All retail has problems with hard work and putting up with B.S. but Wal-Mart gives raises and bonuses. When I worked for Wal-Mart I received a .10 raise within a month, another raise of .50 within 6 months and as I did training I was qualified to apply for other jobs in the store. When I finally left, (I went to school) I was making 13.50 per hour (this was in the mid- 2000's. We also received bonuses for the store doing well i.e. low theft, high sales, customer service etc. I made at least another $1000 per year with bonuses.
KMart/Sears-- no raises for the five years I was there, no incentive to do training except management yelling to do training. Most of the training had nothing to do with my job (I took forklift training, which took 4 hours to complete) I'm a cashier. I did not get paid for the four hour orientation I was required to take.
When I did get raise it was because I took a pantry lead position (which was eliminated within three months). But with the minimum wage going up in our state I was making the same as a new person walking in the door. We were also required to sign a form stating that even though the minimum wage was increasing the pay for long time employees would not go up the same.
So after five years of no raises, never missing a day of work, never complaining and doing my job. I was making as much as the kid who calls in every other day, spends most of his day walking around talking to other people, and has been written up numerous times for various violations. Not an incentive to stay or to even do a good job.
So I'm back to Wal-Mart while I finish my masters degree and move on with life.