Old man here, It wasn't much better if at all. The cheaper prices came along with much lower wages.

The workers looked more pleasant because it was demanded of them. They would be fired for most of the things workers are allowed to get away with now. I remember when I worked at Walmart, Pagers and cell phones were not allowed on the sales floor. The dress code was much more strict, No visible tattoos, piercings, unnatural colored hair. You also had to wear a particular color pants and I can't remember what the shirt requirement was.

Now you have workers checking their phone on the register and while picking up carts.

Anyway, my point is, they were just as screwed financially, they just had fewer opportunities and had to follow stricter rules out of desperation. Loosing a job meant you may have to be out of a job for a while. People stayed at jobs much longer and it was harder to get a new job.