Have you ever stepped into an Abercrombie, Victoria’s Secret, Vitamin Shoppe or another store and wondered: “What’s that smell?”
Scent is a subtle, often underrated, component of companies’ attempts to entice customers and get them to linger around longer. These retail chains and other companies, including restaurants, fast-food chains, airlines, and hotels have put a lot of effort (and smelling tests) into perfecting their signature aromas.
Most retailers’ marketing tactics target our vision — think logos, commercials and other symbols. Brands also try to stimulate us with upbeat music or relaxing sounds.
But targeting our noses can be an even more powerful tool for brands, say marketing gurus. An entire industry, known as scent marketing or olfactory branding, is dedicated to developing custom fragrances.
ScentAir, for example, is one of the largest sellers of diffusers to leading brands. The company designs nine “fragrance experiences” ranging from “lux and sophisticated” to “passionate and sensual.” On the flip side, companies also try to mask and neutralize foul stenches from bathrooms, kitchens, animals, sweat and other odors.
Caroline Fabrigas, the CEO of Scent Marketing, creates and maintains scents for companies such as North Face, Aeropostale and others. She conducts “sniffing sessions” with company representatives to find the right notes for their environments.
“We try to create identifiable scents specific to the brands,” she said.
Alexander Sayganov/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
Victoria's Secret and other chains spend a lot of time thinking about how they smell.
The power of smell
Our sense of smell runs straight to our limbic system, the region in our brain that regulates emotions and memory.
Deploying a pleasant fragrance in stores can help a brand stand out in a crowded market and influence customers’ feelings about it, said Laurence Minsky, a professor in the communication department at Columbia College Chicago who studies branding. It can also cue up childhood memories.
“Retailers are selling an experience. They’re sending signals or cues about how they want to be perceived,” Minsky said. “It’s limited to do it just on visuals.”
The presence of a pleasant scent in stores resulted in a 3% sales increase compared to stores without one, found a study published in the Journal of Marketing in 2019.
And beyond just being pleasant, the specifics of scent matter. Another study published in the Journal of Retailing in 2013 found that consumers spent more and purchased more items in stores with a simple orange or lemon scent than in stores with complex scents — lemon-basil or basil-orange with green tea — as well as stores with no scent at all.
The opportunity to create an ambiance while increasing sales has led retailers and other businesses to experiment with different scents and create their own singular olfactory experiences.
Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Retail chains like Play-Doh and other companies, including restaurants, fast-food chains, airlines, and hotels have put a lot of effort into perfecting their signature aromas.
Signature scents
Brands such as Play-Doh and Johnson & Johnson baby powder were some of the first to use scent as a marketing tool. Play-Doh even successfully trademarked its signature musky, vanilla-like fragrance in 2018.
At Abercrombie, the smell you’re familiar with is now a “white bergamot” fragrance, which replaced the brand’s trademark “Fierce” musky scent a few years ago.
Victoria’s Secret, which has had its own signature fragrance line for decades, changes its store scent when one of its new fragrances launches, a spokesperson said. Right now, Victoria’s Secret’s recently-launched “Bare” fragrance, a woody floral scent with notes of Australian sandalwood, fills the air.
At Vitamin Shoppe, a lavender scent wafts through the air. Stores use air diffusers to pump out lavender essential oils, the company’s top-selling essential oil that promotes “calm and relaxation,” said a spokesperson. During the holidays, stores switch to a peppermint essential oil.
Meanwhile, Yankee Candle uses several forms of scents in different areas of the store, including candles, wax melts, and air fresheners to get customers to explore various sections, according to James Jordan, a senior manager of home fragrance global training at Newell Brands, which owns the brand.
Since the 1990s, Singapore Airlines has also been using its own fragrance. Flight attendants wear it as perfume, it’s blended into hot towels served before takeoff and it wafts through the cabin during the flight. Hotels such as Hyatt, Westin and others pump smells and aromas into their lobbies, while many supermarkets moved their bakeries from the back of the store to the front, said Martin Lindstrom, a consumer branding expert.
Then there are food chains that have used smells to try to make customers hungrier, nudging them to buy more.
John Mantell Photo – stock.adobe via CNN
Shoppers walk past the facade of Abercrombie & Fitch Clothing Store in Miromar Outlets as the retailer that focuses on casual wear.
Cinnabon places ovens filled with warm cinnamon rolls near the front of its stores. Panera Bread used to make its bread in the evening but shifted to daytime so that its stores smell more like bakeries, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
But stores must strike a delicate balance when they engineer their smells to avoid overwhelming customers. Subway, for example, has been criticized by some customers for an unpleasant bread smell in stores.
When Starbucks introduced breakfast sandwiches in 2008, it found the smell of sandwiches cooking in the oven was overpowering stores’ coffee aroma.
And Abercrombie was perhaps best known for spraying its Fierce cologne around stores in the mid-2000s. But the company dialed back its signature scent as its stores struggled to attract customers and eventually replaced it entirely. One study found that Abercrombie’s scent was making customers anxious.
Scent is most effective when it’s subliminal, Lindstrom said. “When smells scream at you, it doesn’t work.”
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10 movies with unforgettable shopping scenes
Paramount Pictures // Getty Images
“Get in, loser, we’re going shopping.”
Name a more cutting one-liner that resonates with the souls of shopaholics than this bittersweet dig from Regina George. Sure, Rachel McAdams’ acerbic delivery as the queen bee of “Mean Girls” has a certain sting to it, but it’s the underlying sentiment (however insidious)—that a little retail therapy can be the panacea for all of life’s problems—that goes a long way.
As our favorite films have taught us, life-changing things can happen during casual trips to the mall with friends (or frenemies); behind dressing rooms, when that outfit wears you perfectly; and even while window-shopping outside Tiffany’s on a quiet morning in New York City. Vivian Ward, Cher Horowitz, and Holly Golightly are just a few of the many movie characters to have undergone major transformations in some of the most memorable shopping scenes in pop culture.
To that end, Giving Assistant compiled a list of 10 films with unforgettable shopping scenes. To be considered, shopping had to play a central part in the scene or the character’s development throughout the movie or a memorable moment had to occur at or within a store where people are shopping. IMDb user scores and Metascores are provided for popular and critical context.
Keep reading to see if your favorite shopping scene made the list.
Paramount Pictures // Getty Images
“Get in, loser, we’re going shopping.”
Name a more cutting one-liner that resonates with the souls of shopaholics than this bittersweet dig from Regina George. Sure, Rachel McAdams’ acerbic delivery as the queen bee of “Mean Girls” has a certain sting to it, but it’s the underlying sentiment (however insidious)—that a little retail therapy can be the panacea for all of life’s problems—that goes a long way.
As our favorite films have taught us, life-changing things can happen during casual trips to the mall with friends (or frenemies); behind dressing rooms, when that outfit wears you perfectly; and even while window-shopping outside Tiffany’s on a quiet morning in New York City. Vivian Ward, Cher Horowitz, and Holly Golightly are just a few of the many movie characters to have undergone major transformations in some of the most memorable shopping scenes in pop culture.
To that end, Giving Assistant compiled a list of 10 films with unforgettable shopping scenes. To be considered, shopping had to play a central part in the scene or the character’s development throughout the movie or a memorable moment had to occur at or within a store where people are shopping. IMDb user scores and Metascores are provided for popular and critical context.
Keep reading to see if your favorite shopping scene made the list.
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10 movies with unforgettable shopping scenes
Paramount Pictures // Getty Images
- Director: Blake Edwards
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 76
- Runtime: 115 minutes
Arguably the most famous shopping scene in cinema belongs to Audrey Hepburn, who opens this classic rom-com in an Oscar-nominated performance as Holly Golightly. Emerging from a taxi in the most celebrated little black dress to grace the silver screen, Holly arrives in front of the Tiffany & Co. flagship store on an unusually quiet morning in New York City.
While enjoying her Danish and coffee, Holly window-shops one of the store’s jewelry displays before catching her reflection in another window that gives way to twinkling chandeliers. For Holly, Tiffany’s represents a place of solace as well as aspiration, perfection, and elegance—the antithesis of her actual lifestyle, which is anything but glamorous.
Paramount Pictures // Getty Images
- Director: Blake Edwards
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 76
- Runtime: 115 minutes
Arguably the most famous shopping scene in cinema belongs to Audrey Hepburn, who opens this classic rom-com in an Oscar-nominated performance as Holly Golightly. Emerging from a taxi in the most celebrated little black dress to grace the silver screen, Holly arrives in front of the Tiffany & Co. flagship store on an unusually quiet morning in New York City.
While enjoying her Danish and coffee, Holly window-shops one of the store’s jewelry displays before catching her reflection in another window that gives way to twinkling chandeliers. For Holly, Tiffany’s represents a place of solace as well as aspiration, perfection, and elegance—the antithesis of her actual lifestyle, which is anything but glamorous.
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10 movies with unforgettable shopping scenes
Twentieth Century Fox
- Director: Penny Marshall
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 73
- Runtime: 104 minutes
What kid hasn’t experienced the bane of being too short for a carnival ride? Such is the predicament of 12-year-old Joshua Baskin (David Moscow), whose big wish comes true when a fortune-teller machine transforms him into an adult (Tom Hanks) overnight in the 1988 comedy caper “Big.”
Now a grown-up but still a boy at heart, Josh eventually finds himself landing a job at MacMillan Toy Company, home to the giant Walking Piano. It’s on the massive dance-on keyboard where Josh and his boss, Mr. MacMillan, tap into their inner child, treating a crowd of awestruck customers to a playful duet. This iconic moment was shot inside New York’s FAO Schwarz, which became a world-famous tourist attraction for “Big” fans until its fateful closure in 2015.
Twentieth Century Fox
- Director: Penny Marshall
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 73
- Runtime: 104 minutes
What kid hasn’t experienced the bane of being too short for a carnival ride? Such is the predicament of 12-year-old Joshua Baskin (David Moscow), whose big wish comes true when a fortune-teller machine transforms him into an adult (Tom Hanks) overnight in the 1988 comedy caper “Big.”
Now a grown-up but still a boy at heart, Josh eventually finds himself landing a job at MacMillan Toy Company, home to the giant Walking Piano. It’s on the massive dance-on keyboard where Josh and his boss, Mr. MacMillan, tap into their inner child, treating a crowd of awestruck customers to a playful duet. This iconic moment was shot inside New York’s FAO Schwarz, which became a world-famous tourist attraction for “Big” fans until its fateful closure in 2015.
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10 movies with unforgettable shopping scenes
Buena Vista // Getty Images
- Director: Garry Marshall
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 51
- Runtime: 119 minutes
There’s no sweeter revenge than finding the perfect outfit—or two, or three. No one knows this better than Vivian Ward in “Pretty Woman.” After agreeing to be the arm candy for business tycoon Edward (Richard Gere) in exchange for cash and an expensive wardrobe, the street-smart sex worker (Julia Roberts)—sporting a cut-out dress and black boots—gets rudely turned away by smug saleswomen while shopping at a boutique on Rodeo Drive. Big mistake.
After undergoing a lavish makeover, it’s Vivian who gets the last laugh when she returns to the store—decked out from a shopping spree—to rub it in the women’s faces that they missed out on a huge commission. As fulfilling as this moment is in warning against judging women by their appearance, it’s been equally criticized for its sexist undertones.
Buena Vista // Getty Images
- Director: Garry Marshall
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 51
- Runtime: 119 minutes
There’s no sweeter revenge than finding the perfect outfit—or two, or three. No one knows this better than Vivian Ward in “Pretty Woman.” After agreeing to be the arm candy for business tycoon Edward (Richard Gere) in exchange for cash and an expensive wardrobe, the street-smart sex worker (Julia Roberts)—sporting a cut-out dress and black boots—gets rudely turned away by smug saleswomen while shopping at a boutique on Rodeo Drive. Big mistake.
After undergoing a lavish makeover, it’s Vivian who gets the last laugh when she returns to the store—decked out from a shopping spree—to rub it in the women’s faces that they missed out on a huge commission. As fulfilling as this moment is in warning against judging women by their appearance, it’s been equally criticized for its sexist undertones.
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10 movies with unforgettable shopping scenes
Twentieth Century Fox
- Director: Chris Columbus
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 63
- Runtime: 103 minutes
There are two memorable shopping scenes in the holiday classic, “Home Alone.” The first comes when 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) heads to the store to replace his lost toothbrush—which is lost because his mom packed it for the trip because Kevin “doesn’t know how to pack a suitcase.” As the store clerk tries to find out whether the toothbrush is approved by the American Dental Association per Kevin’s request, Kevin gets spooked by his neighbor—who he believes is the South Bend Shovel Slayer—and runs out without paying. An action-packed police chase through town, including a packed ice-skating rink, follows.
Later, Kevin—settling into his new responsibilities—heads to the supermarket to stock up. With his cart full of household staples and a package of little green army men—“for the kids”—Kevin successfully convinces the suspicious checkout lady his mom is in the car. The scene ends with Kevin walking home only to have the overstuffed plastic grocery bags break.
Both of these scenes were filmed in Winnetka, Illinois. The store where Kevin accidentally shoplifted the toothbrush was a real-life business called Hubbard Woods Pharmacy, and the park Kevin is chased through by police is Hubbard Woods Park.
Twentieth Century Fox
- Director: Chris Columbus
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 63
- Runtime: 103 minutes
There are two memorable shopping scenes in the holiday classic, “Home Alone.” The first comes when 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) heads to the store to replace his lost toothbrush—which is lost because his mom packed it for the trip because Kevin “doesn’t know how to pack a suitcase.” As the store clerk tries to find out whether the toothbrush is approved by the American Dental Association per Kevin’s request, Kevin gets spooked by his neighbor—who he believes is the South Bend Shovel Slayer—and runs out without paying. An action-packed police chase through town, including a packed ice-skating rink, follows.
Later, Kevin—settling into his new responsibilities—heads to the supermarket to stock up. With his cart full of household staples and a package of little green army men—“for the kids”—Kevin successfully convinces the suspicious checkout lady his mom is in the car. The scene ends with Kevin walking home only to have the overstuffed plastic grocery bags break.
Both of these scenes were filmed in Winnetka, Illinois. The store where Kevin accidentally shoplifted the toothbrush was a real-life business called Hubbard Woods Pharmacy, and the park Kevin is chased through by police is Hubbard Woods Park.
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10 movies with unforgettable shopping scenes
Paramount Pictures
- Director: Amy Heckerling
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 68
- Runtime: 97 minutes
In a revelatory moment from “Clueless”—with a cover of Eric Carmen’s “All by Myself” as the background music—a doubtful Cher Horowitz’s (Alicia Silverstone) ponders her life during a long walk home. As the 16-year-old rues her “totally clueless” intuition about ineligible bachelors in her life, she reexamines her contempt for her college-aged, ex-stepbrother Josh (Paul Rudd) and her friends’ attraction to him.
Naturally, Cher’s inner monologue gets interrupted at the sight of a pretty outfit she spots in a window display, drawing her inside to find one in her size. It’s upon her arrival home, in front of the illuminated water fountain, that Cher makes a startling realization: “Oh my god, I love Josh.” While fans have long debated the appropriateness of Cher and Josh’s romance, Silverstone has said the pair’s relationship is “very unusual, but it’s cool.”
Paramount Pictures
- Director: Amy Heckerling
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 68
- Runtime: 97 minutes
In a revelatory moment from “Clueless”—with a cover of Eric Carmen’s “All by Myself” as the background music—a doubtful Cher Horowitz’s (Alicia Silverstone) ponders her life during a long walk home. As the 16-year-old rues her “totally clueless” intuition about ineligible bachelors in her life, she reexamines her contempt for her college-aged, ex-stepbrother Josh (Paul Rudd) and her friends’ attraction to him.
Naturally, Cher’s inner monologue gets interrupted at the sight of a pretty outfit she spots in a window display, drawing her inside to find one in her size. It’s upon her arrival home, in front of the illuminated water fountain, that Cher makes a startling realization: “Oh my god, I love Josh.” While fans have long debated the appropriateness of Cher and Josh’s romance, Silverstone has said the pair’s relationship is “very unusual, but it’s cool.”
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10 movies with unforgettable shopping scenes
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
- Director: Robert Luketic
- IMDb user rating: 6.4
- Metascore: 59
- Runtime: 96 minutes
Who could object to this one? When we’re introduced to Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods in the opening minutes of “Legally Blonde,” the fashion-obsessed sorority president drags her Delta Nu sisters to shop for a new outfit in anticipation of a proposal from her boyfriend Warner. A sly saleswoman at a boutique takes Elle to be a “dumb blonde,” and tries to sell her a marked-down dress as new. Elle retorts with a trick question about the fabric. Cleverly showing off her fashion expertise, she exposes the saleswoman’s scheme by explaining the dress in question was featured in last season’s Vogue.
This moment shows the audience that Elle Woods is someone not to be underestimated—a theme that carries throughout the film as her journey takes her to Harvard Law School, where she continues to defy expectations. If nothing else, this iconic moment certainly won’t let anyone forget that “it’s impossible to use a half-loop topstitching on low-viscosity rayon.”
Fans of the movie—which is based on author Amanda Brown’s real-life experiences at Stanford—might be pleased to know that this scene is also featured in the Tony-nominated Broadway musical adaptation of the film.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
- Director: Robert Luketic
- IMDb user rating: 6.4
- Metascore: 59
- Runtime: 96 minutes
Who could object to this one? When we’re introduced to Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods in the opening minutes of “Legally Blonde,” the fashion-obsessed sorority president drags her Delta Nu sisters to shop for a new outfit in anticipation of a proposal from her boyfriend Warner. A sly saleswoman at a boutique takes Elle to be a “dumb blonde,” and tries to sell her a marked-down dress as new. Elle retorts with a trick question about the fabric. Cleverly showing off her fashion expertise, she exposes the saleswoman’s scheme by explaining the dress in question was featured in last season’s Vogue.
This moment shows the audience that Elle Woods is someone not to be underestimated—a theme that carries throughout the film as her journey takes her to Harvard Law School, where she continues to defy expectations. If nothing else, this iconic moment certainly won’t let anyone forget that “it’s impossible to use a half-loop topstitching on low-viscosity rayon.”
Fans of the movie—which is based on author Amanda Brown’s real-life experiences at Stanford—might be pleased to know that this scene is also featured in the Tony-nominated Broadway musical adaptation of the film.
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10 movies with unforgettable shopping scenes
Touchstone Pictures
- Director: Andy Tennant
- IMDb user rating: 6.2
- Metascore: 45
- Runtime: 108 minutes
In one of the first scenes in the highly popular rom-com, “Sweet Home Alabama,” Andrew (Patrick Dempsey) leads his girlfriend Melanie (Reese Witherspoon) into a dark room for a surprise. The lights are switched on, revealing they are in a Tiffany’s store, which has been closed to the public for the occasion, leading to an over-the-top but intimate proposal.
It turns out this almost dreamlike scene was actually filmed in the flagship Tiffany’s store in New York City. It was reportedly the first time the jeweler had let any production company film inside the store since 1961’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Years later in 2015, Witherspoon and Tiffany & Co. famously recreated the iconic proposal scene with a post on Instagram.
Touchstone Pictures
- Director: Andy Tennant
- IMDb user rating: 6.2
- Metascore: 45
- Runtime: 108 minutes
In one of the first scenes in the highly popular rom-com, “Sweet Home Alabama,” Andrew (Patrick Dempsey) leads his girlfriend Melanie (Reese Witherspoon) into a dark room for a surprise. The lights are switched on, revealing they are in a Tiffany’s store, which has been closed to the public for the occasion, leading to an over-the-top but intimate proposal.
It turns out this almost dreamlike scene was actually filmed in the flagship Tiffany’s store in New York City. It was reportedly the first time the jeweler had let any production company film inside the store since 1961’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Years later in 2015, Witherspoon and Tiffany & Co. famously recreated the iconic proposal scene with a post on Instagram.
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10 movies with unforgettable shopping scenes
New Line Pictures
- Directors: Jon Favreau
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 64
- Runtime: 97 minutes
Considered by many to be a modern Christmas classic, “Elf” gifted audiences with what could arguably be one of Will Ferrell’s most lovable characters in Buddy the Elf. When Buddy arrives in Manhattan from the North Pole in search of his father, he finds himself looking up at a sign for Gimbels department store.
Enamored by the holiday decorations adorning the building’s exteriors, he makes his way inside—though not before he is nearly run down by a NYC taxi. The following sequence treats the audience to some great visual gags as Buddy explores the store, including a moment where he awkwardly tries to ride an escalator by stretching his feet apart over several steps as other customers watch in amusement. And who could forget the scene where Buddy is eyeing Santa-themed lingerie—on display next to a sign that reads “the perfect gift for that special someone”—which he later naively sends as a gift to his father.
The real Gimbels store—once known as a competitive rival for Macy’s in its heyday—closed down in 1986, later replaced by the Manhattan Mall.
New Line Pictures
- Directors: Jon Favreau
- IMDb user rating: 7.0
- Metascore: 64
- Runtime: 97 minutes
Considered by many to be a modern Christmas classic, “Elf” gifted audiences with what could arguably be one of Will Ferrell’s most lovable characters in Buddy the Elf. When Buddy arrives in Manhattan from the North Pole in search of his father, he finds himself looking up at a sign for Gimbels department store.
Enamored by the holiday decorations adorning the building’s exteriors, he makes his way inside—though not before he is nearly run down by a NYC taxi. The following sequence treats the audience to some great visual gags as Buddy explores the store, including a moment where he awkwardly tries to ride an escalator by stretching his feet apart over several steps as other customers watch in amusement. And who could forget the scene where Buddy is eyeing Santa-themed lingerie—on display next to a sign that reads “the perfect gift for that special someone”—which he later naively sends as a gift to his father.
The real Gimbels store—once known as a competitive rival for Macy’s in its heyday—closed down in 1986, later replaced by the Manhattan Mall.
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10 movies with unforgettable shopping scenes
Paramount Pictures
- Director: Mark Waters
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 66
- Runtime: 97 minutes
When “Mean Girls” came out, the mall was still a popular hangout spot for teenagers, thus the multiple scenes that take place at the mall in the film. In one scene, Regina (Rachel McAdams) takes the other Plastics to try on a dress for the upcoming Spring Fling.
While Regina is shocked to find out the size 5 dress won’t zip up, it comes as no surprise to Cady (Lindsay Lohan), who, as part of her plan to sabotage Regina, has been giving her Swedish nutrition bars that encourage weight gain—not weight loss like Regina thinks. When Karen (Amanda Seyfried) asks for the next size up, the salesperson snarkily tells the girls the store only carries sizes 1, 3, and 5 and delivers what has become a highly quotable joke burn: “You could try Sears.”
Paramount Pictures
- Director: Mark Waters
- IMDb user rating: 7.1
- Metascore: 66
- Runtime: 97 minutes
When “Mean Girls” came out, the mall was still a popular hangout spot for teenagers, thus the multiple scenes that take place at the mall in the film. In one scene, Regina (Rachel McAdams) takes the other Plastics to try on a dress for the upcoming Spring Fling.
While Regina is shocked to find out the size 5 dress won’t zip up, it comes as no surprise to Cady (Lindsay Lohan), who, as part of her plan to sabotage Regina, has been giving her Swedish nutrition bars that encourage weight gain—not weight loss like Regina thinks. When Karen (Amanda Seyfried) asks for the next size up, the salesperson snarkily tells the girls the store only carries sizes 1, 3, and 5 and delivers what has become a highly quotable joke burn: “You could try Sears.”
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10 movies with unforgettable shopping scenes
Universal Pictures
- Director: Paul Feig
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: 75
- Runtime: 125 minutes
While “Bridesmaids” is full of outrageous moments, perhaps no scene is as iconically outrageous as the food poisoning disaster at a high-end bridal boutique. After Annie (Kristen Wiig) organizes a meal at a hole-in-the-wall Brazilian restaurant—which is implied to have a questionable health-code rating—Lillian (Maya Rudolph) and her bridal party arrive at the swanky Belle en Blanc to try on dresses. The first sign of what’s to come is a particularly boisterous belch by Megan (Melissa McCarthy).
A short time later, as each of the bridesmaids models the dress of their choosing and they debate over which dress to go with, more signs of gastrointestinal distress arise for everyone—or more specifically, everyone who ate the meat at lunch. Hilarity ensues as the bridesmaids (barring Helen, played by Rose Byrne) must share a single-person bathroom as they are violently ill. The over-the-top gross-out scene culminates in Lillian, who realizes there is simply no room for her in the restroom, running out the doors of the store and slowly squatting over a storm drain in the busy street—while still fully dressed in a luxurious, and expensive, bridal gown.
In an interview with Esquire, director Paul Feig revealed the infamous food poisoning element of the film wasn’t originally in the script.
This story originally appeared on Giving Assistant and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Universal Pictures
- Director: Paul Feig
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: 75
- Runtime: 125 minutes
While “Bridesmaids” is full of outrageous moments, perhaps no scene is as iconically outrageous as the food poisoning disaster at a high-end bridal boutique. After Annie (Kristen Wiig) organizes a meal at a hole-in-the-wall Brazilian restaurant—which is implied to have a questionable health-code rating—Lillian (Maya Rudolph) and her bridal party arrive at the swanky Belle en Blanc to try on dresses. The first sign of what’s to come is a particularly boisterous belch by Megan (Melissa McCarthy).
A short time later, as each of the bridesmaids models the dress of their choosing and they debate over which dress to go with, more signs of gastrointestinal distress arise for everyone—or more specifically, everyone who ate the meat at lunch. Hilarity ensues as the bridesmaids (barring Helen, played by Rose Byrne) must share a single-person bathroom as they are violently ill. The over-the-top gross-out scene culminates in Lillian, who realizes there is simply no room for her in the restroom, running out the doors of the store and slowly squatting over a storm drain in the busy street—while still fully dressed in a luxurious, and expensive, bridal gown.
In an interview with Esquire, director Paul Feig revealed the infamous food poisoning element of the film wasn’t originally in the script.
This story originally appeared on Giving Assistant and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
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What the 10 largest US retailers pay their workers
Peter Macdiarmid // Getty Images
The largest retailers in the U.S. are at the center of many Americans’ everyday lives—providing groceries, clothes, and other goods either through stores or, increasingly, via delivery. Simply put, they’re also some of the biggest employers around, cutting paychecks to millions of Americans every month.
The often unseen tribulations of retail workers were thrust into the spotlight when the pandemic began in 2020. Workers dealt with unruly and sometimes violent customers, demanding manual labor, and the ever-present risk of contracting COVID-19 while most people avoided public exposure during the worst months of the pandemic.
Commercials, public health experts, and elected officials held up the workers who operate checkout counters and stock shelves as heroes in American society. But what are retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Target paying their employees?
In this analysis, Stacker ranked major retailers by the total compensation of their median employee in 2021. Data is included for the 10 largest public retailers in the U.S. based on the most recently reported revenues obtained in Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Companies operate on different fiscal years, meaning the time periods reported often don’t align. All data was provided directly by companies in their SEC filings.
Companies determine their own median employee based on SEC guidelines. They include full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees in that analysis. That means some of the median employees included in this breakdown are part time while others are full time, and not every company divulged which category their median employee was in.
Stacker’s analysis also includes the pay ratio between the CEO and median employee—another metric required by the SEC. Most companies state in their pay ratio disclosures that they may not be comparable to other company pay ratios, as companies use different methodologies.
You may also like: How different generations feel about remote work
Peter Macdiarmid // Getty Images
The largest retailers in the U.S. are at the center of many Americans’ everyday lives—providing groceries, clothes, and other goods either through stores or, increasingly, via delivery. Simply put, they’re also some of the biggest employers around, cutting paychecks to millions of Americans every month.
The often unseen tribulations of retail workers were thrust into the spotlight when the pandemic began in 2020. Workers dealt with unruly and sometimes violent customers, demanding manual labor, and the ever-present risk of contracting COVID-19 while most people avoided public exposure during the worst months of the pandemic.
Commercials, public health experts, and elected officials held up the workers who operate checkout counters and stock shelves as heroes in American society. But what are retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Target paying their employees?
In this analysis, Stacker ranked major retailers by the total compensation of their median employee in 2021. Data is included for the 10 largest public retailers in the U.S. based on the most recently reported revenues obtained in Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Companies operate on different fiscal years, meaning the time periods reported often don’t align. All data was provided directly by companies in their SEC filings.
Companies determine their own median employee based on SEC guidelines. They include full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees in that analysis. That means some of the median employees included in this breakdown are part time while others are full time, and not every company divulged which category their median employee was in.
Stacker’s analysis also includes the pay ratio between the CEO and median employee—another metric required by the SEC. Most companies state in their pay ratio disclosures that they may not be comparable to other company pay ratios, as companies use different methodologies.
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What the 10 largest US retailers pay their workers
Canva
- Total compensation of median employee: $25,335
- Total compensation of CEO: $25.7 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 1,013:1
- Company revenues: $572.8 billion
- Total employees: 2,234,015
Walmart—the company almost synonymous with “big-box” retail—is a considerable stakeholder in urban and rural economies and boasts one of the largest private U.S. workforces.
Over the past decade, Walmart has faced increased competition from Amazon and others who have pioneered quick-delivery e-commerce services. The Arkansas-headquartered retailer hires tens of thousands of workers every year, and is facing the same challenges attracting and retaining labor as its competitors.
The company has increased wages for its employees multiple times since early 2021, bringing its average hourly wage above $16.
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- Total compensation of median employee: $25,335
- Total compensation of CEO: $25.7 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 1,013:1
- Company revenues: $572.8 billion
- Total employees: 2,234,015
Walmart—the company almost synonymous with “big-box” retail—is a considerable stakeholder in urban and rural economies and boasts one of the largest private U.S. workforces.
Over the past decade, Walmart has faced increased competition from Amazon and others who have pioneered quick-delivery e-commerce services. The Arkansas-headquartered retailer hires tens of thousands of workers every year, and is facing the same challenges attracting and retaining labor as its competitors.
The company has increased wages for its employees multiple times since early 2021, bringing its average hourly wage above $16.
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What the 10 largest US retailers pay their workers
Canva
- Total compensation of median employee: $25,501
- Total compensation of CEO: $19.8 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 775:1
- Company revenues: $106 billion
- Total employees: 450,000
Twin Cities-based Target has almost 2,000 store locations across the U.S. and operates in every single state, as of 2018.
Target gave employees at least half a dozen bonuses in 2021, each totaling $200 to $1,500. The retailer announced in early 2022 that it plans to raise its minimum wage up to $24 per hour depending on the job and employee’s location.
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- Total compensation of median employee: $25,501
- Total compensation of CEO: $19.8 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 775:1
- Company revenues: $106 billion
- Total employees: 450,000
Twin Cities-based Target has almost 2,000 store locations across the U.S. and operates in every single state, as of 2018.
Target gave employees at least half a dozen bonuses in 2021, each totaling $200 to $1,500. The retailer announced in early 2022 that it plans to raise its minimum wage up to $24 per hour depending on the job and employee’s location.
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What the 10 largest US retailers pay their workers
Canva
- Total compensation of median employee: $26,255
- Total compensation of CEO: $28.5 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 1,084:1
- Company revenues: $132.5 billion
- Total employees: 307,250
Walgreens announced it would raise all employee’s pay to $15 per hour by November 2022. The company outlined that the increased wages would represent a $450 million investment spread over three years—or about 0.3% of the overall company’s 2021 revenues.
Walgreens CEO Rosalind Brewer is one of just two Black female CEOs sitting atop Fortune 500 companies today. Brewer took on the position in March 2021, overlapping with outgoing CEO and pharmaceutical billionaire Stefano Pessina for several months. The pay ratio of 1,084:1 represents a comparison of the median employee to the CEOs combined incomes in 2021. It also includes one-time sign-on bonuses for Brewer.
Canva
- Total compensation of median employee: $26,255
- Total compensation of CEO: $28.5 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 1,084:1
- Company revenues: $132.5 billion
- Total employees: 307,250
Walgreens announced it would raise all employee’s pay to $15 per hour by November 2022. The company outlined that the increased wages would represent a $450 million investment spread over three years—or about 0.3% of the overall company’s 2021 revenues.
Walgreens CEO Rosalind Brewer is one of just two Black female CEOs sitting atop Fortune 500 companies today. Brewer took on the position in March 2021, overlapping with outgoing CEO and pharmaceutical billionaire Stefano Pessina for several months. The pay ratio of 1,084:1 represents a comparison of the median employee to the CEOs combined incomes in 2021. It also includes one-time sign-on bonuses for Brewer.
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What the 10 largest US retailers pay their workers
Canva
- Total compensation of median employee: $26,763
- Total compensation of CEO: $18.2 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 679:1
- Company revenues: $137.9 billion
- Total employees: 420,000
Cincinnati-based grocery behemoth Kroger operates more than 2,700 stores across the U.S. Employees at a number of its locations are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which includes 835,000 grocery store workers.
In 2021, Kroger began piloting stores that only offer self-checkout registers, converting cashiers at those locations into customer assistants and baggers.
Thousands of unionized workers at Kroger subsidiary King Soopers ratified a new contract in early 2022 that will provide some of its workers with up to a $5 per hour raise in Colorado. It’s important to note that increased pay and benefits negotiated by a unionized subsection of a workforce do not typically mean other nonunion members of the workforce will see their compensation increase similarly.
Kroger’s median employee is a part-time worker, according to the company’s recent filing with the SEC. Kroger claims about 70% of its store managers began as part-time workers.
Canva
- Total compensation of median employee: $26,763
- Total compensation of CEO: $18.2 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 679:1
- Company revenues: $137.9 billion
- Total employees: 420,000
Cincinnati-based grocery behemoth Kroger operates more than 2,700 stores across the U.S. Employees at a number of its locations are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which includes 835,000 grocery store workers.
In 2021, Kroger began piloting stores that only offer self-checkout registers, converting cashiers at those locations into customer assistants and baggers.
Thousands of unionized workers at Kroger subsidiary King Soopers ratified a new contract in early 2022 that will provide some of its workers with up to a $5 per hour raise in Colorado. It’s important to note that increased pay and benefits negotiated by a unionized subsection of a workforce do not typically mean other nonunion members of the workforce will see their compensation increase similarly.
Kroger’s median employee is a part-time worker, according to the company’s recent filing with the SEC. Kroger claims about 70% of its store managers began as part-time workers.
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What the 10 largest US retailers pay their workers
Canva
- Total compensation of median employee: $28,697
- Total compensation of CEO: $13.1 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 455:1
- Company revenues: $151.2 billion
- Total employees: 490,600
Headquartered in Georgia, The Home Depot employs hundreds of thousands at more than 2,300 store locations throughout North America. In early 2022, the retailer set out to hire 100,000 employees for its busy spring season.
The DIY and home goods retailer profited greatly from 2020’s lockdowns, around which time many Americans chose to spend more money improving their homes. That same year, the company said it would invest $1 billion in employee wages, though never detailed publicly or in filings how that would affect its average hourly wage the way other employers have.
The Home Depot’s median employee in this comparison is a part-time worker, the company said.
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Canva
- Total compensation of median employee: $28,697
- Total compensation of CEO: $13.1 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 455:1
- Company revenues: $151.2 billion
- Total employees: 490,600
Headquartered in Georgia, The Home Depot employs hundreds of thousands at more than 2,300 store locations throughout North America. In early 2022, the retailer set out to hire 100,000 employees for its busy spring season.
The DIY and home goods retailer profited greatly from 2020’s lockdowns, around which time many Americans chose to spend more money improving their homes. That same year, the company said it would invest $1 billion in employee wages, though never detailed publicly or in filings how that would affect its average hourly wage the way other employers have.
The Home Depot’s median employee in this comparison is a part-time worker, the company said.
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What the 10 largest US retailers pay their workers
JOHANNES EISELE/AFP // Getty Images
- Total compensation of median employee: $32,855
- Total compensation of CEO: $212.7 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 6,474:1
- Company revenues: $469.8 billion
- Total employees: 1,608,000
Seattle-based Amazon is the second-largest private U.S. employer behind Walmart. It operates more than 1,100 fulfillment centers mostly located near major metro areas.
The e-commerce giant’s warehouse, delivery, and fulfillment workers who toil under reportedly backbreaking conditions have recently begun organizing labor drives under the Amazon Labor Union. Those workers are asking for less surveillance, more breaks, and better compensation. It’s typical for the company to experience 100% employee turnover at its warehouses in any given year. Experts tend to associate lower turnover rates with better company culture.
Amazon president and CEO Andy Jassy was elevated to the top role in July 2021 when founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos transitioned into an executive chairman position. Jassy’s compensation package is made up almost entirely of restricted stock awards that vest over the next decade.
JOHANNES EISELE/AFP // Getty Images
- Total compensation of median employee: $32,855
- Total compensation of CEO: $212.7 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 6,474:1
- Company revenues: $469.8 billion
- Total employees: 1,608,000
Seattle-based Amazon is the second-largest private U.S. employer behind Walmart. It operates more than 1,100 fulfillment centers mostly located near major metro areas.
The e-commerce giant’s warehouse, delivery, and fulfillment workers who toil under reportedly backbreaking conditions have recently begun organizing labor drives under the Amazon Labor Union. Those workers are asking for less surveillance, more breaks, and better compensation. It’s typical for the company to experience 100% employee turnover at its warehouses in any given year. Experts tend to associate lower turnover rates with better company culture.
Amazon president and CEO Andy Jassy was elevated to the top role in July 2021 when founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos transitioned into an executive chairman position. Jassy’s compensation package is made up almost entirely of restricted stock awards that vest over the next decade.
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What the 10 largest US retailers pay their workers
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for CVS Pharmacy // Getty Images
- Total compensation of median employee: $45,010
- Total compensation of CEO: $20.6 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 458:1
- Company revenues: $292.1 billion
- Total employees: 300,000
Rhode Island-headquartered pharmacy chain CVS has more than doubled its store footprint over the past 15 years and now operates almost 10,000 locations. In terms of revenues, the company is twice as big as its biggest competitor, Walgreens.
In 2021, CVS announced it would bring its average minimum wage for hourly workers to $15 by July. The company said fewer than half of its employees were making under $15 per hour when the announcement came.
CEO Karen Lynch began in the role in February 2021, and her $20.6 million salary represents what she would have been compensated in one full calendar year, according to CVS.
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for CVS Pharmacy // Getty Images
- Total compensation of median employee: $45,010
- Total compensation of CEO: $20.6 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 458:1
- Company revenues: $292.1 billion
- Total employees: 300,000
Rhode Island-headquartered pharmacy chain CVS has more than doubled its store footprint over the past 15 years and now operates almost 10,000 locations. In terms of revenues, the company is twice as big as its biggest competitor, Walgreens.
In 2021, CVS announced it would bring its average minimum wage for hourly workers to $15 by July. The company said fewer than half of its employees were making under $15 per hour when the announcement came.
CEO Karen Lynch began in the role in February 2021, and her $20.6 million salary represents what she would have been compensated in one full calendar year, according to CVS.
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What the 10 largest US retailers pay their workers
Tim Boyle // Getty Images
- Total compensation of median employee: $45,294
- Total compensation of CEO: $8.8 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 193:1
- Company revenues: $195.9 billion
- Total employees: 288,000
The members-only wholesale retailer has 195,000 U.S. employees across 574 locations spanning nearly every state, with 40% of its global workforce employed as part-time, temporary, or seasonal workers, per the company’s SEC filing.
The company announced twice in 2021 it would raise its minimum hourly pay—first from $15 to $16 in February, then to $17 per hour in October as an attempt to retain workers.
Costco’s CEO is 69-year-old Craig Jelinek. He is compensated 193 times as much as the company’s typical employee, the smallest gap among major retail executives that made this list.
Tim Boyle // Getty Images
- Total compensation of median employee: $45,294
- Total compensation of CEO: $8.8 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 193:1
- Company revenues: $195.9 billion
- Total employees: 288,000
The members-only wholesale retailer has 195,000 U.S. employees across 574 locations spanning nearly every state, with 40% of its global workforce employed as part-time, temporary, or seasonal workers, per the company’s SEC filing.
The company announced twice in 2021 it would raise its minimum hourly pay—first from $15 to $16 in February, then to $17 per hour in October as an attempt to retain workers.
Costco’s CEO is 69-year-old Craig Jelinek. He is compensated 193 times as much as the company’s typical employee, the smallest gap among major retail executives that made this list.
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What the 10 largest US retailers pay their workers
Scott Olson // Getty Images
- Total compensation of median employee: $50,379
- Total compensation of CEO: $27.6 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 548:1
- Company revenues: $97.3 billion
- Total employees: 534,000
Georgia-based UPS is a behemoth shipping and logistics retailer with more than 5,200 store locations. Hundreds of thousands of UPS workers are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union.
The company announced a $3 per hour pay cut for its more than 200,000 part-time hourly workers in February 2022. The cuts eliminated the raises awarded to employees in 2021.
The company’s profit in 2021 exceeded $10 billion, a record for the company and a massive increase from the $4 billion to $5 billion profit UPS made pre-pandemic.
Scott Olson // Getty Images
- Total compensation of median employee: $50,379
- Total compensation of CEO: $27.6 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 548:1
- Company revenues: $97.3 billion
- Total employees: 534,000
Georgia-based UPS is a behemoth shipping and logistics retailer with more than 5,200 store locations. Hundreds of thousands of UPS workers are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union.
The company announced a $3 per hour pay cut for its more than 200,000 part-time hourly workers in February 2022. The cuts eliminated the raises awarded to employees in 2021.
The company’s profit in 2021 exceeded $10 billion, a record for the company and a massive increase from the $4 billion to $5 billion profit UPS made pre-pandemic.
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What the 10 largest US retailers pay their workers
Sean Rayford // Getty Images
- Total compensation of median employee: $68,254
- Total compensation of CEO: $98.7 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 1,447:1
- Company revenues: $365.8 billion
- Total employees: 154,000
All the top 10 largest retailers pay employees well above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour established in 2009, but Apple’s median employee compensation according to SEC filings sits well above the others. The company’s median employee in this instance is full time, and may not work in a retail position given California-headquartered Apple is a massive tech company.
Apple maintains a much slimmer portfolio of brick-and-mortar stores than other traditional retail companies. The consumer tech giant’s nearly 270 U.S. stores employ just under half its total workforce.
At least some of the nearly 65,000 retail employees at Apple are working to unionize staff at stores in multiple states, including Georgia and Maryland. Those workers lament the pressure inflation has placed on their wages, which they call insufficient. Discontent over compensation at Apple’s retail stores relative to the company’s lucrative revenues stretches back at least a decade.
Since 2021, Apple has offered its store employees 10% pay raises, one-time $1,000 bonuses, and increased benefits. The company claims it achieved gender pay equity in 2017, but it opposed a shareholder proposal that would have forced the company to publish an annual report on pay equity across race, gender, and other demographics.
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Sean Rayford // Getty Images
- Total compensation of median employee: $68,254
- Total compensation of CEO: $98.7 million
- Pay ratio of CEO-to-median employee: 1,447:1
- Company revenues: $365.8 billion
- Total employees: 154,000
All the top 10 largest retailers pay employees well above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour established in 2009, but Apple’s median employee compensation according to SEC filings sits well above the others. The company’s median employee in this instance is full time, and may not work in a retail position given California-headquartered Apple is a massive tech company.
Apple maintains a much slimmer portfolio of brick-and-mortar stores than other traditional retail companies. The consumer tech giant’s nearly 270 U.S. stores employ just under half its total workforce.
At least some of the nearly 65,000 retail employees at Apple are working to unionize staff at stores in multiple states, including Georgia and Maryland. Those workers lament the pressure inflation has placed on their wages, which they call insufficient. Discontent over compensation at Apple’s retail stores relative to the company’s lucrative revenues stretches back at least a decade.
Since 2021, Apple has offered its store employees 10% pay raises, one-time $1,000 bonuses, and increased benefits. The company claims it achieved gender pay equity in 2017, but it opposed a shareholder proposal that would have forced the company to publish an annual report on pay equity across race, gender, and other demographics.
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