The cast prominently includes America Ferrera as Latina manager Amy, Nico Santos as Filipino undocumented immigrant and gay Mateo, Nichole Sakura as young Asian mother Cheyenne, and Colton Dunn as Black wheelchair-using Garrett, with identities like Mateo's immigration status and sexuality driving several episodes (e.g., Olympics reveals undocumented status, dating district manager Jeff, blocking promotion in Mateo's Last Day). Labor issues are highlighted in the Strike episode where employees protest firings and organize against corporate, Election Day pushes labor-friendly voting, and later walkouts/layoffs critique exploitation.

Guns, Pills and Birds satirizes gun sales with Jonah refusing 'suspicious' buyers sparking protests and Glenn blocking morning-after pills, touching anti-gun and reproductive access angles. These elements manifest as comedic takes on systemic barriers (immigration, corporate greed, labor rights) but drew some audience complaints for pushing liberal agendas, especially in the premiere and guns episode, though the show maintained broad success. Creator intent emphasized timeliness and honesty on hot topics like unions and politics, embedding progressive messaging into store life without overt preachiness, yet centrality to key arcs elevates intensity beyond incidental.