The Quirky Side of Walmart

The internet is notorious for miscellaneous content. One such example is the everlasting phenomenon known as “People of Walmart.” Ever since the original website by the same name appeared sometime around 2009, it has become a bona fide repository of Americana, the un-airbrushed view of real people and genuine characters who don’t ever end up on magazine covers.

But they sometimes make headlines. Quoting this decade-old NPR opinion piece “Is Walmart A Magnet For American Mayhem?” the dispatches from the field in 2011 followed: “A customer was nabbed by police for sampling raw meat at a Walmart in Pennsylvania. A woman said she had an encounter with a bat at a Walmart in Minnesota. A family of five was living in a car at a Walmart in Florida. A girl had a run-in with a monkey at a Walmart in Missouri. A man was caught in flagrante delicto at a Walmart in Louisiana. And that is just in the past few weeks.” You can see how Walmart became a sort of Wonderland calling to the adventurous spirits.

The Walmart Effect—The Other Side of The Coin

The phenomenon was also spotted by The Wall Street Journal, where Miguel Bustillo explained it in “Today’s Special at Wal-Mart: Something Weird”: “Almost any imaginable aspect of American life can and does take place inside Wal-Mart stores, from births to marriages to deaths. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin once officiated a wedding at the Wal-Mart in her hometown of Wasilla.”

“People Of Walmart” proved to be excellent entertainment for the internet and social media. Today, more than ten years after it emerged, the fascination with it is stronger than ever. Created around the time the phenomenon occurred, the subreddit People Of Walmart follows the legacy of many online accounts and groups, and websites dedicated to the weird, wholesome, and unique shoppers spotted in the hypermarket.

Why is “People of Walmart” Popular?

Bored Panda reached out to Lina Survila, co-founder of The Joy Of, who shared some thoughts about the root of our fascination with the People of Walmart. “Life happens in the weirdest places. People have a history of documenting things that don't make sense or make us gasp every time. Not long ago, people shared some unusual happenings that might confirm UFOs’ existence, think of crazy happenings in the sky or their backyard,” she said.

“Today, simple things raise so many questions, and people are drawn to document them. Well, the Walmart people project captures perfect moments that amaze, scare, or intrigue others,” Lina said. “It’s so appealing to watch other people and make backstories about how they ended up in the craziest situations. And a shopping store is a perfect place to do that.”

Why Are Walmart Shoppers So Strange?

By looking at the pictures of a bunch of unusual and intriguing people spotted in Walmart, in our minds, we aim to articulate what we see and find reasons why. Lina argues that “we let our imagination run wild when we see an unusual situation and more often create an unbelievable story about ‘what the hell just happened here.’” It’s all part of the game, and getting obsessed is easy.

Does Walmart Have Fake Shoppers?

It’s easy to think that all these weirdos and wholesome people are paid actors. After all, any marketing is good for such a powerful company. However, the majority of weird Walmart shoppers are as real as any other person. Every Walmart shopper meme you see is based on a real person.

How Many Shoppers Does Walmart Have?

With around 2 million workers, Walmart shoppers reach millions in numbers. How much, to be precise? According to Demandsage, about 37 million customers visit Walmart shops worldwide daily. That’s 230 million weekly. With so many different individuals coming in, it’s no wonder how so many Walmart pics of shoppers became popular and memorable.