Walmart is probably one of the best-known supermarket chains in the world. Even if you're not American, you've probably heard of it or seen something about it in some form of media. Indeed, Walmart is so big that it's the third biggest employer in the world after the U.S. Department of Defense and the Chinese army.
Millions of people visit the stores each day, and some of them can be really quirky characters. The subreddit "People of Walmart" is the place for people to post about other shoppers that have caught their eye. Whether because of their appearance, secondhand embarrassment, or just being funny in a wholesome way – Walmart truly does bring out something in everyone.
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#1 Sisters Of Walmart
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#2 An Example Of The Good People Of Wal-Mart
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#3 Hey Bartender
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Really, who doesn't know Walmart? It's the biggest retailer in the world by revenue, and a brand name that people recognize almost anywhere around the world. The Walmart business model is derived from the 19th century five-and-dime store model. Basically, it's the kind of place where you can buy a wide variety of items, ranging from food, clothing, and household goods to electronics and toys.
Early on, Walmart's business strategy was to put their stores in more rural, remote locations, so they they wouldn't have to compete with other big retailers. Nowadays, market experts credit that as a main component of the retailer's success. On the other hand, it also led to a lot of small business being forced to close, so Walmart has gotten a lot of criticism over the years for that.
#4 I Wish We Had Walmarts In Europe
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#5 I Do Not Know If This Fits, But Jesus Christ, What?!
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#6 Not Sure If This Fits Or Not
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The first Walmart store was opened in Arkansas in 1962. It was named the "Wal-Mart Discount City," and Sam Walton was the founder that wanted to combine low prices and good customer experiences. Walmart started out as a family-friendly, customer-oriented store, and soon, when the 1980s rolled around, they had 276 stores around the country.
Experts say that what made Walmart stand out amongst competitors was their low prices, a wide selection of goods, and family-friendly ideals. In the 1990s, it expanded to other countries like Mexico—and even to China. Nowadays, Walmart also operates in Canada, Chile, India, and several Central American and African countries.
#7 Well What Did You Expect?
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#8 Walmart Parking Lot Never Dissapoints
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#9 I Saw Something Similar To This The Other Day Here And Wanted To Introduce You Guys To My Towns Walmart Model: Everyone, Meet Carl
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Those who have worked at Walmart know that it has a somewhat peculiar, albeit wholesome tradition. It's the "Walmart cheer"; a chant employees have to do daily to keep their spirits up and offer customers the best service possible. Founder Sam Walton was inspired to incorporate the Walmart cheer into his stores after a visit to a Korean tennis ball manufacturing facility. But whether or not employees actually like the tradition, well, we'll leave that for you to decide for yourselves.
#10 Thought This Belonged Here
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#11 This Guy Is Definitely Safe
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#12 Dressed Up?
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One of the core principles of Walmart is its low prices. The retailer has always been focused on convincing their customers that they won't find such low prices anywhere else. This means that Walmart's net profit margin has remained around 1-5% for most of its existence since the 1960s. Most businesses that deliver goods bought online, for example, have margins in the range of 60%.
#13 Seen This On Fb
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#14 This Is A Wholesome Story: Charlene Works At A Maryland Walmart, And Appears On Their Facebook Page To Demonstrate Products. Now She’s Web-Famous
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#15 This Turkey Cut Me Off And Took My Parking Spot
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So, how did Walmart become a hub for the weird and the quirky? In 2011, Walmart spokesperson Lorenzo Lopez told NPR that the stores are, in essence, a mirror of the American people. "Over the years, Walmart has become a microcosm of American life," he said. "Some of the stories that make news are the unusual and sometimes unfortunate events, but the ones we embrace are the simple acts of kindness we see every day among our associates and customers."
#16 I Hope This Counts?
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#17 Elderly Employee Poses With Products
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#18 Great Job Sam!
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Charles Fishman, the author of The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World's Most Powerful Company Really Works – and How It's Transforming the American Economy, agrees, and says that Walmarts have sort of become the modern version of town squares in America. "Walmart, long accused of draining the life from the town squares and main streets of small-town America, has gradually become the main square of the United States, replacing the place it has helped put out of business," he explained.
#19 Not All Heroes Wear Capes
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#20 This Is Why My Damn Fruits Cost So Much
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#21 Call Me!
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The weirdest stuff sometimes really does happen at Walmart stores. Just this spring, a woman made a TikTok video showing how the chicken nuggets she had just bought from a Walmart were "empty." And she wasn't the only one – other customers reported buying similar nuggets as well. The mom, Amanda, told TODAY.com that the nuggets were intended for her kid's lunch, but receiving the chicken-less nuggets meant she had to scramble and find something else to put in his lunchbox that day.
#22 When You Need To Update Your Wardrobe Because Fall Is Coming Up
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#23 Found This Gem This Morning At Walmart
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#24 A Little Trashy, But At Least He Doesn't Work There
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What has your experience with Walmart been, Pandas? What's your view on this ultimate symbol of capitalism? Let us know your opinions and funny experiences in the comments! And if you'd like to see more posts of people acting weird, quirky, or wholesome at their local Walmart, check out our previous posts here and here!
#25 Just Another Day At Walmart
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#26 Shopping In An Nc Walmart Right Now And This Man Has A Live Possum On His Shoulder 😂🐀
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#27 Just A Nibble
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#28 Walmart Employee Spreading Cheer
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#29 Found The Guy From The Math Problems
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#30 Yep
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#31 Seems Legit
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#32 Is.... Is This What These Are For?
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#33 Let Me Just Pop On My 12 Inch Heels And Head On Down To Walmart
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#34 Are People Of Lowe’s Acceptable?
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#35 My Boyfriend Decided This Is What He Wanted To Wear To Walmart Today
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#36 What’s This Design?
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#37 You've Yee'd Your Last Haw
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#38 Yeehaw
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#39 True Story
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#40 I Don't Know Why This Makes Me Laugh
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#41 Day 3 And No One Knows I’m Up Here
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#42 An Empty Cart-Rack Seems Appropriate Today
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#43 Bikini Selection At Wal★mart
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#44 Bald Eagle Neck Beard
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#45 Found In Southeast Missouri
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#46 This Muppet
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#47 Barbarians Of Walmart
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#48 Don't Know If This Was Already Posted But It 100% Fits
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#49 Walmart Taxi
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#50 Charlottetown Pei
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