, Columnist
Inside Walmart’s Masterclass in Reputation Rehab
Employees like Greg made the turnaround possible.
Photographer: Shelby Tauber/Bloomberg
A decade ago, Walmart Inc. was among the most reviled companies in America.
It was criticized for wiping out mom-and-pop retailers; for not paying its workers enough while making its founding family, the Waltons, one of the richest in the US; for creating a culture of cheap, disposable goods. It was so detested that communities rallied to keep Walmart stores out of their backyards.