Good observation. I do think it's a City Mouse vs Country Mouse thing. Walmart creates jobs in rural areas. The mom and pop stores can't afford to pay high salaries and benefits there either so Walmart is an improvement and employs so many more. In rural areas Walmart is often the only game in town.
To hear the Wally Bashers here, you'd think the Ma/Pa places manufacture and sell Made in the USA only. Fact is, they have a store front, hire their family and friends, and stock stuff out of China and India (note alll the little ma/pa implement dealers selling Mahindra tractors---hint: not made in Ohio!).
MaPa will NOT hire their small-town enemies, or the 'wierd' people. And there are quite a few "southern democrats" left in the country who haven't figured out that their party left them behind, and you have to endure Al Franken on the radio in some MaPa stores!
I live in the boonies, and I go to the close in ma/pa place for half-stop groceries and generic plumbing parts first, but when they don't have everything (which is always) I still have to go to Wally World or worse, a trip into "the city."
That's right. Everybody b*t*****g about insurance, benefits, wages and yet who makes the grade? Wal-Mart. Who truly lends a helping hand to victims? Who makes sure their EMPLOYEES are taken care of? Wal-Mart. I'm sick of those on this forum, the elitist know-it-all snobs that do the same bashing with their self-righteous snide remarks. We'll continue to support folks like Wal-Mart and some snob that makes a "Wal-Mart" slam in my hearing may end up with a broken jaw. If some don't like the business, then by God, shop somewhere else and STFU! Spoiled, pampered girly-men.