Innovation,Technology or What????????

Its a statement of many businessmen that supply chain play a vital role in any business, there are various well known examples: J.C.Penny (retail chain in US), Walmart, Zara fashion designed cloth chain, obermeyer etc which believe that SCM play a vital role behind any successful organization.
What about innovation, creativity, customer care?
There is a very simple example of Nordstrom a retail chain of footwear, apparels etc , this company's main objective is customer satisfaction at any cost. So it keeps huge stock of all items of all varieties which increases its total inventory cost, holding cost etc even though this company is doing excellently well in US and its among big retailers of USA.

My question to all of u is: Is there any specific set of rules for retail companies for their success or do they design their own set of rule on the basis of their personal experience for success.