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Jan 9, 2020 Mountain View / CA/ USA - People shopping at a Walmart store in south San Francisco bay area
Sundry Photography/istockphoto

Superfans and employees on Reddit’s Walmart-focused forum recently shared their most controversial opinions about the superstore, discussing the retailer’s work culture, products, and management. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that many comments were critical of Walmart — the subreddit’s mascot is a frowning employee — but the hot takes weren’t all negative. Here are some of the thread’s most notable controversial comments. Have your own take on Walmart? Feel free to share below.

Related: Costco Employees Dish on the Most Outrageous Revoked Membership Stories

Lack of Oversight Is a Double-Edged Sword

Walmart employees
Walmart

Walmart employees complained of the retailer’s lack of management and leadership, with one worker calling their workplace “so disorganized.” But disorganization also has its perks, employees say, such as taking extra long breaks unnoticed. In that way, Walmart’s lack of oversight is both the best and worst part of the retailer’s work culture.

Related: 12 Hacks and Secrets for Shopping at Walmart

Christmas Decorations Are Premature

Charming lady holding decor for Christmas tree
chabybucko/istockphoto

In a strongly worded comment, one Walmart superfan criticized the store for putting out its Christmas decorations before Halloween. That said, a Walmart employee noted that it’s prudent to put decorations out before the store gets mobbed by holiday shoppers.

Related: Get Your Costco Christmas Trees Now, Says TikTokker

Great Value Products Are Surprisingly Good

Great Value Products Are Surprisingly Good
Paige Cerulli

Walmart’s affordable in-house brand Great Value won plaudits among Redditors, who say that some of the products are nearly identical to name-brand offerings. “Great Value has some of my favorite stuff! I’ve tried other generic brands and GV knocks it out of the park 8/10 times,” one comment reads.

Related: 24 Walmart Brand Products That Shoppers Love

Employees Should Work Harder

Walmart Cashier
Chris Hondros / Getty

One Walmart employee had harsh words for some of his coworkers. “If people would just work like they had a brain, the job would be half as stressful for everyone,” they wrote. While the comment seems controversial, it also received dozens of upvotes.

Walmart Isn’t a ‘Terrible’ Place to Work

Walmart Employee
Brandon Bell / Getty

Multiple Redditors admitted that they enjoyed working at Walmart, with one employee arguing that bad management was at the heart of the job’s problems. “I actually quite like my job, but hate my managers. I’m transferring stores instead of quitting,” a Redditor wrote.

‘Good’ Cart Pushers Should Be Paid More

Walmart employee pushes shopping carts
Walmart Cart Pusher by Rusty Clark ((CC BY))

Quality cart pushers, workers who gather carts from the parking lot, should receive higher wages, one employee commented, noting that the demanding role has a high turnover rate. “Agreed. Managers should have the ability to give raises to cart pushers that are actually good,” another Redditor a.

Meet the Writer

Maxwell is a California-based writer who got his start in print journalism, a career that satisfies his love of research. That penchant for learning also fuels his desire to be a discerning consumer — whether he’s looking for his next pair of headphones or rock-climbing shoes. When he’s not hunched over his laptop, you can find Maxwell sending routes at the crag, playing Magic: The Gathering, or hanging out with his buddies at the bar. As a UCSC alumnus, he’s also a proud banana slug. You can reach him at [email protected].