It’s a scalding June Friday in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and I’ve joined over 10,000 people in a college-basketball arena to worship at the altar of Walmart. “Please, stay / I want you, I need you, oh God / I need to save money and live better,” sings the acrobatic pop star Benson Boone after backflipping off a grand piano. The crowd erupts in applause for what may be the 20th time this morning as dozens of laser lights crisscross the stands. It’s 9:09 a.m.
Every summer, hourly employees from across Walmart’s empire come to Northwest Arkansas for an all-expenses-paid trip with corporatized cornhole games, inspirational talks, and feedback sessions that end in an early-morning, star-studded finale concert. (This year’s lineup also featured Jason Sudeikis, P!nk, and Shaboozey.) It’s an even-numbered year, so the lucky Walmart employees at the company’s 56th annual Associates Week were chosen by the managers of even-numbered stores from Calgary to Midland. They’re easy to spot around town with their name tags, plastic backpacks, and commemorative T-shirts featuring Sparky, the company’s smiling mascot, wearing a gingham bucket hat.
