2001? This might be interesting if it were, you know, somewhere along the lines of 'current'

I think China would be much larger if it were current.

And it isn't drawn correctly - Look how big India looks compared to Pakistan? The number say that Pakistan is 2.5x larger. Several other countries look wrong too based on the figures provided.

Does anyone else remember back when Wal-Mart was on the "Buy American, Sell American" product supply. Boy have things changed.

The US would be smaller, if current. And dwindling.

So Wal*Mart is the only company buying things from China?

Oh wait, it has been about 30 minutes since the latest bash Wal*Mart posted.

My bad.

@FINANCE101:

I'm pretty sure that's because the size of the countries on the map are also relative to the actual size of the country - theoretically a larger country (in area or population) should provide more products. That's why India is larger than Pakistan.

@Trick:

You must be one of the few who think that Wal-Mart is good for the US. Wal-Mart has containers coming off of cargo ships every 45 seconds from China. They spent $18 BILLION on goods from China in 2004. Remind me again how that's a good thing?

Not only is the "data" from 2001, but it's hardly complete. Traipsing through a few (essentially) randomly selected Walmarts looking at packaging, while potentially fun, is probably not going to give an overall perspective of the whole distribution. (Unless somehow this turns out to be a good random statistical sampling, which I doubt.)
It would be cool, though, to see the complete data set for Walmart and compare it to other stores of various types throughout the US.

Hey Consumerist, keep it up. I'm sure the anti Wal-Mart hysteria will soak in some day and I'll begin to hate them as much as everyone else, but as for now: nothing.

Well, having read the underlying information about the map I find that this is just a count of items he found in these stores. Not based on acutal dollars imported or or acutal number of items imported or even scientific sampling. So it is just a basic "political/art" piece. But again, the map doesn't even reflect his findings. And JulianJefferson, I don't think your are right in your assumption. Where do you get that? Look at Russia and Mongolia- they are pretty big countries but very small on the map.

@mopar_man:
He's not one of the few based on how many customers they have. And Wal-mart is probably pretty average or maybe a little better than most retailers when it comes to importing from other countries. Sorry. This Wal-mart hysteria is based almost entirely on politicians using them as a symbol to rally voters. They are no better or worse than any average American company - just bigger. And therefore an easy target.

@FINANCE101:

Well, I didn't read that there wasn't much science behind the numbers until now. I figured it was more in depth.

But, the reason (according to what I said earlier) that Russia is so small is that none/very few of its products were found in the store. For example, a little statistics lesson:

I assumed that the size for each country on the map was calculated by the formula (actual surface area)*(% of products). So, if Russia didn't import any products to Wal-Mart, then Russia's formula would be (a shit-load square miles)*(zero). This is obviously equal to zero - so theoretically, Russia shouldn't even show up on the map.

@mopar_man:
Wal-Mart is a good thing because it saves so many people money when they shop there. Also, as the world's largest company, they have the ability to exact lasting change, but do it via market forces.
For example, Wal-Mart has asked all of it's manufacturers to use less packaging:
http://www.walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb/navigate.do...

Wal-Mart has also committed to selling more compact fluorescent bulbs. Lighting homes and buildings is fully 1/5th of our total energy consumption in the US, so a reduction there can be a big help to the environment, and to people's pocketbooks.

Yes, Wal-Mart has mistreated employees in the past, and yes as the largest company in the world it's decisions do sometimes hurt companies, but it's better to take a balanced view of the company rather than decry them as evil outright.

@Trick: That's out of line. Consumerist has NEVER gone more than 30 minutes without bashing Walmart. It's what this site was founded on.

I thought for a moment that this was going to be a comparison map of all the square mileage all the Wal-Marts of the world would occupy if they were placed together.

@mopar_man:

You must be one of the few who think that Wal-Mart is good for the US....

--

Yawn... No I am not one of the few who think that Wal*Mart is good for the US and I won't even start with your "few" comment because there are far more than just a "few" who do think so.

If the sheeple demand a Wal*Mart bash thread to make themselves feel better, fine... more power to you all.

Wal*Mart bashing was so last year. Those who care don't shop there. Those who don't care pay little attention to the bashers.

I am still waiting for someone to tell me how a Kodak film, Coke, Tide or the exact Chinese made trinket bought at Target is better than Wal*Mart?

One thing for sure it that Target is laughing all the way to the bank over those who fawn over Target while thinking they are stick'n it to Wal*Mart.