Walmart has recently begun to take a stance in certain social issues such as religious freedom laws, raising the minimum wage, and raising the minimum age for gun purchases which has shifted Democrat's perception of the retailer from negative to positive.
The retailer giant "spent more than $2 million influencing federal elections in three out of the five past federal election cycles, mostly supporting conservative causes," according to a YouGov survey. 52 percent of Democrats are now more likely to purchase from Walmart compared to the 44 percent that would have 5 years ago. The 65 percent of Republicans and 57 percent of Independents who like the brand have remained constant.
After the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Walmart raised the minimum age to purchase firearms and ammunition to 21. The gunman used a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle in the shooting, which killed 17 people. Walmart ended sales of the AR-15 rifle in 2015.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon also criticized President Donald Trump's reaction to the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017.
The company also attacked Arkansas' state government in 2015, where the company is headquartered, for passing a bill that critics say would discriminate against LGBTQ people.