More and more SNAP recipients gravitating toward big-box retailers, Numerator says

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/38456232

The shutdown will halt about $8 billion a month in federal food assistance. Walmart captures 24% of all SNAP shopper spending, according to Numerator’s 2025 SNAP Evolution report—triple Kroger’s share and far ahead of Costco, Amazon and Sam’s Club.

Walmart was the first retailer to accept SNAP online in all 50 states in 2023 and launched the Walmart+ Assist program, which offers half-price memberships for those receiving aid.

“If SNAP payments stop, spending by the lowest income groups will fall,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of data and analytics firm GlobalData. “Walmart gets a plurality of the spending, so it will be hit the hardest.”

This was somewhat epiphanic for me.

I already recognized companies such as Walmart were subsidizing pay through social programs such as SNAP and essential funneling/laundering tax payer money to their executives.

This headline made me further realize they’re not only making taxpayers subsidize wages, they’ve also effectively turned the USD into a form of company scrip. While that scrip can be spent at some other locations I bet a large percent of funneled right back to e.g. Walmart itself. If you already work at Walmart it makes spending your SNAP benefit there easier.

  • yesman@lemmy.worldEnglish
    32·
    20 hours ago

    We need to remember that many “charity” government programs are stealth subsidies. We don’t “gift” weapons to Israel, we buy weapons from Raython. We don’t “gift” rice to poor countries, we buy rice from US farmers. We don’t “gift” food to poor families, we buy groceries from US retailers.

    Trump is one of the fools who thinks that government spending money is the same thing as throwing that money into the furnace.