• Instagram

Marjorie Liu

Author Website

  • Home
  • About
    • Interviews
    • Misc. Projects
  • Comics
    • The Night Eaters
    • Wingbearer
    • Monstress (Individual)
    • Monstress (Collections)
    • Han Solo (Individual)
    • Han Solo (Collection)
    • Astonishing X-Men (Individual)
    • Astonishing X-Men (Collections)
    • Black Widow
    • Daken: Dark Wolverine
    • Dark Wolverine
    • Dark Wolverine Collections
    • X-23
    • X-23 Collections
  • Novels
    • The Dirk & Steele Series
    • Hunter Kiss Series
    • Novellas / Short Stories
  • Contact

Wal-mart: Where Dates are Discounted!

Apr 10 By Marjorie

Seriously, this is kind of strange:  Singles Night At Walmart

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – Just when you thought you’d heard it all from the king of discount shopping, Wal-Mart is now pitching itself as the new dating hot spot—with everyday low prices to boot.

In fact, the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer’s been playing Cupid to hundreds of lonely single German shoppers for well over a year now.

According to Amy Wyatt, spokeswoman for the retailer’s international operations, Wal-Mart’s been running its “Singles Shopping” campaign in all of its 91 stores in Germany.

Here’s how its works.

On Friday nights, singles looking for romance, mindless flirting or just a new friend head over to their neighborhood Wal-Mart where they’re given a big bright red bow to attach to their shopping cart or shopping basket.

Then it’s up to the willing participants to approach one another and take it from there.

But if that’s too intimidating, Wal-Mart has set up “flirting points” around the stores stacked with “romantic” merchandise, such as chocolates, wine and cheese, to help with that first awkward step.

Said Wyatt, “The singles night runs for two hours in the evening, from 6 to 8 p.m. every week. Our managers there told us that its been hugely successful and has actually boosted store traffic and sales in a lot of markets in Germany. In some stores we’re getting 300 to 400 people taking part every week.”

Wal-Mart (Research) feels so good about the idea that the retailer trademarked the “Singles Shopping” slogan in Germany and is also testing it in its stores in Puerto Rico, South Korea and Britain.

Someday, it could even pop up in a few of its U.S. stores. Wyatt said she’s been working on her counterparts responsible for Wal-Mart’s U.S. operations to actively give it a try, though no firm timetable has been set.

The singles campaign was the brainchild of a few of Wal-Mart’s German associates who came up with the concept one day when they overhead a female customer talking about how difficult if was for her to meet interesting single men on a Friday night.

“This was a middle-aged woman who felt she was maybe too old to go to nightclubs,”Wyatt said. “That’s pretty much been the theme here where most of the singles are middle-aged to older customers.”

“Singles Shopping” isn’t the only match-making idea Wal-Mart’s trying out. Wyatt said some of the German stores also feature singles bulletin boards with pictures of single men and women who frequently shop at Wal-Mart.

“If you’re interested, up can post a picture of yourself with a few details,” Wyatt said. “The store gives you your own box kept at the store. If someone is interested, they’ll fill out a card with their information and drop it in the box.”

How successful has the campaign been?

“We’ve heard that one couple that met on singles night is now married,” Wyatt said.

“Another cute story,” she continued, “is of a 74-year-old woman who posted her picture. A 74-year-old man saw it but was nervous to drop his card in her box. So the Wal-Mart associates first got him spruced up at the hairdressers at the Wal-Mart store, took a picture, and posted it on the board. I think the two of them are now seeing each other.”

EDIT:  I take it back.  I just remembered my own local Wal-mart, which already has an unspoken match-making professional on the premises.  She makes that store look like the line-up version of ‘Choose Your Mate.’ Good teeth, still has hair, and bathes regularly?  He’s a catch!  Go rope your man.  *sigh* And people wonder why romance publishing is still booming.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

About Me


I write comic books and novels about grumpy warrior women, eccentric demons, plucky fox girls, and men who can shape-shift into tigers. If a merman or gargoyle shows up, all the better!  To learn more about me, please go here.

Upcoming Issue:

Monstress will be back on January 23rd!

For The Media

My agent is Duvall Osteen. Please contact her for any business-related inquiries, including publicity and blurb requests, and speaking engagements: connect@aragi.net

Search

Copyright © 2023 Marjorie M. Liu · Site Design: Ilsa Brink