I spent 2 years as a walmart associate. I was a photo lab technician at a supercenter back when there were just two walmarts in the area. One was an aging standard walmart (limited or no groceries) and the new fancy supercenter. It was a terrible place to work and the store quickly went from being a flagship location to just another box store. Walls remained unfinished after the grand opening, equipment broke down routinely and was band-aided, the aisles overfilled, the store outgrew itself, service was non-existent, and associate turnover reached 93% before the turnover rate bulletin board was taken down. I quit the job, among other reasons, once I found out my trainees were earning $11/hr against my $7.28/hr as an experienced tech. I put my foot down and demanded equal pay but was left pounding sand. I walked out and said I would never darken their doorway again.
Six years later and in a new financial position I returned to the same store that wronged me. I needed a set of heavy thermals to keep me warm during motorcycle trips and figured walmart was the place to go after midnight. The store had changed entirely. It was clean. Fresh. Refurbished. It did not even seem like the same store I wasted years of my life in. Everything was neatly in place and the general air was much more composed. It felt more like shopping at Kohl's than Walmart. I was impressed.
My best guess is that with two new Supercenters within a 10 mile radius they really had to clean up their act. I am certain their service and checkout lanes are lacking during prime hours but I give them credit for cleaning up their act. I don't think they are an evil organization, but you do have to consider their value as a retailer and the effect you may have on the local economy if you choose to shop there often.
