NumBytes 24: Mmmmm...Mmmmm...Nyet

Campbell Soup Co. admitted defeat in trying to turn a nation of homemade soup makers into a nation of canned soup consumers and is exiting the Russian market after sales never matched expectations. The company intends to concentrate on China, but whether it will find success in that nation of soup preparers remains to be seen. Campbell entered both markets in 2007.

According to Campbell research, Chinese and Russians eat soup an average of five times per week, versus only once a week for Americans. Russians consume 32 billion bowls of soup each year, while Americans consume 14 billion bowls per year. The Chinese, as you might expect, consumer much more -- 320 billion bowls of soup each year.