...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!
Predatory Business
- 271 statements
- 52 feature instances
- 47 referencing feature instances
| Predatory Business | type |
FeatureClass | |
| Predatory Business | label |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business | page |
PredatoryBusiness | |
| Predatory Business | comment |
An evil large corporate retailer moves into a previously "unspoiled" area, and proceeds to try to drive all the pre-existing local "Mom & Pop" competition out of business, usually through a combination of price undercutting, bribery, and other shady business practices. Our heroes must now band together in an effort to save their beloved coffee shop/video store/bookstore from certain extinction. Frequently depicted as offering inferior products, but at much lower prices. The person running this company is usually a Corrupt Corporate Executive. Sometimes even has some Screw the Rules, I Have Money! to avoid being punished, or to survive losing customers. If the company decides to buy up the local businesses once they fail, they may invoke Majority-Share Dictator. Often employed as a Strawman Political to reprimand corporate businesses, but may sometimes be an accurate depiction of the dirty tricks that certain big companies use. When considering whether an example would fit this trope or not, please keep in mind that simply having a large corporate entity in the story may not qualify it as a Predatory Business. The intention of this trope is that the large corporation's aggressive business tactics and the opposition to the corporation should figure in a plot or subplot. For situations where the corporate entity is more of an environmental detail or a mood-setting device, MegaCorp or Bland-Name Product may be more appropriate. Here's an example to use for comparison. Fox Books from You've Got Mail does not fit this trope. Yes, his company drove The Shop Around the Corner out of business, but they did it by simply selling their product in a competitive market, they did not engage in misconduct. Not to be confused with Welcome to Evil Mart which is about companies and corporations that specifically cater to villains. Compare Community-Threatening Construction. noreallife |
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| Predatory Business | fetched |
2024-04-12T18:02:08Z | |
| Predatory Business | parsed |
2024-04-12T18:02:09Z | |
| Predatory Business | processingComment |
Dropped link to FairFolk: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Predatory Business | processingComment |
Dropped link to GoldenEnding: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Predatory Business | processingComment |
Dropped link to MegaCorp: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Predatory Business | processingComment |
Dropped link to runninggag: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Predatory Business | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Predatory Business / int_1e02c4cd | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_1e02c4cd | comment |
The JibJab video "Big Box Mart". A big retail chain, "Big Box Mart" sells everything very cheaply, but this results in factories outsourcing their labor force, because that's the only way they can make stuff cheap enough to sell to Big Box Mart. The protagonist who loved to shop at Big Box Mart loses his job because of this, and ends up working there as a janitor. | |
| Predatory Business / int_1e02c4cd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_1e02c4cd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Jib Jab (Website) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_1e02c4cd | |
| Predatory Business / int_1fc7499e | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_1fc7499e | comment |
In Reaper Man, Death is fired and one consequence of there being too much life force in the world as a result is that it starts making metaphors literal. One such metaphor is the idea that big corporate shopping malls are parasitic predators that suck the life out of inner-city shops, with a living mall coming into existence as a result. | |
| Predatory Business / int_1fc7499e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_1fc7499e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Reaper Man | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_1fc7499e | |
| Predatory Business / int_261c8d3f | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_261c8d3f | comment |
The Simpsons: "Sprawl-Mart" is portrayed like this in later episodes. Also, Ned Flanders has to compete against the left-handed giant "Left Mart". One episode has a gag wherein Homer visits Flanders' store and makes a comment about all the Starbucks in the mall. Upon leaving, every store except Flanders' has been replaced by a Starbucks. In "Simpson Tide", Bart goes to a mall to get his ear pierced, passing several Starbucks stores, and a place with a sign saying "Coming Soon - A Starbucks". On entering the piercing store, he is informed that it is becoming a Starbucks in five minutes. Five minutes later, Bart leaves with a pierced ear and a Starbucks cup while every store behind him has become a Starbucks. |
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| Predatory Business / int_261c8d3f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_261c8d3f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Simpsons | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_261c8d3f | |
| Predatory Business / int_26ef42e7 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_26ef42e7 | comment |
Herdthinners Inc in Kevin & Kell is a massive corporation that uses underhanded methods to take down the competition, with Kell's rival company, Dewclaw's Fine Meats, mostly surviving because Herdthinners' internal ruthlessness is often counterproductive, while her employees and customers actually like her. Of course, both of them are quite literally predatory. | |
| Predatory Business / int_26ef42e7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_26ef42e7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kevin & Kell (Webcomic) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_26ef42e7 | |
| Predatory Business / int_284882f8 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_284882f8 | comment |
Pizza Dinosaur from WarioWare. Their corporate song even says the 'lower quality products but cheaper' part. | |
| Predatory Business / int_284882f8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_284882f8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| WarioWare (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_284882f8 | |
| Predatory Business / int_2af4f467 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_2af4f467 | comment |
Red Rocket (a front for COBRA, of course) from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. | |
| Predatory Business / int_2af4f467 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_2af4f467 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_2af4f467 | |
| Predatory Business / int_2ebbb6fc | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_2ebbb6fc | comment |
Cobra Industries in G.I. Joe: Renegades is made of this, although their pies are better than homemade. Their bagel-dogs aren't bad either. | |
| Predatory Business / int_2ebbb6fc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_2ebbb6fc | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| G.I. Joe: Renegades | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_2ebbb6fc | |
| Predatory Business / int_30c1ffd0 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_30c1ffd0 | comment |
Stardew Valley has the Joja Corporation. The plot of this game (a farming simulator in the vein of Harvest Moon) is kicked off by the player character getting tired of their mindless desk job at a Joja Corp office and moving to Stardew Valley to work on the old farm their grandfather gifted them. The main plot entails the player making the decision to save the small town which has fallen into decline as the direct result of Joja setting up shop in the area... or simply embrace the local JojaMart and do all your shopping there (in exchange for discounts on their products). Even the company's slogans are downright sinister: | |
| Predatory Business / int_30c1ffd0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_30c1ffd0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Stardew Valley / Videogame | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_30c1ffd0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_3caeeb6f | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_3caeeb6f | comment |
If your income drops too low in SimCity 3000, you may be propositioned to build a Gigamall in your city. By doing so, you'll earn a steady income which can keep you in the black, but like all the business deal buildings, there's a catch: The Gigamall torpedoes the development of your own commercial sector. | |
| Predatory Business / int_3caeeb6f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_3caeeb6f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| SimCity (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_3caeeb6f | |
| Predatory Business / int_3e027a0f | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_3e027a0f | comment |
The Nutt House: The Texplex hotel chain wants to buy the Nutt House, mostly because the owner told him 'no', and "Nobody ever says no to me!" | |
| Predatory Business / int_3e027a0f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_3e027a0f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Nutt House | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_3e027a0f | |
| Predatory Business / int_455e3038 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_455e3038 | comment |
Megalomart from King of the Hill. There are several instances of the business trying to absorb another company's main work by buying them into merging with it (other small stores, selling propane (it failed, badly), selling authentic meat) and how it ruins Hank's mundane life one way or another (though there is always a Running Gag about how it actually sells a lot of stuff for less whenever Hank realizes it). Also, Alamo Beer in a few episodes. | |
| Predatory Business / int_455e3038 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_455e3038 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| King of the Hill | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_455e3038 | |
| Predatory Business / int_474d4d3f | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_474d4d3f | comment |
One episode of Nerima Daikon Brothers features a big new store that sells everything at ludicrously cheap prices, driving local stores out of business, and it turns out they're abducting hosts and selling them to a UFO. | |
| Predatory Business / int_474d4d3f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_474d4d3f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Nerima Daikon Brothers | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_474d4d3f | |
| Predatory Business / int_4b01578c | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_4b01578c | comment |
Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator has this as "Bean There, Done that". | |
| Predatory Business / int_4b01578c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_4b01578c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_4b01578c | |
| Predatory Business / int_4b5dbe41 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_4b5dbe41 | comment |
The first episode of Clerks: The Animated Series revolves around Corrupt Corporate Executive Leonardo Leonardo creating the Convenience Store of The Future, which is really more of a massive, sprawling mall, driving Quick Stop and the surrounding block of stores out of business. It's accidentally demolished by Jay and Silent Bob in a fireworks mishap by the end of the episode. It also parodies the "Starbucks is everywhere" meme by having every story in the mall contain a coffee shop in it - except for the coffee shop, which has a bookstore in it (the bookstore has a smaller coffee shop in it). | |
| Predatory Business / int_4b5dbe41 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_4b5dbe41 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Clerks: The Animated Series | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_4b5dbe41 | |
| Predatory Business / int_51ef8ae4 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_51ef8ae4 | comment |
An episode of The Garfield Show has Garfield saving Vito's pizzeria from a Corrupt Corporate Executive's pizza store chain, which sells terrible-tasting pizza. Its success lies mostly with its coupons and huge cash prizes as well as its industrial machinery that can crank out pizzas at a much faster rate than anyone can by hand (which ironically is the reason why they taste so bad). | |
| Predatory Business / int_51ef8ae4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_51ef8ae4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Garfield Show | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_51ef8ae4 | |
| Predatory Business / int_522c3267 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_522c3267 | comment |
Neurotically Yours had a running gag about Foamy's absolute loathing of Starbucks and their systematic destruction of small business coffee shops. Unfortunately, he dealt with this by ranting at the barista, who of course had zero influence on anything the company did (though his attitude about how no one "gives a shit" about small business didn't help his case). | |
| Predatory Business / int_522c3267 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_522c3267 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Neurotically Yours (Web Animation) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_522c3267 | |
| Predatory Business / int_5296ba69 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_5296ba69 | comment |
In Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth, the Galerie du Roy is threatened by the opening of a "Grande Magazine", or as it would be known now, a Department Store. | |
| Predatory Business / int_5296ba69 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_5296ba69 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth (Manga) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_5296ba69 | |
| Predatory Business / int_54291151 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_54291151 | comment |
Largest Ever Pet Shop from Littlest Pet Shop (2012). | |
| Predatory Business / int_54291151 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_54291151 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Littlest Pet Shop (2012) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_54291151 | |
| Predatory Business / int_5921531b | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_5921531b | comment |
Persona 4: Junes is regarded as one, though it's more a parody of Mega Corps. Its poor reputation (though people still shop there even while blaming it for driving small shops out of business, similar to people in Walmart in real life) has several long-reaching effects; the most obvious is on party member Yosuke, who happens to be the son of the manager. In the Golden Ending of The Golden, Junes averts this in part due to Yosuke's suggestion that Junes make a section for local foods and crafts that go right back to the mom & pop stores in the town proper. |
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| Predatory Business / int_5921531b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_5921531b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Persona 4 (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_5921531b | |
| Predatory Business / int_5d908c85 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_5d908c85 | comment |
Archie's Weird Mysteries features a new mall in town that has literally everything the kids could want and even offers mall-exclusive credit cards so they don't have to spend any money there. This naturally starts cutting into all of the local businesses' earnings, forcing them into closure. As it turns out, this trope is somewhat literal in this case; when the credit cards' limits are reached, the owner of the mall turns the kids into statues so he can use them to settle his Deal with the Devil. Fortunately, Jughead's loyalty to Pops' proves a Spanner in the Works and everyone makes it out save for the owner who's forced to face the music on his own. | |
| Predatory Business / int_5d908c85 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_5d908c85 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Archie's Weird Mysteries | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_5d908c85 | |
| Predatory Business / int_794d9734 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_794d9734 | comment |
In Mutant Chronicles just about every megacorp plans on doing whatever it takes to gain more grounds against the other megacorps. They’re also not afraid to go to all-out war with each other. | |
| Predatory Business / int_794d9734 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_794d9734 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Mutant Chronicles (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_794d9734 | |
| Predatory Business / int_7ac38ec4 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_7ac38ec4 | comment |
Rebuild World: Discussed. The Mad Scientist doctor Yatsubiyashi tells Akira about his Nanomachine Healing Potion that has a Sickly Green Glow, saying that the only reason it’s not more popular is this from the MegaCorp within the One Nation Under Copyright government, before selling him some. It turns out Yatsubiyashi develops it into a Super Serum after making a Deal with the Devil with Tsubaki for info on Lost Technology. However, despite us learning this, Morally Ambiguous Doctorate aside, what he said may well be true. | |
| Predatory Business / int_7ac38ec4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_7ac38ec4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Rebuild World | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_7ac38ec4 | |
| Predatory Business / int_7cfe10f3 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_7cfe10f3 | comment |
DOGMA from Segagaga. An evil, faceless corporation that controls 97% of the video game market at the beginning of the game, having crushed all the competition... Except for Sega, who launches the "Project Segagaga" as a last-ditch effort to stop DOGMA's threat of total monopoly. | |
| Predatory Business / int_7cfe10f3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_7cfe10f3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Segagaga (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_7cfe10f3 | |
| Predatory Business / int_7ff3216c | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_7ff3216c | comment |
The monstromarket featured in the Garfield and Friends short "Supermarket Mania". Ironically, it's both more expensive and has less selection than the local Pop's Mart, but the owner tricks customers into thinking he's cheaper by offering a lot of coupons on his inflated prices. | |
| Predatory Business / int_7ff3216c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_7ff3216c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Garfield and Friends | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_7ff3216c | |
| Predatory Business / int_86e4732f | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_86e4732f | comment |
Speedy Mart, from the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn. The owner of the chain creates natural disasters with magic. Kitty's bounty hunter friend that tried to kill her once saves the day, with help from a century-old ghost. It makes sense in context. The stores themselves appear to be clean if a draw for paranormal activity. It's just that the chain exists not to do business but to cover the movements of and provide (what are effectively) "arms caches" to a very high-priced contract killer. It's left unspecified whether the chain is subsidized by the proceeds of criminal activity (which would indeed let it unfairly compete). |
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| Predatory Business / int_86e4732f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_86e4732f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Kitty Norville | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_86e4732f | |
| Predatory Business / int_8960828c | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_8960828c | comment |
Mondo Burger from the old Nicktoons movie Good Burger. | |
| Predatory Business / int_8960828c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_8960828c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Good Burger | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_8960828c | |
| Predatory Business / int_898a1932 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_898a1932 | comment |
Journey to Chaos: Once Gunrai Enterprises enters a market, it will drive everyone else out of that market. This is because the head of the company, Kaiba Gunrai, is an elf whose eternal hobby is basically "winning in the economic sector". He says that it's because he has better products, better service, etc. but it's apparently common knowledge that he does terrible things to his business rivals as several characters comment on it. | |
| Predatory Business / int_898a1932 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_898a1932 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Journey to Chaos | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_898a1932 | |
| Predatory Business / int_8ee9855c | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_8ee9855c | comment |
Dot's Home: Despite its name, Hope Equity is anything but a real estate company that provides housing equality for everyone, especially people of color. It has historically redlined the Blacks by selling inferior houses to them at a high price and lying about their quality, and then adding hidden costs in their monthly payments and maintenance just because of their tenant's race. Hope Equity has also done Villainous Gentrification, where they demolish old houses without the homeowners' consent to build luxury condominiums, not caring if it displaces Detroit's Black-majority population. Even in the modern times, Hope Equity still hasn't changed its practices, for they still discriminate against immigrants and build houses near environmental hazards. | |
| Predatory Business / int_8ee9855c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_8ee9855c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Dot's Home (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_8ee9855c | |
| Predatory Business / int_98655ebe | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_98655ebe | comment |
*batteries not included had a variation where a corp was trying to buy out the inhabitants of some tenement blocks so they could build a skyscraper in their place. The residents of one block resisted, and the corp started using dirtier and dirtier tactics to get rid of them. | |
| Predatory Business / int_98655ebe | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_98655ebe | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| *batteries not included | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_98655ebe | |
| Predatory Business / int_9888e7c2 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_9888e7c2 | comment |
Gigundo-Mart from Dan Vs. | |
| Predatory Business / int_9888e7c2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_9888e7c2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Dan Vs. | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_9888e7c2 | |
| Predatory Business / int_9994a14f | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_9994a14f | comment |
Buy N Large from WALL•E is pretty much the end effect of this, ruling all of mankind in a corporate spaceship and leaving Earth behind as a wasteland. Played with in that such businesses are generally criticized for selling cheap, crappy merchandise, but the Axiom and nearly everything on it are incredibly well-built, given that all its systems are working with apparently no problems centuries after the ship was supposed to return to Earth. According to Word of God, the Wall-E units suffered some sort of massive production failure, leaving only one active, which is why Buy N Large decided to give up on cleaning up the Earth. | |
| Predatory Business / int_9994a14f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_9994a14f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| WALL•E | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_9994a14f | |
| Predatory Business / int_a6495ffd | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_a6495ffd | comment |
The Store, a horror novel by Bentley Little. A large corporation places "The Store" in the protagonist's home town and things go downhill from there. | |
| Predatory Business / int_a6495ffd | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_a6495ffd | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Store | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_a6495ffd | |
| Predatory Business / int_a9f06cb6 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_a9f06cb6 | comment |
One of the VeggieTales stories, based on Don Quixote, had a little local restaurant that was very successful... until a giant corporate eatery, the Food Factory, moved in across the street. Later in the episode, this is subverted when it's revealed that the Food Factory doesn't open until lunch, so the small local restaurant just has to change its menu to feature breakfast staples. | |
| Predatory Business / int_a9f06cb6 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Predatory Business / int_a9f06cb6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| VeggieTales | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_a9f06cb6 | |
| Predatory Business / int_b3f687d1 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_b3f687d1 | comment |
Mentioned in FoxTrot: | |
| Predatory Business / int_b3f687d1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_b3f687d1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| FoxTrot (Comic Strip) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_b3f687d1 | |
| Predatory Business / int_b712435c | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_b712435c | comment |
On Leverage, the team tries to stop a new big box store from opening and driving the local mom-and-pop out of business. Unfortunately, the episode treats the big store's predatory nature mostly as an Informed Flaw and thus we get a Broken Aesop where the heroes seem to be sabotaging a legitimate business because it is offering better prices and service than the team's clients. The executive in charge of the store opening uses a number of unethical tactics and is a jerk but most of it is in response to the various underhand tactics the team uses to try to shut the store down. | |
| Predatory Business / int_b712435c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_b712435c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Leverage | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_b712435c | |
| Predatory Business / int_b9419bd1 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_b9419bd1 | comment |
In Deus Ex: Human Revolution, two major corporations provide augmentation to the world. Adam Jensen works for Sarif Industries, whose CEO David Sarif is an idealist who truly believes that augmentation is the key to a brighter future for humanity. He even funds research dedicated to making his most profitable product, the drug that people with augments need to maintain their health, obsolete. Sarif ultimately cares less about money and more about making augmentation available to as many people as possible (preferably all of them). Unfortunately, Tai Yong Medical, run by Zhao Yun Ru, is dominating the market. Their products are shoddy pieces of junk compared to Sarif Industries', so TYM resorts to hiring mercs to attack their competitors' facilities and framing them for unethical experiments while hiding their own. TYM being backed by the Illuminati (who do not want augmentation to become too widespread since it would threaten their power over the world) doesn't help Sarif Industries either. TYM's "business model" doesn't rely on outperforming the competition. It relies on removing it entirely through whatever means necessary. Given that TYM is based in Hengsha, China, it also comes with shades of China Takes Over the World, reflecting real-world fears about the business practices of Chinese corporations. | |
| Predatory Business / int_b9419bd1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Predatory Business / int_b9419bd1 | featureConfidence |
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| Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Predatory Business / int_b9419bd1 | |
| Predatory Business / int_bc848d30 | type |
Predatory Business | |
| Predatory Business / int_bc848d30 | comment |
Kelpshake from the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Best Frenemies" moves into Bikini Bottom so quickly that their locations divide like cells, threatening both the Krusty Krab and the Chum Bucket. Mr. Krabs and Plankton have to enter an Enemy Mine status to preserve their businesses; unfortunately, the Kelpshakes not only taste bad, they are (implied to be intentionally) addictive and toxic, causing all the locations to be shuttered — and all of the Bikini Bottomites to grow green fur. | |
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Superstore: Cloud 9, as an expy of Wal-Mart. Glenn mentions that they drove his father's hardware store out of business, and despite working for them as a manager, he has a deeply repressed grudge that flares up from time to time. Such as in season 6 when the CEO reveals that he made his dad eat dog food. | |
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StrexCorp in Welcome to Night Vale turned Night Vale's rival city of Desert Bluffs into a Company Town a while ago and in the first two years of the podcast start moving into Night Vale. Buying out or driving into bankruptcy every business in the city, including the community radio station, and also worshipping a vile Smiling God who was pure evil even by Night Vale standards. Fortunately, in episode 49, Night Vale managed to succeed at a bloody revolution and what was left of the company was bought by Old Woman Josie's angel friends. | |
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6teen had Taj Mahome Video, doing essentially this to smaller video stores. | |
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My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: Flim and Flam in the episode "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 3000". They at first try and offer the Apple family a deal to sell them their cider press at a 75-25% deal in their favor, and at that point engage in a competition with a winner-takes-all selling right to Ponyville's cider supply. When they start losing the competition, they commence cutting costs that leave their cider full of twigs and rocks, forcing them to leave once they win. | |
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Wal-Mart Watch actually has a YouTube parody called Harry Potter and the Dark Lord Waldemart. | |
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Similarly, You Don't Mess with the Zohan partly revolves around a developer trying to tear down a neighborhood and build a shopping mall in its place. He raises the rent to ridiculous extremes and even recruits some domestic terrorists to try to inflame tensions between the resident Jews and Palestinians. Thanks to Zohan's many talents, the local hair salon is able to fight back. | |
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Johnny Bravo parodied this trope when Johnny's favorite store, the $1.03 store (a mom-and-pop store where everything costs 1 dollar and three cents) is about to close down because of the $1.02 mart that opened across the street, complete with a line going out the door. Apparently saving a single cent is that much of an appeal. | |
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Night in the Woods provides a downplayed example with the Ham Panther, a large supermarket/general goods chain that put the friendly local supermarket (and its slightly-creepy animatronics) out of business. Although several townsfolk, including Mae, resent the loss, Bea reminds her that it provides a much-needed boost to Possum Springs's economy and employs a good number of residents, including Mae's own father. | |
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In the Barry Trotter parody series, the Voldemort stand-in Lord Valumart fits this trope by selling magical goods to the Muddle world. | |
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No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle: Pizza Bat, which has hurt the local fast food places like Burger Suplex. | |
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Done twice in South Park. In "Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes", while Wall-Mart is the physical shell of an Eldritch Abomination, the boys make the argument that if the citizens of South Park really don't want it to succeed over the local "mom and pop" stores... stop shopping there. This is reflected by the core of the Wall-Mart being a mirror, so the boys (who were told to destroy the core) see themselves in it, so then they just break the mirror, which causes the Wall-Mart to collapse into itself. However, all the townspeople then start buying everything from a local hardware store, which expands to meet demand, collapsing the other businesses, and then gets burned to the ground like Wall-Mart. Subverted in "Gnomes"; the local coffee shop Tweek's Coffee (owned by Tweek's father) is threatened when the coffee chain Harbucks Coffee starts a franchise in South Park. However, the episode subverts the usual anti-corporation message by pointing out that Harbucks is successful for a reason - they offer a product with a wide market appeal, and Mr. Tweek's only real defense is that he's a small business owner taking on "The Man". His own product isn't actually very good, and even he has to admit Harbucks is better after trying it. Not that it matters, as Harbucks isnt mentioned after this episode, and Tweek's Coffee remains a South Park institution. |
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In Hyperdimension Neptunia, there's a company called Avenir, a technology factory who owns a majority of the business on Lastation, and has used its influence to crush its competition and garner protection from Parliament, preventing Neptune and her friends from entering the Basilicom. | |
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Superstore USA from the Family Guy episode "Hell Comes to Quahog", which not only drives all other businesses into bankruptcy, it even leeches the town's power supply, leading to rolling blackouts for everyone else. Brian and Stewie destroy it with a tank at the end of the episode. | |
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This trope was examined on the "Wal-Mart" episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit!. Penn argues that Wal-Mart's growth is the natural end result of capitalism and that demonizing Wal-Mart is unfair. | |
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Wondermark had a comic that subverted this where the one complaining about this trope pertaining to a bookstore was mostly peeved that the new store's security was not of the "old man in chair napping" model. | |
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