Gail Lewis, Walmart Associate, Signing Out

Submission 12,033

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About

Gail Lewis, Walmart Associate, Signing Out is a viral video in which TikToker and Walmart employee Gail Lewis (@fluffygaileena) announces over the Walmart intercom system that she is "signing out" for the last time, meaning she's quit because she got a better job. The video was posted to TikTok in mid-November 2023 and became the subject of reactions and memes where people mourn Lewis' departure from Walmart and thank her for her service, treating her similarly to how someone might treat a soldier lost to the war.

Origin

On November 16th, 2023, TikToker^[1] @fluffygaileena, aka Gail Lewis, a Walmart employee of 10 years, posted a video where she speaks into Walmart's intercom system, broadcasting to the entire store that she is signing out for the last time. The video then cuts to Lewis in the car crying. She explains how she's leaving Walmart because she got a better job and how she's upset about it, calling it the end of an era. She says it's a "happy sad" but that her co-workers became "like family." The video gained over 7.5 million views in five days.

Attention Walmart, this is Gail Lewis. 10-year associate, Morris, Illinois, 8-4-4, signing out. Goodnight.

Spread

The video became the subject of memes later that week, including videos where TikTokers treat Lewis' departure with respect and mourning, essentially treating Lewis like a soldier lost to the war. For example, on November 20th, TikToker^[2] @unsolicitedpicks posted a "thank you for your service" edit about Lewis, garnering over 1.1 million views in a day (shown below, left). On November 21st, TikToker^[3] @vincentsview252 posted a similar video, garnering over 7.4 million views in a day (shown below, right).

Later that day, TikToker^[4] @spedits14 posted an edit of the video that garnered over 950,000 views in five hours (shown below). TikToker^[5] @noahglenncarter also posted a video about Gail Lewis' departure from Walmart, garnering over 500,000 views in a day.

The video also spread to X that week. On November 21st, X^[6] user @SubToOptimus reposted it, writing a fictional list of achievements Lewis earned over her 10 years at Walmart, garnering over 600 likes in a day (shown below).