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Jesu le Criste, man, it all depends on what the business calls for. If you're running a traditional grocery store, then no, you really have no opportunity to raise your checkers' salary by 50%, because there's no advantage, your profit margin is near zero, and the additional costs mean the competition will ream the living shit out of you. The only way you can raise salaries is if you trick people into paying more for their cans of peas.
Costco, on the other hand, redefined checker pay by changing the entire model of what they do. Part of their game was tricking people into buying much larger cans of peas than they need, confusing people's usual price comparison. But there you have it.
At new types of grocery stores, such as Trader Joes and Whole Foods, the market is deciding -- just as you say -- that it prefers a different style of checker pay, and doesn't mind paying double for peas to get it.
But ironically, the people you are trying to help reject the Trader Joes/Whole Foods model, and buy their groceries at the big supermarkets. Why: they pay half for a can of peas.
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