The Chicago area did not have Wal-Marts because of political pressure brought to bear by unions who were allies of the local elected officials. Wal-Mart has a deserved reputation for its hostility towards organized labor.
It is a multi-faceted problem and there is a lot of pressure on big box stores to show a profit.
High labor/operation costs, high taxes, theft/loss, and online shopping has great increased operational costs to the point where more companies are going to close down marginal stores. This is especially true given the current economic forecast/outlook with inflation and supply chain disruptions.
There is another storm on the horizon...... the China/Taiwan conflict. Talk about “supply chain disruptions” for Walmart!