Walmart, once reviled as a destroyer of small-town Main Streets, played a critical role in keeping the nation fed and clothed during the pandemic, all while generating nearly $560 billion in revenue last year. It did that, like many retailers, by greatly accelerating its push into e-commerce, with digital sales jumping 69% in the last three months of 2020. Now its thousands of stores, many in rural, underserved areas, are vaccinating customers. It’s also taking steps to repair its image as an exploiter of low-wage workers: in February, it announced a broad wage hike.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The Case for Mediocrity
- How Russia Is Recruiting Cubans to Fight in Ukraine
- Paul Hollywood Answers All of Your Questions About The Great British Baking Show
- Meet the 2023 TIME100 Next: the Emerging Leaders Shaping the World
- Oprah and Arthur C. Brooks: How to Separate Work From Your Identity
- How Canada and India's Relationship Crumbled
- You Don’t Have to Like Wrestling to Love Netflix’s Excellent Wrestlers
- The Most Anticipated Books, Movies, TV, and Music of Fall 2023
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
