This post is one in a series on prominent company nicknames. See all 25, and share your thoughts and memories about Walley World below in the comments.
When Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) began transforming from a regional discount chain to a national retail powerhouse in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the company caught the attention of consumers and business critics alike. The company has never been the same since, and after its meteoric rise in the 1990s, it is easily deserving of its alter ego, Walley World. Why, might you ask?
The term comes from a fictional amusement park in the 1983 comedy film National Lampoon's Vacation. The sprawling amusement park, which the Griswold family travels cross country for, turns out to be closed. This, of course, makes hilarity ensue as Chevy Chase's character hijacks the entire park to make sure his family has a good time after the disastrous journey to get there.
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