Most worldwide customers

[Handruin]

I was pondering this over dinner. What one company do you think has the most customers in the world? It doesn't matter what they do or sell, only that they deal with the most people in the world.

I was thinking Coca-Cola might be up in the ranks, or even a clothing company such as hanes. Maybe it's UPS, or fedex?

Any thoughts on my random question?

 

[Cliptin]

I was pondering this over dinner. What one company do you think has the most customers in the world? It doesn't matter what they do or sell, only that they deal with the most people in the world.

I was thinking Coca-Cola might be up in the ranks, or even a clothing company such as hanes. Maybe it's UPS, or fedex?

Any thoughts on my random question?

My first thought was Coke. If you could count owners of a companies products rather than purchasers, it might be a car company. Which were you considering, owners or purchasers?

 

[Tea]

Coca-Cola gets my vote.

Is it not ironic that one of the most useless and over-priced products ever invented should have this honour? Or is that precisely the point?

(Not bashing Coke mindlessly here, I like Coke, just calling it like it is.)

 

[Handruin]

I was thinking purchasers, but I guess I can't clearly say which makes my question pointless. I was trying to get a sense of which one company has sold something the the greatest number of world-wide people regardless if they still own the product or use a service.

 

[time]

Hanes who?

UPS and Fedex have very limited penetration in overseas markets.

A car company? Are we talking GM or Toyota? Either way, I don't think so.

Has to be Coke. Even kids buy Coca Cola.

Although McDonalds is working on it.

 

[SteveC]

It's probably Coke. For most employees, the USPS has to be way up there. They have a couple of million I think.

Steve

 

[Handruin]

It's probably Coke. For most employees, the USPS has to be way up there. They have a couple of million I think.

Steve

I thought I had read walmart has the most employees as a company, or maybe just in the USA?

 

[Cliptin]

Now that I think about it more small, cheap items would get better penetration into difficult to reach areas. Spread the sugar filled joy around.

In the moutains of Peru above Cusco among the Quichua indians you could get Fanta, Dr. Pepper, Sprite and Coke in a bottle. Deliveries were made by mule.

 

[SteveC]

You're right. I just checked the USPS page, and they say they have 797,795 employees. Walmart claims more than 1 million "associates".

Steve

 

[Buck]

How about Phillip Morris or South African Brewery?

 

[Tea]

McDonalds is working on it.

Amongst their various useless and unhealthy products, McDonalds sell Coke.

But Phillip Morris would have to be way up there.

 

[Handruin]

Is Phillip Morris as big of an overseas player as Coke? They do have an addicting product, but the price is high. How badly taxed are tobacco products overseas?

Phillip Morris also sells other things, which I can't think of at the moment...

 

[Cliptin]

How about Phillip Morris or South African Brewery?

Always thinkin' like a Bartender. :wink:

 

[Bartender]

Always thinkin' like a Bartender. :wink:

http://www.sab.co.za/b_allourbrands.asp

SAB does have a few brands under their belt. They also seem to be involved in more than just beer, such as in hotels and gaming.

 

[Mercutio]

A few off the top of my head:

Coke
General Electric (since they make or supply EVERYTHING)
Microsoft
Archer Daniels Midland/Cargill (they supply seed for much of the farming in the world, making pretty much the whole world secondary/tertiary customers)

 

[flagreen]

Phillip Morris?

 

[Tea]

Phillip Morris

Phillip Morris

Phillip Morris

Phillip Morris

 

[Handruin]

Phillip morris

 

[James]

If you leave aside food/drink companies, Accor perhaps. (Largest manager of hotels and resorts in the world.)

 

[jtr1962]

I think GE would get the nod. Not everyone likes or buys Coke, but nearly everyone uses electricity. I personally don't care for Coke or any cola. It doesn't agree with my digestive system, and with a name brand like Coke, you're paying twice what a generic store brand costs due to their incessant advertising(it costs a lot to hire Britney Spears for those stupid Coke ads).

 

[SteveC]

Britney Spears does Pepsi ads, which is why I drink Coke. :wink:

Steve

 

[timwhit]

Coke is the word that more people in the world understand than any other word. More than NO or OK. That says something big right there.

 

[Jake the Dog]

what about BP, Shell or Exxon-Mobil? not only do massive amounts of worldwide individuals use their products so do massive amounts of worldwide organisations, companies, in fact almost any type of group you can think of.

 

[jtr1962]

Britney Spears does Pepsi ads, which is why I drink Coke. :wink:

Steve

Shows how much attention I pay to advertising. I knew she was doing commercials for one of the two big soft drink companies, so I figured I had a 50% chance of getting it right. :wink: Oh well. Win some, lose some.

 

[slo crostic]

A lot of people may disagree with this, but I believe, for all intents and purposes, the catholic church could be considered the largest company in the world. They definitely have the most customers in the world, and most of the money too, and the products they sell, faith and deliverence, are known worldwide.
After all, the most well known word in the world is amen.

 

[Tea]

Ha! I was going to say the Catholic Church. They certainly have the turnover.

 

[Sol]

Coke Vs the Catholic Church, I'd like to see that.
If drinking coke was a sin who'd quit drinking coke and who'd change religion?

 

[NRG = mc²]

with a name brand like Coke, you're paying twice what a generic store brand costs due to their incessant advertising

Have you ever tasted any in store brands? I've not tried any that were drinkable... horrible stuff.

Britney Spears does Pepsi ads, which is why I drink Coke

As if Christina Aguilera is cheaper! (she does the coke ads)

 

[Buck]

Coke Vs the Catholic Church, I'd like to see that.
If drinking coke was a sin who'd quit drinking coke and who'd change religion?

What would happen is that the Catholic Church would adopt the drinking of Coke and find a way to show that it is not sinful. Then they would corner the market by coming up with their own Vatican Cola, buy substantial shares of Coke (to control them), and then Shun Pepsi for its immoral commercials with Britney Spears, all the while hiding the Christina Aguilera commercials.

 

[Handruin]

Wow, I hadn't thought of the church. Is the catholic church that popular overseas? I have no idea what people practice these days. I think the convienience of coke may win though. For church you have to go to a place, where as you can get a coke almost anywhere.

Also have to remember coke is not only cola... People drink sprite, and the many other flavors that coke offers, I think then even have a bottled water dasani or something like it.

 

[Cliptin]

Wow, I hadn't thought of the church. Is the catholic church that popular overseas? I have no idea what people practice these days. I think the convienience of coke may win though. For church you have to go to a place, where as you can get a coke almost anywhere.

Also have to remember coke is not only cola... People drink sprite, and the many other flavors that coke offers, I think then even have a bottled water dasani or something like it.

Coke at least owns Crystal Springs bottled water.

The Catholic church is scattered all over the world. It many south american countries it is very powerful.

 

[flagreen]

What is clear from the discussion so far is that if the Catholic Church were to buy Coca Cola she could rule the planet.

 

[jtr1962]

with a name brand like Coke, you're paying twice what a generic store brand costs due to their incessant advertising

Have you ever tasted any in store brands? I've not tried any that were drinkable... horrible stuff.

The ones by me are OK. I'll admit that the generic colas taste the worst but I don't drink cola anyway.

Britney Spears does Pepsi ads, which is why I drink Coke

As if Christina Aguilera is cheaper! (she does the coke ads)

I guess so. I didn't know who Christina Aguilera was until I saw her at the 2002 Winter Olympics closing ceremonies, believe it or not. She's just another Britney Spears knockoff(or vice versa). It really bothers me how people with no talent make such huge amounts of money. Kind of shows where our priorities are as a society. The scientists, engineers, researchers, and doctors should be rich, not sports figures, actors, and pop singers, since they are the people who really make society better.

 

[Buck]

The scientists, engineers, researchers, and doctors should be rich, not sports figures, actors, and pop singers, since they are the people who really make society better.

That is true jtr. I would include teachers (Grade, Middle, and High School) as a group that make far to little money. In the affluent area that I live, even School Bus drivers only make US$13.00 and hour. When you think about it, our children are in their hands, as they safely take them to and from school. Yet, entertainers (if that is what some want to call them) can sing to our children about the evil joys of committing suicide and taking drugs, and make millions of dollars doing it.