Walmart

While Rory and Lane are talking and listening to music, Lorelai comes in to complain that she has to study for a big test on “the Walmart phenomenon” to be held on Friday (it’s a new semester at college, and her classes have changed from Tuesday and Thursday to Friday and some other day: somehow going to night school on Fridays will not clash with Friday night dinners).

Walmart is a multinational retail company which operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores, founded in 1962. It is the world’s largest company by revenue, and the largest employer in the world.

When looking at the “Walmart phenomenon”, a business studies class might examine the profitability of the company and the methods by which they keep prices low, but also how that could impact on the wider community. For example, foreign product sourcing could hurt the US economy, low prices might force smaller stores out of business, and low wages mean that workers often need welfare payments as well to survive, placing further pressure on the economy.