Walmart was not welcomed where I live either but it survived. It is non-union, and the unions put up pick lines. They walked around for years outside while people went about their business ignoring them while continuing to shop at the store.
I shop there once in a while when I want Suavitel Island splash, or Sunset Rose fabric softeners because I like these scents, especially the Sunset Rose.
I can see the draw of this store. They sell a ton of frozen food entries at lower prices. They sell canned soup cheaper than I have ever seen it. They have a wide variety of beef, chicken and pork in the meat section, a ton of processed cheese foods, milk & eggs, a large bakery, large rolls of paper towels and cleaning supplies reasonability priced, a pharmacy, clothes that would be good for younger children and, a decent fresh vegetable and fruit section located right at the front door, and reasonable prices and a McDonalds or.. something inside the store. So I get it. Our transit system has been modified so that almost every area of the city can get to it by bus, plus it is in the same shopping mall as other grocery markets, Home Depot and a ton of other stores, so I can see why folks would flock to shop here.
I think I read that walmart is raising their starting associate hourly wage to a minimum of $9 an hour, and by next year current associates to $10 per hour. Managers will be bumped to $15 by next year. This is probably a result of the improving economic conditions and hiring. You can't keep good people if you don't pay well and when more jobs become available wages tend to increase.
This is completely off topic of Persil but I will shop there to buy it and I also understand why many people want to shop there.
