Why Do People Call Walmart “Wally World”? Here’s the History Behind it
Wallys World is known for being Walmart, But Where did this Nickname Originate from?
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Sam Walton started a single mom-and-pop store fifty years ago and turned it into the world’s largest retailer.
One thing has stayed constant since the beginning: It is Walmart’s commitment to helping our customers save money so they may live better.
Today, Walmart is re-imagining shopping, shaping the future of retail, and improve the lives of millions of people all over the world.
In many countries, Walmart is known by different names.
It is known in the UK as ASDA, in Japan as Seiyu, and in China as Wo Er Ma, although none of these names appear to cause as much confusion as to the term ‘Wally World.’
But why do many refer to Walmart as Wally World? And whence did this name originate? Continue reading to learn more!
Why Do People Call Walmart “Wally World?”
A fictional amusement park (Walley World) featured in the 1983 comedy film National Lampoon’s Vacation originated the slang phrase “Wally World.” Because of the film’s almost-cult following, it has been quite a cool and popular idea to refer to Walmart as Wally World (although without the ‘e’, I guess for copyright purposes?). It’s a nickname that’s stuck around to this day.
Continue reading to learn more about Walmart’s naming history and what other people have called it over the years.
What Is Another Name for Walmart?
Walmart goes by a lot of different names, most of which aren’t very complimentary. Wally World, Balls-Mart, Walfart, and Hellmart are all fictional stores.
In certain places, the corporation goes under a different name. Walmart de México y Centroamérica is the company’s name in Mexico and Central America.
It is known in the UK as ASDA, in Japan as the Seiyu Group, in China as “Wo Er Ma”, and in India as Flipkart Wholesale.
Does Wally World Really Exist?
Wally World, however, is not a real place. Walley World, a fictional amusement park from the film National Lampoon’s Vacation, inspired this popular slang word for Walmart.
The Griswold family pays a visit while on a catastrophic family road trip from Chicago to California.
What Does Walmart Stand For?
Walmart is a family-owned business, with the Walton family owning over 50% of the company through their holding company, Walton Enterprises. It is also one of the most valuable firms in the world, as well as the largest supermarket retailer in the United States.
Walmart is most likely an abbreviated form of its founder’s name (Sam Walton) coupled with an abbreviated form of Market. As a result, Walton’s Market became Walmart.
What Was Walmart Called Before it Became Walmart?
Under the name Wal-Mart Discount City, Sam Walton launched the first Walmart store in Arkansas in 1962. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was the name given to the corporation when it was formed in 1969.
In the years following Walton’s death in 1992, the corporation became less frugal with its money, quickly piling up corporate debt to fund new plans like a group of more Wal-Mart Supercenters.
In the same year, the Hyphen was replaced with a star, and when the current logo was designed in 2008, it was completely removed, leaving only Walmart.
During 1995, the company’s sales had doubled, it had become the world’s largest private employment by 1999, and by 2001, its overall sales had overtaken those of Exxon Mobil, making it the world’s largest corporation.
What Does Walmart’s New Logo Mean?
Walmart changed its logo in 2008, adopting a friendlier, more down-to-earth font and adding a yellow asterisk at the end.
The six yellow sparks that make up the asterisk are thought to signify six facets of the business that contribute to its success.
Why Did Walmart Change Its Legal Name?
In an effort to refocus their brand and goals, Walmart dropped the hyphen and the word “stores” from their name in 2008.
Walmart intended to move away from its focus on physical stores and instead become a big contender in the realm of online buying as online shopping is getting a lot more popular.
You may also research deeper if you want to know if Walmart is Chinese-owned, if Walmart is a franchise, if Walmart owns Dollar General, or if Walmart owns Costco. These are all intriguing questions, right?
Conclusion
Walley World, a fictional theme park featured in the 1983 film National Lampoon’s Vacation, inspired the name Wally World.
It’s impossible to pinpoint the exact origins of the term Wally World, as with many slang expressions, but it’s thought that it became widespread as a funny nickname for Walmart in the early 1990s, implying that the film had a considerable impact on popular culture that continues to this day.
