Wal-Mart’s decision to pull out of Germany leaves it with one remaining problem child - its loss-making Seiyu stores in Japan.

As in Germany, Wal-Mart has struggled in Japan since it first took a stake in Seiyu in 2002, where it has faced similar problems - a sluggish domestic consumer market, and the challenge of adapting its global strengths to the very different cultural expectations of its Japanese customers.