I walked by the sporting goods section the other day.
They are getting better.
1) Quite a few bikes no longer had fake suspension. If it’s only going to be springs in grease that adds weight and complication, better to do without.
2) The bikes that had the phony forks at least finally had 1 1/8 headsets, so the future user could upgrade or replace the fork if the need arises.
So at least a couple steps in the right direction.
The best bet at a big box store is probably a beach cruiser without shifting or phony suspension.