# Intimate Superstore Photography Waking Up at Walmart Explores People Staying in Their Parking Lots By Mesel Isaac | Published 2014-01-26 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/waking-up-at-walmart References: [fastcoexist](http://www.fastcoexist.com/3021967/the-hidden-ecosystem-of-the-walmart-parking-lot) & [nolanconway](http://www.nolanconway.com/bio) Waking Up At [Walmart](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ultra-latenight-delivery) by photographer Nolan Conway explores the little known world of people who stay in [Walmart parking lots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/walmart-store-of-the-future). As you may or may not know, Walmart has a policy (at most stores) that allows travelers to spend the night for free in their parking lots. Some of the people who take advantage of the mega-store's policy are sometimes homeless who sleep in their cars or people traveling in their RVs who didn't want to spring for a hotel. Some spend the night in [spacious luxury RVs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wild-land-wingman-pickup-camper), others are huddled up in cramped cars or vans, but what unites them all is the Walmart parking lot. Walmart lots are a place Conway is intimately familiar with, having stayed in plenty of them when he used to be out on the road, before starting his Waking Up At Walmart series. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.7/10 - Popularity: 71% | Activity: 33% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Parking Lot Living:** Developing affordable and nomadic living solutions that can transform parking lots into temporary homes. - **Alternative Accommodation:** Creating alternative accommodation options for travelers who cannot afford hotels or prefer mobile living arrangements. - **Photographic Storytelling:** Exploring photography as a powerful storytelling medium to shed light on unseen or misunderstood communities. ### Where This Applies - **Real Estate:** Real estate companies can develop mobile and affordable housing solutions that can accommodate individuals who prefer to live a nomadic lifestyle. - **Hospitality:** Hospitality companies can create alternative accommodation options for travelers, including overnight parking lots with basic amenities such as toilets and charging stations. - **Art and Photography:** Photographers and artists can leverage their skills to capture and tell the stories of marginalized communities like parking lot dwellers, creating awareness and empathy. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Hypermarket Sleepover Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/carrenight.md) - [Late Night Retailer Deliveries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ultra-latenight-delivery.md) - [Accessible Fashion Tours](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/walmart-style-tour.md) - [Late-Night Delivery Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/latenight-express-delivery.md) - [Farm-to-Table Lifestyle Apparel](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/homegrown-collection.md) - [Holiday Retail Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/whoknewville.md) - [Domestic Awareness Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/this-is-not-a-home.md) - [Influencer-Led Virtual Shops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/walmart-realm-1.md) - [Fulfillment-Only Retail Locations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/walmart-dark-stores.md)