Discussion 9.1 Walgreens: Strategy for Entering Foreign Markets

Initial Post by Wednesday: Alliances, joint ventures, and mergers with foreign companies are widely used as means of entering foreign markets. Such arrangements have many purposes, including learning about unfamiliar environments, and the opportunity to access the complementary resources and capabilities of a foreign partner. Illustration Capsule 7.1 (page 200 of your text), provides an example of how Walgreens used a strategy of entering foreign markets via alliance, followed by a merger with the same entity. What was this entry strategy designed to achieve, and why would this make sense for a company like Walgreens? Post your analysis and reasoning in a 250-words post.