Wal-Mart treats their shop floor workers to a wage so low, none of them can survive without a second income. This has been publicly aired in the US in the last year following ructions among staff.
Wal-Mart buys cheap goods made in China.
The US once had a highly productive manufacturing industry. The goods were well made and dependable - my experience is with a Kirby vacuum, which keeps on keeping on and does its job well. Lots of useful attachments also.
As the US middle class disappears they are surely waking up to shops like Wal-Mart and choosing to buy locally made products or shopping elsewhere. Perhaps this is beginning to play into Wal-Mart's ledgers.
