Every penny we spend changes the world

     What drives you as a consumer?  Is it the price?  Perhaps it's convenience.  Maybe, at times, you put effort into going "green," or supporting people's jobs or trade in your own country.  Do you live for sales, coupons, reward programs and promotions, or could you care less?  Do you purchase more wants than needs, or have you ever even thought about it?  How much does mass media advertising influence your spending habits?  Is pride at the core of your purchases, or does it not affect it all?  Do you shop the same places your friends and family frequent, or do you seek different avenues just to be different?  Could it be atmosphere that attracts you, or is customer service your top priority?  Some of us make lists and some of us are impulse buyers, so what category do you fall in?  How much of your income goes to holidays, birthdays, entertainment, special events etc?  What about donations and tax write-offs to charities and various other organizations?

     Have you ever considered the butterfly effect of the who, what, when, where, why and how of the power you possess as a consumer/spender?  Every penny that's spent, changes the world in some way, shape, fashion or form in all areas, on all levels, even if we aren't aware or cognizant of it at the time it was spent.  We affect the course, condition, and state of the environment, our governments, our economies, our societies, and much much more, not only at a local level, but beyond the globe as well.  Perhaps you've never thought about it in great detail or analyzed the "effects" of your "cause."  I would encourage all of us to take a look within and see how our change, changes the world.  We can make positive choices which will literally affect the entire world at an epic level, every single day.  For example, it could be that you are against war, or slavery, or government control and corruption, or harming the environment, or whatever else that we could fit in the list, but......... are you financing those wars, promoting slavery, contributing to government control and corruption, encouraging the destruction of the planet, etc,etc,etc???

     I believe we are all guilty at some point or another of not being above reproach.  The good news is we can learn from our mistakes and choose to make better choices which quite literally, change the world we live in.  After observing the following data, take a moment to reflect on your own life.  Consider how your actions affect not only you, but people all over the planet and the world we live in.  Decide how you can begin making positive changes in your choices as you read the data.  Don't stop your research with this list either.  Challenge the information.  Challenge other people. Challenge yourself.  Apply these questions to your entire spending budget and to every company and every person you buy from.  This data only represents 1 company in the world.  Last but not least, take ACTION somewhat, somewhere and somehow.  REVOLIENCE leaves the choices to you!

We'll start at the top of the Fortune 500, the largest retailer on the planet-Walmart.

-As of 7/31/2012, the amount of money spent at Walmart, every hour of every day is $36,000,000.

-At the end of their last quarter (October 31, 2012), their income statement listed their revenue at $464.48B
     (their fiscal year ends January 31,2013)

-In 2010, Walmart's revenues were greater than the combined revenues of America's largest oil,
     manufacture and pharmaceutical companies:
           Exxon Mobile $354.6 Billion
           Chevron $196.3 Billion
           General Electric $151.6 Billion
           Pfizer $67.8 Billion

-If revenues were Walmart's national GDP, it would be the 25th largest economy in the world

-If Walmart were a country, it would be the 19th largest economy in the world

-Walmart's sales are 5x that of Costco (America's 2nd largest retailer) and 10x that of Amazon (America's
           largest online retailer)

-Walmart is also the largest grocer in the U.S. selling $129 Billion, which is 1.5x the sales of Kroger
           (In 2009 Walmart generated 51% of it's U.S. sales in groceries alone)

-96% of America lives within 20 miles of Walmart
           60% of America lives within 5 miles of Walmart
           90% of America lives within 15 minutes of a Walmart

-100 Million customers shop at Walmart every week, spending $36,000,000 every hour of every day

-Walmart's profit every minute is $34,880

-Walmart employees 1,400,000 people w/ $11.75/hr as the avg. wage (the national avg. is $12.04)

-Walmart's CEO's salary is $19,200,000 (924x his avg. employee)

-In 2000, Walmart was sued 4,851 times (once every 2 hrs.) with cases related to unfair wages and hours,
           racial profiling, sexual discrimination and environmental disputes

-In 2008, Walmart spent $640 Million resolving unfair wage cases in 42 states

-Since 2000, Walmart has been battling 1.6 Million employees in the largest sexual discrimination lawsuit
           ever, with a potential cost of $11 Billion

-80% of Walmart's suppliers are in China

-Walmart imports $30 Billion in merchandise from China per year (10% of the total for the entire U.S.)

-Factory workers work 12-14 hrs./day for .23cents/hr. after dorm and utility expenses are deducted
           ( the factory workers have the choice of not living in the dorms, but still have to pay for the dorm
           but not the utilities if they choose not to live there)

-Walmart campaigned for "Buy American" with banners all over the stores and commercials in the media

-In 1962, there was 1 Walmart
           In 1987 there was 1198 Walmarts
           In 1996 there was 2943 Walmarts
           In 2005 there was 5289 Walmarts
           In 2011 there was 8970 Walmarts

-In 2010, Walmart's carbon footprint totaled 21.4 million metric tons (more than half of world's countries)
           according to the data they provided to the Carbon Disclosure Project

-The Walton net worth is reported to be just under $85 Billion and gives 2% of net worth
           Bill Gates' net worth is reported to be just over $50 Billion and gives 48% of net worth
           Warren Buffett's net worth is reported to be just under $50 Billion and gives 78% of net worth

-Walmart has four stores built over burial grounds
           1998 Charlotte Pike, TN
           2001 Fenton, MO
           2004 Honolulu, HI
           2007 Anderson CA

Sources-
www.walmart.com
www.walmartstores.com
www.wikiinvest.com
www.pbs.org
www.southernstudies.org
bwnt.businessweek.com
www.corpwatch.org
www.reuters.com
www.statisticbrain.com
www.factspy.net
www.motherjones.com
www.yahoo.com (data provided by Capital IQ)
www.businesspundit.com