Wal-Mart and other stores are going "medical." Here’s a story on Wal-Mart’s entrance into the medical market. They are adding medical clinics to a number of stores around the country in order to test the market. The part of the story that interested me was the partnership aspect. Instead of starting their own "thing" or merging with a big health care provider, Wal-Mart is partnering with local medical groups.

Perfect!

Partnerships can be less costly and often more successful than all out mergers. Yes, there are times mergers work, but there are more and more examples of failures that make partnerships attractive and just plain smart.

Whether you’re the largest retailer in the world, or a sole proprietor, strategic partnerships might be the way to go.