Wal Mart was great in Champaign, IL when I was in school because it was open 24-hours a day and I'd only go at 2am and stuff like that. It didn't have groceries, though. So when Meijer opened up down the road, I started going there instead.
The Super Wal-Mart near my mom's place in Florida is clean and bright, well maintained, well stocked, and the sales associates are friendly. I don't remember if it's 24-hours, but I don't mind going there at all. It's the same deal with my sister's place outside Phoenix.
My perception of the stores around Los Angeles (Oxnard, Torrance, Long Beach) is completely different. The Torrance store was built less than two years ago, and it was great for about four months. After that, things got run down, you couldn't find prices on stuff, the scanners were broken or missing, stuff laying in the aisles, not well stocked, and the sales associates seemed to develop more of an attitude like we were in the ghetto. The Long Beach and Oxnard stores were always a mess to begin with. They also all close at about 10-11PM, so I can't pull the 2am shopping like I did in college... although I think they close early in Los Angeles for safety (don't wanna get murdered at Wal Mart).
I'll point out that the Wal Mart in Woodland Hills isn't that bad, and the one in Cerritos is the best that I've been to in California. The one in Cerritos is also the only one around that still sells ammunitions (the Oxnard one does too, but no one ever staffs the friggen counter).
I check out a lot of Wal Marts, huh? I actually haven't been to one in over three months, but I'd go again if a decent one were built nearby.
My point is that not all Wal Marts are the same. Fine, if you object to their business practices, I assume that's the same at all their stores but not all the stores are alike across the country.