In 1962, a small business owner from Kansas named Sam Walton was on the verge of revolutionizing the way people shop. Walton's dream was to make the shopping experience enjoyable and affordable for everyone. The main focus was on customer relations and a positive environment for employees. In 1992, Sam Walton died, and soon after his ideal hypermarket. When Wal-Mart expands into a new location, it relies on intimidation techniques to eliminate smaller competitors, leaving consumers with little or no choice but to shop and be employed at Wal-Mart. The majority of Wal-Mart employees opt out of the health insurance program due to the high cost of premiums and large deductibles, leaving them without coverage or government assistance. ("Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town") Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer with more than half of its employees earning an average wage below the federal poverty line for a family of four. Wal-Mart has become a household name with many positive attributes, but they have been riddled with many drawbacks. Their motto “Always low prices, always” has generated skyrocketing profits at the expense of their employees. Most Americans like the convenience and low prices offered by Wal-Mart. Do Americans know what it really costs Wal-Mart to keep prices so low? With thousands of lawsuits filed each year, one wonders why Wal-Mart refuses to change its practices. It's pretty safe to say that Sam Walton wouldn't approve of how his company has been completely changed from its original intent to such a large extent. Employees are no longer happy working at Wal-Mart and, worse, they can no longer afford to work there. The average Wal-Mart associate earns about $1,000 less than the middle of paper. Poverty wages and expensive but limited benefits have led to American malice toward mega-corporation Wal-Mart. Annalyne. “How the Middle Class Became the Underclass.” CNN. CNN Money, February 16, 2011. Web. April 9, 2014. Dicker, John. The United States of Wal-Mart. New York: Penquin Group Inc., 2005. 21-59. Print.Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and dimes. New York: Picador, 2011. 173-184. Print. Fishman, Charles. The Wal-Mart effect. New York: Penquin Group Inc., 2006. 200-235. Print. “History of Federal Minimum Wage Rates Under the Fair Labor Standards Act.” US Department of Labor. United States Department of Labor, nd Web. April 9, 2014. “Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town.” PBS. PBS and Web. April 9 2014. .