Global 500: Full list
What do you think of the companies on the Global 500 list this year? Have you worked for any of these companies, or bought their products or services? Tell us what you think. The best replies will be published here, and possibly in a future story on CNNMoney.com.
I think that all the financial industry is a big disgrace for this planet. Working with goverments to rob common people by control value of money as they find suitable. At the same time they allow to evade taxes to those people that are the source of evil on this planet. All financial system have to be more transparent and regulated.
i used to work for sears the company has gone down hill for the last five years
After November, no American co. will make the list! Do to tax increases
Local Rite Aid has just increased their prices - some almost double. Think it has anything to do with their buying up the competition - Brooks and Arrow?? DUH
Profits are more important than revenues; they say how well run the company is. By that measure, HSBC is the top financial firm, and is only exceeded by the big oils and GE. Compared to Wal-Mart, the biggest by revenue, HSBC’s profits were 50% higher on revenues that were less than 40% of Wal-mart’s.
After years of watching from the sidelines it is pleasing to find seven companies from India in the coveted list.It gives me a lot of pride to be working for one of the Fortune 500 companies Bharat Petroleum Corporation.It is improving its ranking year after year.Thankyou.
I work for the ap moller (ranked 131) for more than two years and I think ap moller is a great steping stone..
“ING” a Global Powerhouse of knowledge that has shown the financial world that even during the time of turmoil , growth with profitability can be sustain with continous improvement and delighted customer satisfaction.
Where is the U.S Postal Service on your list. They deliver to every address every day. Maybe you forgot about the “Nor Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Gloom of night, will keep them from the swift completion of there appointed rounds”. Everyday, Yes everyday including Holidays and Sundays for the past 220 years.
I was a salesman with Kellogg’s of Battle Creek, Michigan for 36 years. Great company and gives their retirees with benefits that the company founder promised when I was hired. What happened to the social responsibility of other companies with regard to their employees?
I am very proud to work for the 417th ranked U.S. Bancorp. I have been with U.S. Bank for 5 years and it has been a pleasure and a very rewarding job. I take pride in what I do, this is the only job I have ever had that I enjoy going to work and do not dread it. The management and my fellow co-workers are the best anyone could ever ask for and have. I love working for what I think is the best bank in America!
Flextronics which ranked 292 is the worst company in the list in terms of People management. Companies should not be ranked in terms of just Profit,Size etc but in terms of Employee Satisfaction too…
I am working with Petronas and my company pays the lowest amongst the oil & gas industry. Perhaps that is why it is the most profitable company in Asia?
Just wanted to know where the Catholic Church fits in on this scale? Some say it is 3rd largest.
JohnB
I used to work for Kmart for almost ten years and I can tell you that the merger with Sears has been disastorious. There is truth in the there is a real problem with employee rentention and treatment at this new corporate giant. There is so much emphasis on trying to turn the company around that the real way to make the company work was being a merchant. A real merchant knows people. Their focus (SHC) is on cost cutting and it has made some managers in the company do things that are unethical. I know I worked for some of those. I saw less and less people unwilling to put up with the lack of focus on them and the investment into their frontline employees. Kmart, Walmart, and Sears were all small business started by men who knew how to be merchants. The only thing thise corporations worry about is the stockholders which the board and such are the preferred stockholders. Which makes them beholdent to themselves. It is sad to realize that even though it is the No. 3 on the list of general merchandisers that Sears and Kmart are in serious trouble and the wrong man is making the decisions that have nothing to do with becoming a successful merchant. That just push more people away from working and shopping there.
Sears Holding may be number 3 on the general merchandisers rank but they are one of the worst companies to work for. All the things Walmart has been going through with employees SHC has many issues which are similiar just not out in the headlines. Being large does not make one to be admired.
I am very pleased that we have at least one company in the 500 ranking - Galp Energia. Well done Portugal.
My wife works for Fortis and I for ING. Can you believe how happy I’m that it is finally confirmed that ING is bigger than Fortis. The discussions on that topic will less numereous in the future !
Go ING !
I like how many people down size walmart but i do have to say this ok all the nearby shopes have closed down and then this big company comes up when a disaster hits and the managers and store owners come a take all of walmarts supplies to help for the cause hmm as well as news articles showing how walmart brought tons of trucks for the releif effert towards katrina that where way better then our own company as well as verizon provided emergency cell phones called cows Cells On Wheels google it katrina and walmart releif so if walmart was not there what kind of releif have they have gotten from smaller stores what im trying to get to is that big corporations make our lives easier smaller companies can make it as well
Impressive to see Kraft Foods in the Top 200…so much for all the dressing that goes in!
Wow Interwebz drama is awesome.
Stop complainging about Wal-Mart and do something about it. SHOP at the mom and pop stores, support them.
Don’t like the Oil Companies Big Profits? Ride a bike, walk, don’t drive a car. You kill three birds with one stone: Help the enviornment, reduce dependance on oil, and help reduce American Obesity!
Just an idea.
I recently concluded my job hunt and joined Barclays Capital in the US. I found this to be one of the VERY FEW companies with GREAT BENEFITS .
Can you believe it, they still offer employee pension AMAZING !!!
In comparison look at some of our great big americal companies… GM / GE /etc…
Go ING!!! Finally in the top 10 and alone as a financial instution!
i totally disagree with the ranking,Size means nothing, Look at HSBC, they have less revenue, but triple profit than Citibank
Wal-Mart is the best example of capitalism in this country today! May the best survive! As for big oil topping the list, how about #158 on the list ADM..World leader in bioenergy solutions? The tables ARE turning but its taking some time for America to embrace opportunities we can renew here at home! have faith people!
Congratulations to my employer ING GROUP, for being the highest ranked Banking and Insurance Co.
Kudos to Petronas for being ranked 8th worldwide in terms of profitability. In a year time, we would rake in more profit than General Electric, and could be as high as 3rd on the list. For an Asian company that seemingly suffers from bad corporate governance as some western analysts like to put it, Petronas of Malaysia has done remarkably well.
As a Malaysian, I am extremely proud of your achievement. Keep it up!
-Azizam
Congrats to ArcelorMittal, we will become number# in 2 years time. We are Transforming the world of Steel.
you people are funny speaking poorly of oil companies and Wal-Mart. They are so big because you made them that way. You drive your car to shop at wal-mart. And why should I pay 10 dollars more for a product Wal-Mart can sell cheaper??? I have 3 kids and a wife, we are a single family income and my wife does and will continue to shop at wal-mart because it makes sense.
How about stop driving cars, all ride bikes and WalMart will seize to exist! Their shops will be to far away from your home, the smaller shops close to home will once again be on the up!
Also you won’t see any oil companies in this list next year ;-).
Finally, ING Group in the place they belong, in the top 10! As employee, I already knew it should be there.
Yeah Jonathan in Fayetteville, that’s right - I bet the children working in the mills in the 19th century thought exactly the same thing. If it wasn’t for the kind mill owner they wouldn’t have had jobs. It’s a shame they lived on poisoned land, drank poisoned water, died or were disabled by industrial accident and disease, but them’s the breaks. Surely not the nice mill owner’s fault.
Can’t be WalMart’s either then I guess
I am not against a free market, so long as its free and fair like it should be. Wal Mart have got to be stopped. Some are running a business and can’t compete with businesses as big as Wal Mart and Exxon Mobil. They move in somewhere, open up and flatten the competition. What the heck are they going to do with over $350bn in profit. Give it to managers and other workers who earned it!!! And the customers who stay faithful and shop there. Meanwhile, the customers, managers and other workers suffer a worsening credit crunch. Thanks to Fortune for this very important Fortune 500 data!!!
Pretty sad that 3 out of the top 5 are gas companies. While the rest of us are struggling just to buy gas for the week..CEO’s and stockholders are racking in record profits. I smell corruption and greed!
Our family are long time boycotter’s of Wally World. While I’m sure they won’t miss us, we rest easy knowing that we’re not buying cheaply made products produced by child labor. I can only hope that they don’t start selling cars. I can see it now, “Honda. Made especially for Wal-Mart!” Oops! There goes the neighborhood!
WalMart is so bad for this country. It doesnt take a genious to figure that out. It closes all the mom and pop shops with in a 10-15 mile radius because of thier cheep prices. What Wal Mart isnt saying is that it pays these poor people oversees anything from .25 cents to $1.00 an hour. How can anyone allow this to happen. Look at their merchandise everything is made oversees. Everyone needs to ask themselves “What if your boss came into your work site and told you that your job has now been handed to someone oversees in Thai, India, etc. and by the way if you were doing it for $20.00 an hour, now we found someone that could do it for $1.50 an hour”. How would you feel?
Has anyone noticed that Wal Mart/Sam’s Club now has there hand in your other pocket at the gas pump.I just saw a Sam’s Club gas station the other day.
Iwork for wal-mart. It may not be the best or what I perfer. But I will tell what it is. It is 18.80hr that I can not get at fast food. I make more money than a Mcdonalds store manger does, with doing less work. And as far as the labor of overseas. Do you really think that wal-mart is the only one using the money saving technique. Think again, our own goverment uses it to save us money. And as far as unions go, they should just go away. They cost my father who put 40 years service at the same job to lose $8.00 an hour. They had their day it came and went. And so should they.
Everyone has so many bad things to say about Walmart and personally I agree I hate everything about the company. The thing is I don’t shop there anymore and no one who continues to shop there has a right to say a word about what a horrible company they are. You are helping them to get bigger and bigger and eventually they will be the only store anywhere!
The Netherlands has the company with the highest percentage of profit to revenue: Akzo Nobel, which produces paints and autofinishes. Of the top 10 with these high profit versus revenues percentages, most seem to be either producers of petroleum products. There is only one none polluter in the bunch, a US company often villified by the world, Microsoft. Unlike the petro or “paint”/chemical companies, Microsoft runs their corporation using solar power, uses Prius vehicles for the corporate vehicle and makes every effort to be clean.
Go going Europe, hope you have fun with the new carbon credits, that your companies will likely ignore.
My note is to Jonathan in Fayetteville, AR below. Private citizens, business and non-profit foundations give monetary gifts large and small to public universities all the time. The office that handles such gifts is usually called the Development office. Universities have foundations that invest and care for the money. That’s why many campus buildings are named — after families who have given generously. It’s true that $300 million is generous, but multi-million dollar gifts aren’t that uncommon either. Wal- Mart has the wealth to offer that kind of gift. I wonder where he got the idea that this isn’t done? That statement is just flat out false. Google “major gifts to universities” and see all the recent gifts that come up.
Wal-Mart is a great company. $11 every 2 weeks for medical and no annual or lifetime cap. Wages that compete with Kmart, Target and most grocery stores including those with unions. 1,000s stand in line to apply for jobs at new stores. WalMart must be a good employer. Performs more ethical sourcing audits than most other retailers to ensure safe conditions, no child/prison labor in factories owned by suppliers overseas. A leader in moving the retail industry toward green practices. Great things to know about a great company.
Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800, S. 1041) — Interesting that this removes the ability for a private vote by each employee. Unfair to employees that want to have a voice — so much for Free Choice!
Speaking of unions, when is Fedex going to get a union? Better yet, when are they going to held accountable for union-busting? I’m shocked over how many benefits workers had taken from them over the last 10 years. They just recently lost their pensions. They’ve been screwing “ground” drivers over benefits for years. Lawsuits. Thefts. Racism. Gas Prices. I’ll use UPS.
Hello Walmart,
What shame on Aiken,S.C. refuse hire Hearing Impared when they tried too hard to file an applications then there told them that they will call them and come to intview with them but they never do to them. See that is not fair with Spanish and hearing people work at Wal Mart in Aiken,S.C.. Hearing Imapred already lost their jobs at Avondale Textile Mill recently years. They tried to apply At Wal Mart many time that they really need jobs real bad and make living to support families. U have to do something to force Aiken, S.C.s Wal mart to hire Hearing Imapred by American Disabilty Acts Law to be equal with Spanish and Hearing people having jobs.
Thank you for ur concering about it.
Thanks again!
I think it’s funny that the person below who commented about the cheap quality of Wal-Mart products also admits to never having been in one. Wal-Mart sells the exact same products as my grocery store, but charges significantly less. I’d have to be a moron NOT to shop there.
And as to whether or not I would pay more so people could have benefits - absolutely not. If you don’t lik e working at Wal-Mart, don’t work there. If enough employees stood up and walked out, Wal-Mart would have no choice but pay better and offer better benefits. As long as the employees are willing to deal with it, so am I.
Americas Global 500 corporations have been decreasing since the list started back in 2005 with 176 and now has 153 corporations in the 2008 list.The something is happening to Japan and the UK. The powers are shifting.
Europe is not a country, US and Japan rule.
When the oil is depleted in the world and we will rely on the new source of energy. Japanese automobile companies will top this list. The future is Japanese technology.
The really sad aspect of this list is the relative relationship of all the oil companies’ Return on Sales Ratios.
It is always strikes me as bazaar when I read US commentators lament our decline. I guess we are not the Romans. No doubt that the EU now, and BRIC countries later, represent a competitive global future, which we hope will be friendly. But the US has always promoted open markets and fair competition, so it is only fair that other countries benefit and overtake the world which we created. But per capita - it is unlikely we will find ourselves slipping anytime soon.
Also noticeable is the EU having a larger percentage of the top 500 despite very liberal (mandated) vacation policies (5 weeks or more), shorter work weeks, universal health care, and public transportation via trains, trams, and subways that is second to none.
And we can’t do this in the US because of global ‘competition’?
It amuses me to see how many people get worked up over Wal-Mart. It started as a single store and grew based on hard-work and good timing. They didn’t start the rush to china, but did it best. They do offer benefits to part-time employees, more than most retailers can say. As far as the abusive situations in China, most have little to do with the companies buying from there than the Chinese government itself. I know people that do factory audits for Wal-Mart, they’ve been threatened, intimidated, chased from factories by angry mobs and stalked (all by the factory owners and workers) - all for trying to do their jobs. Wal-Mart takes the conditions in China and elsewhere very seriously. Could Wal-Mart be better, yes, are they evil, that’s so laughable it barely warrants comment.
I used to work for Wal-Mart, I’ve dealt with the executives who made business decisions that cost more money because the alternative would have a significant negative impact on a vendor. I’ve seen them make boneheaded decisions, not for any evil purpose, but simiply because they rushed and didn’t think through the impact. There isn’t a single practice at Wal-Mart that you wouldn’t find at the majority of companies. And there are an awful lot that are better than most.
It also amuses me that so many people who live in the ultimate country of capitalism and celebrate its virtue when the little guy succeeds, denounce a company that is the ultimate expression of capitalism. If you don’t want to shop there because you don’t like the products or long lines, fine, don’t shop there. If you denounce their business practices, I hope there isn’t a sinlge chinese product in your homes and you only shop at union stores (PS - mom and pop shops, not unionized, often pay less than Wal-Mart, often with no benefits at all)
As we can see, the european union with 33,6% of Fortune 500 and the US with 30,6% dominate largely this annual Ranking. China with 6% is not a giant…not yet.
Major economic powers are only two US and EU: the twin brothers 
And Jonathan in Fayetteville, Wal-Mart employees from the top down are all aware of the slave labor making there products. The corporate heads actually encourage it because it makes for great profit. My personal opinion….I would rather pay more for a safe well made product, made in my country without the lead and anti-freeze because we have regulations to prevent it, and keep some good American workers off the poverty list or unemployment line! And yes, I still work for Wal-Mart cause it is the only place left to work in my town other than fast food joints, banks and gas stations.
I actually work for Wal-Mart and I agree the health care benefits are laughable and I do in fact pay a lot of money for it, but I don’t actually use it much. However, when I do need it, I will use it to the fullest extent that I can. As for the private donation, Bill Gates just simply drowns the Waltons out lol. He tends not to brag about it either. Wal-Mart donations generally come from associate fund raising in the stores from both associates and customers and they do not even match what we collect. Not a dime! Store managers recieve bonuses of up to $75,000 at a time. We are lucky to get $400. Also, did you know that if Wal-Mart raised the price of a six pack of socks by 1c they could give every employee in every store, a $1 an hour raise? Recently they raised them 50c. We got no raise lol, that was to cover the fuel in the trucks to deliver them. Check out the staple goods like bread and butter, milk, sugar etc. You will find most have gone up between 50c and 90c each in the last few weeks. We are all trying to stay afloat, Wal-Mart is determined to make a killing so the Waltons can advertise they made another donation. Oh! And it;s definetly NOT Sam Waltons Wal-Mart anymore. Wal*mART! corporate GREED Always!
Hey Jon from New Jersey…did you get your facts from a movie? If you’d really like to know all the facts maybe you should do some hardcore research and see that the Walton family, especially the late Helen, have done truly remarkable things not only for my area but for much of the United States and the world. Did you know that the Walton family donated $300 million dollars to the University of Arkansas? Name another private contribution to a public university. YOU CAN’T BECAUSE THERE HASN’T BEEN ONE! The cheap labor that that use in foreign countries that so many speak of isn’t Wal-mart’s fault. In fact, if it weren’t FOR Wal-mart many of the citizens of those countries would be without a job regardless of the wages they might make.
What they dont tell you is that Wal-Marts health care options are laughable. HUGE payments by employees for basically no coverage. It is honestly cheaper to pay cash than to use your Wal-Mart insurance.
Tom in NJ says he wishes unions would go away and that they are the reason for outsourcing. Tom does not mention that the 40 hour work week,minimum wage,overtime pay,health benefits,and many other rights that even he enjoys
were established in large part due to unions. 20 dol. per hour is not much these days either. whats that after tax anyways maybe 600 a week ? WOW if our economy can’t afford earnings such as this for a middle class laborer then we have real issues.Outsourcing is caused by corporate profit goals not unions because even at 10$ per hour in U.S. wages a company would rather set up shop in Jaurez or Chihuahua Mx. and pay less than 10$ per day. WalMart is a product of a society that does not give a crap about each other too. Ive personally stood outside of WalMart in support of wakeupwalmart.com and when you ask customers if they would mind spending a few extra cents on the purchase so that the employees could have health insurance many of them will tell you “No i dont care if they have health insurance” Im glad that unions stand up for fair treatment of labor since we dont stand for each other. Many in managment at union employers will tell you they are thankful too because they earn a little more than union employee.
In many cases the work rules give the employer a structure that benefits them greatly.To all the Toms out there who o trash talk unions without mentioning any of the fine things they have done for our country you may want to reconsider your way of thinking on that one.
Long boycotted for now and forever, anyone who reads up on them knows how bad they are to everyone else
I have never set foot in a Walmart and can easily live out my remaining years without ever doing so. Cheap prices, but at what cost: cheap products. What a waste of money.
I love Walmart!
It’s a One Stop Shop.
I don’t have to go here and there everywhere. (Oil Changes Also).
Sometines Fundraiser Car Washes too.
Why all the hate against big companies like Walmart? What’s so inherently good about small “mom and pop” stores? If the mom & pop outfit provides good service, a product people want at a good value, and has a sound business plan/model, then more power to them. But just because someone starts up a business doesn’t mean they derserve my business. They have to earn it. Walmart simply provides what many Americans want — one stop shopping and low prices. You want to boycott places like Walmart because it sells inexpensive goods made in China? Fine, but don’t whine about paying more for a comparable American-made product due to the fact that American business owners have to pass along the cost of their product due to higher wages, health care, taxes, insurance to protect against lawsuits, complying with numerous federal, state, and local regulations, etc,. You want more things to be made in America? Great! Then write your representatives and demand your city, state, and country be more business-friendly.
Walmart is successful because it’s giving Americans what they want.
Why should I spend more of my hard-earned dollars just to support someone else’s nostalgia-based vision of the world? Small businesses compete successfully with Walmart by adding value the customer is willing to pay for- admittedly a tough thing to do when selling commodities like toothpaste and mouthwash.
In my opinion, Wal-Mart and other companies of their ilk have done more to bring on the recession and high oil prices. They lead the charge to China and India to exploit cheap labor even forcing their suppliers here in the US to move production to Asia if they wanted to keep doing business with them. More than 75% of what they sell is from off shore.
That all drove the Asian economies that now demand more and more oil and drive the price up.
For all you happy Wal-Mart shoppers, I hope you enjoyed all those great deals you got from them. You are paying for it now with substantial interest at the gas pump.
BNP Paribas moved up in the ranks because it is a solid company that knows its business and does not take risks or advantage of the public the way other banks might.
Why don’t those idiots who complain about the oil companies’ profits drive less? Or if they think the oil companies are making unconscionable profits buy the stock. They only have themselves to blame for high gas prices; and it is only going to get worse. Ten years from now if we do not drill offshore and in ANWR gas will likely be $10-$12 in today’s dollars.
Looking at profit $ is misleading. They need to add another column - profit %. If you look at % profits, profits at oil companies like Exxon aren’t that far off of other large companies like GE. If you want to punich oil companies for “windfall profits”, then you also need to do the same to any other company that has a similar profit %. Should GE be rrequired to pay hihger taxes for making money? Should they be forced to reduce the cost of jet engines or light bulbs (afterall they are making too much money)? Should abnks whose profit % is similar to Exxon be required to pay more interest to account holders?
It is time everyone woke up to the fact that these companies are businesses - not charities! If you had a business, would you want a government regulation stating that you could not sell your product for more than it cost you to make it??
Every try returning something to Target? My wife and I have both tried on multiple occasions. Unless it’s a totally new product and you have your receipt, you’re out of luck. Defective product but no receipt? Out of luck. DVD that doesn’t work at all? With or without a receipt, you’re out of luck.
Ask yourself why Target fell 6 slots this year to # 102 while Wal Mart still sits at # 1. No, it isn’t because Wal Mart sacrifices small children to the devil so that they can get an edge. It’s because Wal Mart gives FANTASTIC service every step of the way.
I have worked part-time at Wal-Mart for 5 months now. My full time job is a law enforcement agency as a civilian but with the cost of everything going up I needed to do something else to help out.
I was tired of going into our local Wal-Mart with cashiers who don’t smile, carry on a conversation (I always made them) or act like they cared that they were there. So instead of COMPLAINING about something, I DID something. Since I have been there not only are the CSS’s and cashiers friendlier (at least when I am around) but I have people who will WAIT in my line, even if another is open and empty, just to come see me.
Since I have been there they have done a deal where they find “peak hours” and we make sure there are PLENTY of lanes open but reality is folks some people call in sick, some CUSTOMERS take forever to pay and get their stuff & move it and sometimes, yes even sometimes, those who KNOW they don’t have money will take our time and YOURS using cards or checks they KNOW won’t work. Yet we don’t embarass them nor complain, we DEAL with it. So next time you want to complain about long lines I suggest you figure out WHY before you jump to conclusions & don’t be in a hurry to get in and out.
I love people (both co-workers & customers), NEVER have had a bad experience with ANYONE, I love being a cashier and I love being able to occassionally get to stand in for a 30 minute lunch break and do door greeting. I am 40 years old and have no clue how some of them do it for 8 hours a day at my age or older!! Cut them some slack, only those who are guilty of something have issues with them checking receipts!!! Do you have any clue how much money walks out the doors DAILY???
I get to go to what I call “the happiest place on earth” when I work there.
Bottom line, if you don’t like Wal-Mart DON’T GO THERE, simple as that. But of course we know there are just people out there that like and live to complain!!
WalMart has done more for our area, than any industry or government has ever done.
It opened the door to employment, and this area desperately needed jobs.
Bad mouth it all you want, but if you hear someone saying WalMart ran them out of business, than they were going out of business anyway. WalMart has not impacted our business. Quite the contrary, we fill a niche, and now that people have jobs and money..from working at WalMart, they are buying our stuff, too.
WalMart is where it is, because of the consumer. I say thank you WalMart.
Wish they would go bankrupt like they have forced so many other businesses to do. They are a ruthless bunch with no conscience or regard for others! Treat employees badly and hire only huge male egos for managers!
5 members of the Walton family are worth over $102 billion. those 5 people are on the list of America’s top 10 richest people. yet, they made 3.4 million in political contributions in 2004.
they have given less than 1% of their money to charity. Bill Gates have given 58% of his money to charity.
does this sound like a company that has your interest at heart?
the worst part is that employees can donate to the Critical Need Fund, WalMarts program to aid other employees in times of crisis like fire or tornado. In 2005 , employees contributed over $5 million to help their fellow coworkers. the Walton family gave $6,000
You made them what they are, pretty much sums that part of it up-
but look at the real issue here, Wal-mart is number one in sales, BUT 8th out of the top 10 in profits, look hard at the other 7 and the profits to revenue ratio, THAT IS DISTURBING.
In the end, don’t buy it, things will change.
Most of the top 10 are oil or car companies. I don’t here anyone complaining about the price of cars. People still go out an buy them. Its truely amazing that Walmart is number 1. They sell items cheaper than anyone else and still make money. Amazing.
it isn’t only about the US jobs that get taken and the poor wages Walmart employees get paid, it is also about the environmental issues and conditions the Chinese people must endure for us to buy cheap products. Chinese gov doesn’t regulate business like we do in the US. If these factories were in the US, there would be hell because of the dumping and pollution. AND rightly so! but US companies don’t want to deal with it so lets poison someone else’s water and soil. This is wrong on so many levels. Nothing is trully ever cheap or free.
Why dont critics leave Wal Mart alone. If they dont like the stores, they dont have to shop there.
Good for Wal-Mart. People, I’ve worked at Wal-Mart and it isn’t nearly as bad as the union goofs make it out to be. God forbid it ever unionizes. Then we’ll have no where to get decent prices.
And if you think that purchasing from Wal-Mart is sending American jobs overseas, what happens when it closes stores? A lot of Americans lose their jobs.
Like it or not, we are living in a global economy now. Even those “American” cars aren’t fully - and sometimes not at all - American. The headquarters might be in Detroit, but parts come from all over the world and many of the cars are manufactured in other countries.
So hooray for Wal-Mart. I shop there. I save money there. It sure beats buying more expensive groceries elsewhere.
["Everyone has this great American pride when it comes to these debates, but they are the first ones who buy foreign cars"]
So-called “American cars” are not nessessarily made in the US.
So-called “foreign cars” are not nessessarily made outside of the US.
Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, and BMW have manufacturing plants in the US.
I totally agee with Tom in New Jersey. Unions are the reason that all of our jobs are being outsourced to other countries and why american cars cost so much to build that they can’t compete with the Japanese.
I do not shop at WALMART -The company has detrimental business practices.
I go to rummage sales -because in AMERICA people are such consumers that they either have rummages or throw good items in the trash. Somhow we equate shopping as a past time- we need to change our priorities.
I also have a lot of things I just don’t need - I also suffer the consumerism disease. We all used to be happy with less - What happened ???
I’ve avoided WalMart for a long long time. Little things… buy a dog treat for your dog… I’m not trying to push “MilkBone”, but anything else bought at WalMart gives the dog unbelievable gas… Prices are low as is the quality… things just do not last from one year to another… folding lawnchairs etc. Many times they are still selling outdated hard drives for pc’s when there is something 100 times more storage for the same price elsewhere… one doesn’t always get current stuff at WalMart… Some people supposedly get a discount on drugs… I have asthma… a simple medication for most people… the meds I get are not discounted… They fluff up everything and anything… trying to enter the parking lot takes forever because my observation is every extremely overweight person shops there cares less if you have to wait on them or their 10 kids… And WalMart shoves stores in places where there is a single light to leave the parking lot, overcrowded streets… the whole experience is a waste.
in 2005, Lee Scott WalMart CEO earned $27, 207, 799. that’s over 27 million dollars.
the average WalMart hourly employee earned just $13,861
Tom “Because it is cheaper to go to India or China and pay them $4 or $5 dollars per hour than to deal with the union crap here that does not want ot work and expects $20 per hour to slack off!”
you’re living in a dream world. these people would kill to earn $4 or $5 per hour. don’t be ignorant- learn your facts. these people aren’t even earning that PER DAY
for those of you still living on cloud 9 more of what Wal*Mart is really great at:
- when walmart moves into a town, it automatically devalues the land because they know that there will be a bunch of empty buildings to follow
- WalMart has law suits in several states for underpayment. employees who worked overtime were not paid. Many managers would often illegaly go into the system and change employees hours so they would not be over 40 hours
- WalMart deliberately keeps employees part time to avoid paying benefits
- Most employees cannot even afford to contribute to the health insurance program, pay their bills, rent etc and pay their copayments and prescirptions bc of their low wages
- UC Berkeley found that WalMart uses state health insurance programs and medicaid in order to not provide their own insurance to employees. they cost taxpayers millions of dollars a year.
- they are the most aggressively anti union company in the US using scare tactics and threats to keep their employees from forming unions
-WalMart considers full time employment at 28,000. At minimun wage, that’s only $12,000 a year. where’s
- as reported in the news, WalMart hires illegal immigrants to clean their stores
- cities actually GIVE money to WalMart to open up shop (we’re talking millions of dollars). does this make sense? and here we are saying that we need money for education. In Illionois alone, the state has given WalMart over 100 MILLION dollars. Angry yet?
- Chinese workers work an average of 13 hours a day earning less than $3 dollars a day. that wasn’t a typo. THREE dollars a day. workers don’t get any days off.
- You have no choice but to live in the WalMart dorm as they charge you for rent whether you live there or not. The conditions are not fit for any human.
- workers work in extremely hot conditions and are prohibited from using fans
- workers are forced to lie to inspectors. if you lie well you are rewarded. if you do not lie, you are punished or fired.
- workers work 7 days a week
- man example of manufacturing a product: Cost to WalMart is 18 cents and they sell it at 414.96….that’s over an 8,000% markup
- WalMart imported 18 BILLION from china in 2004…imagine what it will be for 2008
these are facts, people, not my personal opinion.
I am not arguing for or against Wal Mart because of economic issues, but I choose not to shop there because the company has had a huge impact on the death of the American city and the spread of suburbia. The current status of our “cities” is downright laughable. Endless parking lots and big box retailers do not make a nice place to live. Frankly, I’d rather pay a little bit more for higher quality goods from a neighborhood store to support local business. Considering the fact that I’m a student, it’s not like I’m rich either.
If you shop at Wal Mart, that’s your decision. But I wanted to highlight the urban reasons not to shop there as the rest of these comments speak mostly on the economic or humanitarian level.
we never, never shop at Wal-Mart.
if there would be even a few items
made in the US of A we would reconsider.
I think Wal-Mart is a great example of a very large company that invests in understanding it’s problems and correcting them (some people call this six sigma.) Being as large as they are, I am impressed with the percentage gain in one year for employees with health coverage. I hope they continue the momentum.
To everyone defending Walmart, I’m sorry but you clearly have not done your research. Take a look at Walmart’s history and the lawsuits it has faced for gender discrimination, as well as firing employees who join unions. Yes - it is an inexpensive store that provides many jobs. Does it treat its employees fairly? Do the MALE executives have any trouble sleeping at night when a single mother working full time on minimum wage can barely feed her family? It’s time we stopped supporting a company that doesn’t care about the working class and whose only interest is making money.
So where’s PetroChina on the list. Is it accurate to omit the company with the largest market cap in the world?
interesting how compared to companies with the same kind of revenue dollars the profit for the oil companies is triple that of other businesses. hmmmmm
sure wal mart is the biggest, they pay their workers slave wages , then tell them where they can get public assistance.
2,055,000 employees should be thankful they have a job in today’s economy. 93.7% with health insurance? It speaks for itself.
This not being a “perfect” world, how about starting your own business and seeing what it takes to employee that many people and provide that % of healthcare.
Nuff said!
I absolutely agree that Wal-Mart is not healthy for the future of this country. That’s why I shop at K-Mart. At least the jobs will stay in the USA!
Last time I shopped at Walmart, I waited for 45 minutes at the register. Never again I will shop there.
I don’t want to weigh in on the issue of Walmart but do want to comment that in general it is good that the standard of living in the rest of the developing world comes closer to the US standard, to that end creating and growth of industries in places like China, Africa, South America is great. What scares me is that yes most of the top companies are either Oil or Banking related, part of this “developing nation” thing is that people are getting automobiles and roads and petroleum stations, just like we’ve had here in the US for years. Unfortunately from what I’ve seen in India and China, the path to modernization seems to be emulation and I think this is a grave mistake as the oil based infrastructure is crippling the US today. Emerging nations should very cautiously eye the development of national infrastructure to avoid the pitfalls we in the US face.
Just want to point out, look people of course the Oil companies are huge, why else would the “greatest” nation on the planet be running a military campaign in Iraq? Oil. There is really no way to ignore the obvious, every two car American Family (and honestly many are more like 3 or 4 car families) has contributed to the rise of a power and fuel structure which is now holding those very same families hostage.
Don’t you think the popularization of SUVs and “larger” vehicles was supported by the Oil companies? I just cringe when I see a Hummer, then I usually shout “Murderer of the environment!”, and they typically have only one occupant.
And then of course the banks, these banks which can’t operate without electricity and computers have a vested interest in energy because otherwise they won’t exist. Face it a bank was once a safe place to store your valuables, but now they are bit shifters, modern technology has enabled them to be something which I’ll be the first to admit I don’t really understand, they perform transactions 24/7 and somehow earn profits.
The nature of the modern world is this: huge conglomerates control the power, a never ending need for more profits pushes them to find newer markets and encourage more dependency, the evolution of technology itself encourages the use of power, as an individual you are insignificant.
Regardless of your insignificance you need to be responsible for your power, buy solar cells, buy wind turbines, come up with a novel solution to “cleanly” get energy from the environment immediately surrounding you, turn off your lights once in a while, watch a little less TV. As individuals if we find reliable and clean ways to gather power from our immediate environment instead of relying on the import of power through these existing mediums, then perhaps eventually our communities will begin to throw off the yoke of the Oil Barons.
You have power as a living human being, never forget this simple fact.
We wouldn’t even be able to rank these companies if it weren’t for the banks and the financial sectors and the computers and technology used to manage them, life has become artificial.
US Bancorp is slipping because they have tried to race to the top by nickel and diming everything/one they come in contact with while losing sight of what it means to provide a valuable service.
My response to Tonie from Aurora is this… I have a PhD in Biology, and at my current PostDoc position, I make less than $30K per year. I also have two children and a husband who is in graduate school. I shop at Wal-Mart, not because I don’t know any better, but because I cannot afford to shop at locally owned stores. The local grocery stores are 15%-35% more expensive for comparable items and have a more limited selection. The reason Wal-Mart is on top is because of convenience, price, and availability; local businesses cannot compete with a multinational conglomeration.
echoing Doug in Norfolk NE, i went to buy some embroidery floss in a little general store that had been in No Conway NH since the 70’s - was told by the cashier that they don’t carry it anymmore and should try the WalMart down the road… i can only imagine the chipping away of their customer base while they struggle to survive….it’s a heartbreaker….
Welcome to Wal Mart - home of the door Nazi. Ever been into a WalMart lately? After you check out 30 feet from the door, they will stop you at the door EVERY TIME you are there and check your receipt with what is in your bags.
I no longer shop at WalMart and will never step into one again if I can help it.
Wal-Mart “run(s) out small businesses, and (is) destroying the ideals that have made America great.” Are you kidding me? Wal-Mart is America! Like it or not, it started as a Mom & Pop type store! Sam worked hard to build his American Dream and, guess what, HE DID IT! Wal-Mart doesn’t run out Mom & Pop stores. Mom & Pop just need to smart up and know that if they are not going to provide something that is unique or at the best price in town then you are going out of business. It’s that simple. But then again, is that not the basic rules/common sense of any business? AND, if Wal-Mart all of a sudden comes to your town…well, THANK THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA for allowing such opportunities.
I am always amazed at people’s complaints when it comes to stores like WalMart and Costco, etc. There are a whole bunch of comments on how they are taking away American jobs,(WalMart employes over 2 million people) and how their lower prices hurt smaller businesses. Everyone has this great American pride when it comes to these debates, but they are the first ones who buy foreign cars and fill them up at foreign gas stations (BP, Shell, Lukoil, etc.). Then I hear the cries of the down-trodden, “WalMart doesn’t hire union workers.” THANK GOD! Why is it that union workers feel it is there God given right to start out earning the exact same wage as the person who has been there bust their hump for the last 20 years. Unions protect the pathetic, lazy and uneducated masses who can’t obtain a good job at a fair wage on their own. When it comes time for the union bosses to line their pockets a little more, they call a strike so that everything stops and you pathetic little fools stand out in the cold picketing while you union bosses rally you from the warmth of their limos, and you are too dumb to realize it!!! Unions are the reason so many companies are sending their work overseas. Because it is cheaper to go to India or China and pay them $4 or $5 dollars per hour than to deal with the union crap here that does not want ot work and expects $20 per hour to slack off!
I am glad Walmart does not hire union, and I am glad Costco does not hire union. It is my fondest wish that all companies do away with union workers and bring America back to it’s competative state instead of farming their jobs off to India where it is cheaper to hire the same dumb shmo doing your job.
Does it bother anyone else that 8 of the top 10 companies are Oil/car related? Apparently everyone is just talking a big talk about scaling back on oil dependence and our damage to the environment.
A lot of people on here have the wool pulled over their eyes in terms of what WalMart REALLY means. When you shop there, you’re not shopping American. WalMart has done a great marketing job in fooling the American public into thinking that they are this “American” company that creates jobs and supports the American way. From their commercials with the eagle flying in the background to the American flag, they want you to believe that they are something they are not.
The real truth behind is that over 90% of WalMarts products come from China. This is taking away from our own ability to produce items in the USA. This is taking away factory jobs, farmer’s jobs and so on. They treat their chinese workers like dirt, paying them literally pennies a day, forcing them to live in WalMart housing and forcing them to pay for that housing out of their pennies-a-day “salary”. Even if they choose to live outside the WalMart compound, they are still required to contribute to the housing. What’s really happening is abusive and slave labor. There is nothing American about WalMart.
When you buy WalMart, you’re putting dollars into the hands of people who could care less about you. All they care about is getting you into their store.
Yes, it is convenient and cheap and I know that, unfortunately, WalMart is the only choice for many American families. It is disheartening to know that so many people are unaware of their blatant abusive corporate practices.
The fact that some of you believe that WalMart is this caring corporation that wants to help the small business owner is laughable. They have no interest in helping anyone but themselves. It’s time to wake up people. This is a monopoly. When you no longer have the freedom to shop where you choose….well, there’s just something wrong with that picture.
I don’t think the correct questions are being asked of Wal-mart regarding it’s health benefits. It’s 93.7% of ELIGIBLE employees, and the majority of them are part-time and NOT eligible. I live withing walking distance of a Wal-mart and will pay more money to shop elsewhere. I have not been in that store. I have friends that worked there - ask them questions and you’ll get a whole lot of different answers than what Wal-mart tells the public.
It’s the trade imbalance kiddos. Get that? TRADE IMBALANCE and TRADE POLICY, specifically environmental and labor policy and law. American companies bail out of America because they get to shit up the rest of the planet and use slave labor workforces who are all too willing to work for way less, which is way more than they have ever seen, and maybe put us out of business. So, boycott ALL firms using the world slave-labor pool while they dump it at the same time. THERE IS NO COST TO THEM!! THEY ARE GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER - LITERALLY! But then, they’ll be back when we have nothing left to hand over. Unless we get a President with BRAINS. Then we might have a chance to pull out of this frigging mess.
I live 15 miles from the Wal Mart home office. My next door neighbor was one of the first managers for the company.Sam Walton is DEAD and the company he founded no longer exists. I can always tell when I read a comment by a stock holder. The cold hard truth is this company is a people eatting monster and nobody can stop it. And most Americans don’t even remember what that word means. I met Sam Walton and he was a true patiot but he is gone and his family has all the money they could spend in a thousand lifetimes. When I read Wal Mart is evil I have to smile I know Wal Mart is worse than EVIL. They are anti American.
I want the small independent stores in my neighborhoods to stay open I will NEVER shop at a WalMart, or any Big Box Store.
Watch “WALMART, The High Cost of Low Price.” You’ll see what they are doing to this country.
I am tired of shopping at Wal Mart and all you see is “made in China, Indonesia, etc.” I especially am VERY tired of seeing the plastic bags at check-out. They are NOT enviromentally safe, do NOT break down in landfills. Either use paper bags or find another bag. I have other issues, like the size of the stores. They are getting too big; takes too much time to shop; standing in lines at check-out too long. My time is worth something.
Excuse me, but just because Wal-Mart doesn’t have Unions, doesn’t mean that it is evil. In fact, if Unions were inherently so good, Wal-Mart would not be able to prevent it’s employees from organizing.
Amazing how the top 10 include the gas companies. While they are raking in Billions, Americans can’t evern afford to fill their tanks.
Get with the times. Unions are only good for one thing and that is to run jobs out of America. Unions outlived their usefulness years ago and are partly responsible for the current vacuum in manufacturing jobs and failures in product quality. This is due to the growing complacency of UNION WORKERS who view their job as a right rather than a privilege. Employment of any kind is privilege I don’t care what your jobs is. If you are not happy with your job, get out of it. The situation is what you make of it and you probably have a crappy job because of your crappy attitude in life and serious vocational failures.
Wal-Mart helps small business that locate around it as long as they do not sell like type items.
One of the comments said that all you need to do to compete with WM was lower your prices. That brings up the main problem of a level playing field.
WM sales total 378 billion dollars anually. They are bigger than the next 5 largest American retailers combined. With that in mind you can only imagine how big they are in comparison to the average store or a mom and pop. Lowering your prices to compete sounds good but it is not quite that easy.
(Re Wal-Mart comments): I think it all comes down to education. If Americans were better educated, they’d earn more, and not need to shop at a store that they knew (from their education) outsources low-wage employees and worse to manufacture its products.
I have read all comments with great interest, especially the ones about Walmart. I am amazed by people that will arbitrarely say anything. I do not like Walmart but I shop there. Why? Because that is what I can afford. It is so very simple….the are who and what they are because enough people partonize Walmart. Without customers they could not survive, never mind expand. So….all of you complaining are not in the majority. How can you claim they put the Mom and Pop shops out of business? Because they sell cheaper? You bet….it is called competition, lucky that we are in the USA where competition is actually allowed. It is each and every individuals choice to buy Chinese or American, but I bet you that all those people making that choice do not actually have that choice because their pocketbook makes the choice for them. You lost souls ….never mind if you are informed or not….you can not decide for every one…and it looks like more Americans have made their choice, right or wrong, it it’s theirs to make.
Hey Mitch - the ideals that made America great include free market capitalism which has been eroded away by the brilliant leadership in Washington as well as special interest groups. Wal-Mart should be applauded for embracing capitalism and employing over 2 million people. I guess when a company is on top everyone feels the need to bash them. Makes sense to me.
Wal-Mart embodies the American capitalistic spirit. Whether you like them or not, it is a success story achieved by the very virtues that our economic structure encourages and that made the U.S. the powerhouse it is today.
Deal with the facts… Wal*Mart is an American company built on a simple philosophy; Bring the product to the consumer for less. Now that they have succeeded in that, everyone wants to say they are crushing the American dream. Every business that has a sale is guilty as well; bash them too! We don’t shake a stick at car companies purchasing and building cars across the ocean… No Instead we like to “Bargain” for the best price. If you’re so concerned about the future of America then pay FULL price for everything you buy.. Americans are greedy… We want top pay at our jobs, yet we want bargains when we spend…Pig headed and a little ironic if you ask me.
Walmart is an absolutely phenomenal company. As with any company they have had their problems in the past, but are now past the rough patches and are continuing to save the people of the global community money, so they can live better!
Cut WalMart some slack already. I read claims that WalMart sells numerous items made out of the USA. Well, Hello, I shop in many stores and can always find items made outside the USA. I have two family members working for WalMart. One started out making a few pennies less than at his previous employer of nearly 14 years. Employees receive medical benefits, merchandise discounts and other incentives based upon performance; just like many other companies. I shop at WalMart and will continue to do so.
I shop at Wal-Mart. However, you really have to babysit the cashiers. Some of them aren’t wrapped too tight. Also, you have to watch what price rings up at the register for a product, vs. what was posted on the shelf where you got the product. I’ve been ripped off a few times. Wal-Mart can be crooked, that’s for sure. I still shop there, but have given them less of my business any more.
Walmart is a great company, it provides jobs& benefits for the community, 10 times more than mom & pop retail operation. It has provide opportunities for 100 hundreds of employees. If unions were to invade Walmart stores it would increase the cost of operating stores by 30 to 50%. For the most part, if some people do not want to Walmart shoppers or employees; then it’s there right to go elsewhere, no one’s is holding a gun to there head. People have a choice in this country to choose whether or not to shop or work at Walmart. It’s that simple. If you want to work for a union shop, then go find one. Leave Walmart alone, it’s a great place to shop for me and my family.
Health care and profit do not mix. Would anybody care to explain to me why a healthcare system like the US is letting people die because they can not afford, or get at any cost, health insurance, while health insurers routinely deny benefits. At the same time UnitedHealth Group, in 2007, a top 100 (81) company, paid it’s CEO $1.3 million cash (daily expenses), and a reserve of 3/4 billion (USD) in options. Pass the cup, they only made 4.7 billion USD profit last year. I guess human life, in view of maximizing profits, just isn’t worth anything - then again maybe not - Soilent Green anybody? Profit at all cost - what a disgrace!
If you want to know the truth about Walmart, read “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich. Walmart may have low prices, but it is only because its merchandise is poor quality and it does not pay its employees well. It’s a terrible company that tries to promote itself as working class friendly, yet it treats its working class employees, especially the women, like dirt. It’s a shame that it is so successful.
The Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800, S. 1041), supported by a bipartisan coalition in Congress, would enable working people to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions by restoring workers’ freedom to choose for themselves whether to join a union. It would:
Establish stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to form a union and during first-contract negotiations.
Provide mediation and arbitration for first-contract disputes.
Allow employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation.
This is why everyone should support the Employee Free Choice Act. It gives more protections against companies like Walmart who are union busters to allow employees to organize without threats and interferance from the company. Please look up Employee Free Choice Act and contact your local senator to tell them you support this bill.
I’m so tired of hearing about how evil Wal Mart is. The reason they are so sucessful is because (we) consumers have made them sucessful. And have you ever been involved with a union? I have, and would never go back to one again.
Good Gosh!
I sure see a lot of whiney cry babies on this subject.
If Wal-Mart is so bad for the country, the economy and the people that work there, WHY are over 2,000,000 people working there and WHY are they making so much money.
Could it be that people WANT their products and their employment?
You also can’t compare them to the oil companies. If you buy a TV from WalMart it should last you a 7-15 years. How long will a tank of gas last you?
Stop working for “the man” and be “the man”. Start your own business!
The reason people complain about big oil profits is because we need their products - we can live without GE
Wal Mart is an evil company. They refuse to allow unions, run out small businesses, and are destroying the ideals that have made America great. Good bye Mom and Pop Shops, Hello giant mechanized super stores
I wonder why people complain so much about oil company profits in the range of 20-40 billion and not about other companies like GE in the same range.
ING is a truely global leader. The work environmenet is great and the efocus very clear. Of all the players it is really shocking to still see Walmart on top. Yes they are the leading player in terms of the format, industry and market they play in. However; the quality and ethical standards still dont stand for a Global leader. Hope they change that too!!!
Overall it is g
Hey, Bill from Beaumont, TX.
Look at the top ten on this list. Please note that 6 of them are oil companies. Please take a close look at their profits. Is it possible you can learn from your mistakes?