Walmart has different names in different countries. It operates as ASDA in the UK, Seiyu in Japan and Wo Er Ma in China, however, none of these names seem to cause as much confusion as to the nickname ‘Wally World’.
However, why do people call Walmart Wally World? And where does this name come from? Keep reading to find out!
Key Takeaways
Why Do People Call Walmart “Wally World”?
The slang term “Wally World” is inspired by a fictional amusement park (Walley World) featured in the 1983 comedy film National Lampoon’s Vacation. The popularity of the film created the trend of referring to Walmart by the nickname Wally World without the ‘e’. It is a nickname that remains popular to this day.
To learn more about the naming behind Walmart, and what other people have been calling Walmart over the years, keep on reading!
What Is Another Name for Walmart?
Walmart is known by many alternative names, many of which aren’t particularly flattering. Wally World, Balls-Mart, Walfart and Hellmart.
The company operates under a different name in some countries. In Mexico and Central America, it is known as Walmart de México y Centroamérica.
In the UK it operates as ASDA, the Seiyu Group in Japan, Wo er ma in China, and Flipkart Wholesale in India.
Does Wally World Exist?
Unfortunately, Wally World is not a real place. It is a popular slang term for Walmart inspired by Walley World which is a fictional amusement park from the film National Lampoon’s Vacation.
It is visited by the Griswold family as they take a disastrous family road trip from Chicago to California.
What Does Walmart Stand For?
It is impossible to know for sure, but the name Walmart is most likely an abbreviated form of its founder’s name (Sam Walton) combined with an abbreviated form of Market. Walton’s Market thus becoming Walmart.
What Was Walmart Called Before it Became Walmart?
In 1962 Sam Walton opened the first Walmart store in Arkansas under the name Wal-Mart Discount City. When the company incorporated in 1969, they did so under the name Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
The Hyphen was replaced with a star in 1992 and completely disappeared in 2008 when the new logo was designed, leaving just Walmart.
What Does Walmart’s New Logo Mean?
In 2008, Walmart made big changes to their logo, adopting a friendlier font that is more down to earth and adding a yellow asterisk at the end.
The six yellow sparks which form the asterisk are believed to represent six aspects of the company which is responsible for its success.
Why Did Walmart Change Its Legal Name?
In 2008 Walmart removed the hyphen and the word ‘stores’ from their name in an effort to redefine their brand and their goals.
As online shopping became more popular, Walmart wanted to move away from its focus on physical stores and instead become a major competitor in the world of online shopping.
To learn more, you can also see if Walmart is Chinese-owned, whether or not Walmart is a franchise, if Walmart owns Dollar General, and whether or not Walmart owns Costco.
Conclusion
The name Wally World is inspired by Walley World, a fictional theme park that appears in the 1983 film National Lampoon’s Vacation.
As with a lot of slang terms, it is impossible to completely track the origins of its usage, but it is believed that the term Wally World was widely accepted as an amusing nickname for Walmart during the early nineties which suggests that the film had a significant influence on popular culture, one that remains even to this day.