-serious-nuclear-accident-involves-operator-error-so-you-want-to/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) ## More by Sam Walton > [It is unhealthy to marinate in your own press clippings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/it-is-unhealthy-to-marinate-in-your-own-press-clippings/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [Loosen up, and everybody around you will loosen up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/loosen-up-and-everybody-around-you-will-loosen-up/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [All of us profit from being corrected - if we're corrected in a positive way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/all-of-us-profit-from-being-corrected-if-we-re-corrected-in-a/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [The secret of successful retailing is to give your customers what they want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/the-secret-of-successful-retailing-is-to-give-your-customers-what/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [If I had to single out one element in my life that has made a difference for me, it would be a passion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/if-i-had-to-single-out-one-element-in-my-life-that-has-made-a/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [We're all working together; that's the secret. And we'll lower the cost of living for everyone, not just in America, but we'll give the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/we-re-all-working-together-that-s-the-secret-and-we-ll-lower-the-cost/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [The key to success is to get out into the store and listen to what the associates have to say. It's terribly important for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/the-key-to-success-is-to-get-out-into-the-store-and-listen-to-what/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [I think my constant fiddling and meddling with the status quo may have been one of my biggest contributions to the later success of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/i-think-my-constant-fiddling-and-meddling-with-the-status-quo-may/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [High expectations is the key to everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/high-expectations-is-the-key-to-everything/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [Exceed your customer's expectations. If you do, they'll come back over and over. Give them what they want - and a little more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/exceed-your-customer-s-expectations-if-you-do-they-ll-come-back-over/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They're absolutely free and worth a fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/nothing-else-can-quite-substitute-for-a-few-well-chosen-well-timed/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [I was asked what I thought about the recession. I thought about it and decided not to take part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/i-was-asked-what-i-thought-about-the-recession-i-thought-about-it-and/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [Capital isn't hard to find; intuition, yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/capital-isn-t-hard-to-find-intuition-yes/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [Commit to your business. Believe in it more than anybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/commit-to-your-business-believe-in-it-more-than-anybody-else/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) > [Our best ideas come from clerks and stockboys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-walton/our-best-ideas-come-from-clerks-and-stockboys/) [Sam Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) [Explore all 112 Sam Walton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-walton/) ## More Competition quotes > [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/) [Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [People think that the Club World Cup is an easy competition, but it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keylor-navas/people-think-that-the-club-world-cup-is-an-easy-competition-but-it-s/) [Keylor Navas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keylor-navas/) > [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [“At times, competition can be a good thing. But a person's value isn't something that can be ranked, is it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hotaru-odagiri/at-times-competition-can-be-a-good-thing-but-a-person-s-value-isn-t/) [Hotaru Odagiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hotaru-odagiri/) > [Our competition has always been anything that is wasting your time when you're bored at work. In a broad sense. We want people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-ohanian/our-competition-has-always-been-anything-that-is-wasting-your-time/) [Alexis Ohanian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-ohanian/) > [I've always considered making it legal for Americans to import their prescription drugs a free-trade issue. Imports create competition and keep domestic industry more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/i-ve-always-considered-making-it-legal-for-americans-to-import-their/) [Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/) > [Honestly, we’ll compete with everybody. I love competition. As long as people invent their own stuff, I love competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/honestly-we-ll-compete-with-everybody-i-love-competition-as-long-as/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [I try to keep up with everything - all wrestling across the board. I want to know what the competition is doing, what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-hardy/i-try-to-keep-up-with-everything-all-wrestling-across-the-board-i/) [Matt Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-hardy/) > [Sometimes in England, people look down at the Europa League, but being from the continent, I've always realised what an important competition it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mignolet/sometimes-in-england-people-look-down-at-the-europa-league-but-being/) [Simon Mignolet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mignolet/) > [“There is a scene in one of the Rocky movies where after the match Apollo Creed and Rocky are waiting for the scoring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/there-is-a-scene-in-one-of-the-rocky-movies-where-after-the-match/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [I've always written. When I was in school, the only teacher who ever liked me was my creative writing teacher. I used to enter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-townes-earle/i-ve-always-written-when-i-was-in-school-the-only-teacher-who-ever/) [Justin Townes Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-townes-earle/) > [Competition between men is a fuel that's useful to us. We have to be careful that it doesn't tell the same story over too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-irwin/competition-between-men-is-a-fuel-that-s-useful-to-us-we-have-to-be/) [Bill Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-irwin/) [Browse all 3,894 Competition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't know what would have happened to Wal-Mart if we had laid low and never stirred up the competition. 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