1.It would be difficult to duplicate Walmart's Retail Link because other retailers do not have access to the same resources and supplier relationships that Walmart has.Why can't other large retailers easily duplicate Walmart's Retail Link?Retail Link connects Walmart's largest suppliers to its own inventory management system and requires them to track actual sales.Walmart's supply chain starts with its application of network technology that is used to coordinate it. They have more than 60,000 suppliers worldwide, the largest in the world.In order to know which products to order from suppliers and have in stock, Walmart must have access to information about consumer purchases.Through its EDI-based supply chain management, Walmart has a strong influence on all of its suppliers, by requiring them to use the network to respond to orders and to track actual sales in order to replenish supplies according to demand.The replenishment of supplies is dictated by the demand recorded through Retail Link's inventory management.Why is a detailed knowledge of consumer purchases at each store important to Walmart's success?Why does Walmart encourage its vendors to learn how to use Retail Link?Walmart encourages its vendors to learn how to use Retail Link because it makes it easier on the company itself.2.3.4.