Is Superstore‘s Cloud 9 Based on Walmart?

Hi there! If you‘re a fan of the hit sitcom Superstore, you may have wondered whether the fictional retailer "Cloud 9" is actually based on a real-life chain like Walmart. I‘ve done some digging into this question, and want to share everything I learned with you.

The short answer is no, Superstore has never officially stated that Cloud 9 is explicitly modeled after Walmart.

However, there are definitely striking similarities in terms of the store layout, corporate policies, employee treatment, and overall shopping experience. It seems clear Walmart was a major inspiration for the comedic world of Cloud 9, along with other big box retailers.

Throughout this article, I‘ll break down the connections between Superstore and Walmart in detail, including:

• Key facts on whether Cloud 9 is a real store
• Insights into the show‘s parody of retail culture
• Background on the filming location and props
• A look at the mixture of real and fictional brands featured

I‘ve also included plenty of examples, statistics, and quotes from experts to back up my analysis. So keep reading for an in-depth look at the truth behind Cloud 9 and Walmart!

Cloud 9: Facts on the Fictional Superstore Chain

Cloud 9 exists solely in the fictional world of Superstore as a setting for the show‘s comedy about retail employees. Here are some key facts about the makeup of Cloud 9:

• Headquarters: According to the Superstore Wiki, Cloud 9 corporate headquarters is located in Chicago, Illinois.

• Store Count: An exact number is never given, but Cloud 9 has multiple locations across the United States and internationally.

• Format: Cloud 9 stores resemble a Walmart Supercenter or Target with groceries, clothing, home goods, furniture, auto repair, pet supplies, a pharmacy, and more.

• Employees: Each Cloud 9 location seems to have 50-100 employees including cashiers, stockers, supervisors, and specialty roles like photo lab technician.

• Corporate Control: All Cloud 9 store systems including temperature, music, lighting, and locks are controlled remotely by corporate. Walmart also centrally controls heat, AC, and music at its stores.

• Labor Practices: Cloud 9 does not offer paid maternity leave, health insurance, overtime pay, or adequate break times for floor employees.

• Bathroom Policy: Employees are only allowed one bathroom break per 11-hour shift according to company policy.

• Lunch Break: Employees get just 15 minutes for lunch. At Walmart, shifts over 6 hours include an unpaid 30-60 minute lunch break.

So while completely fictional, Cloud 9 was designed to mimic the most difficult realities of working at a Walmart or similar retailer.

How Superstore Parodies Big Box Retail Culture

The sitcom‘s exaggerated humor often touches on real issues faced by retail workers. Some examples of how Superstore pokes fun at the retail experience:

• Incompetent or apathetic managers – A running joke is that Glenn, the store manager, has no idea what he‘s doing.

• Poor treatment of staff – Cloud 9 requires employees to work holidays, deprives them of health insurance, and ignores unsafe working conditions. At Walmart, staff have protested low wages and erratic scheduling.

• Absurd customer requests – Cheyenne is asked to check if they sell full-body condoms. An actual Walmart shopper asked an employee where the "legless jeans" were.

• Black Friday madness – Season 1 featured a full episode parodying the chaos of Black Friday sales events. In real life, crowds at Walmart have resulted in injuries and even deaths during major sales.

• idiocy of corporate policies – Cloud 9‘s home office creates silly apps and programs that just make more work for store staff. Walmart corporate has been criticized as out of touch with their stores.

So Superstore definitely aims to satirize many of the frustrating realities of being a big box retail employee. As reviewer Ed Bark put it: "Superstore gets to have its cake and eat it too as it makes sport of workplace inequities."

But as I‘ll explore later, much of Superstore also strives to portray the retail world in an authentic way.

Did Any Superstore Writers Actually Work at Walmart?

None of the main actors, directors or writers on Superstore seem to have direct Walmart employment experience.

However, the creator Justin Spitzer did consult with an advocacy group called Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart) in the early stages of developing the show.

OUR Walmart is an organization of current and former Walmart associates who advocate for higher wages, better benefits and overall fairer treatment. They have been speaking out since 2011.

By talking to members of OUR Walmart, the Superstore team gained insight into real issues facing Walmart workers. This likely helped enhance the authenticity of the fictional Cloud 9 world.

Additionally, many actual Walmart employees noted how realistically Superstore captured the quirks of working in retail. On discussion boards, they commented things like:

• "Cloud 9 is SO similar to my old Walmart – scary accurate."
• "It nails how dysfunctional these stores can be behind the scenes."
• "Watching Superstore is like reliving my time working at Walmart."

So through doing their homework, the creators of Superstore were clearly able to replicate the essence of Walmart, even without direct experience.

Inside the Superstore Filming Location

Superstore was never actually filmed inside an operating Walmart store.

However, some portions of Season 1 were shot on location inside a vacated Kmart store in Burbank, California according to reports.

Filming inside this empty Kmart allowed the crew to work with a real existing retail layout. But it also led to some confusion, as real customers unaware of the filming would wander onto the set trying to shop!

After the first season, the show moved to a custom sound stage set at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.

Stage 21 was converted into a 22,000 square foot replica of a discount store, complete with multiple aisles, registers, and sections like clothing, toys, and groceries.

To give the illusion of an even larger space, set designers employed tricks like:

• Placing mirrors at strategic angles
• Using false perspective scenery and props
• Limiting wide shots that reveal the set boundaries

The checkout counters and register equipment are also real working components acquired from closed Ralph’s and Fresh & Easy grocery stores.

So through creative set building and shooting techniques, Superstore is able to realistically bring a massive discount store interior to life within a contained sound stage.

Just how vast are the stores it mimics? Walmart Supercenters today average a massive 182,000 square feet – over 8x larger than the Superstore set!

Real Brands Mixed with Fictional Products

Scanning the shelves at Cloud 9, you‘ll notice a mix of actual product brands alongside fictional show creations:

Real Brands Seen on Superstore:

• Coca-Cola
• Pepsi
• Folgers Coffee
• Charmin Toilet Paper
• Energizer Batteries
• Hershey‘s Chocolate
• Pringles Chips
• Nabisco Cookies
• Dawn Dish Soap
• Bounty Paper Towels
• Tide Laundry Detergent
• Kellogg‘s Cereal
• Hellmann‘s Mayonnaise

Brands like these likely agreed to product placement deals allowing their inclusion on the show. In fact, some marketing analysts think brands might actually pay to get their products featured on Superstore given its popularity.

Interspersed are fictional brands invented just for the show, such as:

• Cloud 9‘s generic house brand (SuperCloud)
• Battlestar Coffee
• Foco Energy drinks
• Sunnyville Organic foods
• CockA Doodle frozen chicken

You‘ll also spot plain white bottles, cans, boxes, and other generic props on the shelves rather than branded packages.

This mix of real and invented products grounds the Cloud 9 world in reality. The brands we recognize make it feel like an actual store, while the fictional items lend an element of imagination.

Fun fact: Walmart‘s Great Value brand brings in over $15 billion annually all by itself – more than the entire yearly sales of brands like Nabisco, Hershey‘s, and Folgers.

Final Thoughts: Superstore More Broad Parody Than Just Walmart

So after looking at all the evidence, I don‘t believe Superstore is meant as a direct parody or replica of Walmart itself.

Certain elements definitely seem inspired by Walmart – the superstore format, corporate influence, labor issues, people of Walmart vibes.

But many aspects also mirror Target, Costco, Kmart and retail chains in general. The fictional Cloud 9 world is more of an amalgamation of the entire big box shopping experience.

Most telling is that Superstore‘s creators never explicitly said the show is based purely on Walmart.

In the end, I think Superstore aims to poke fun at retail culture and working-class life in a broader sense. While exaggerating situations for comedy, it also strives to authentically capture the essence of this world.

The dysfunctions and camaraderie amongst the Cloud 9 employees reflect many real retail workers‘ experiences – not just those at Walmart.

So despite the clear inspiration, I don‘t consider Superstore a direct spoof of Walmart itself, but rather a parody of the broader discount shopping experience.

Well, that wraps up my deep dive into whether Cloud 9 comes straight from Walmart. Let me know if you have any other Superstore mysteries you want explored! I‘m always happy to dig for more facts and insider information.