thoughtcrumbs

User testing of Wal-Mart customers

Why is Wal-Mart so phenomenally successful? One reason is detailed user profiling and that elusive ability to connect data trends to real-life reasons. Case in point: Ant and roach poison was flying off the shelves in most of the country last year, with the bizarre exception of Minnesota. There, no one would buy the stuff. In interviewing customers, Wal-Mart learned that to Minnesotans, owning a can of roach killer represented slovenly housekeeping. So, did Wal-Mart pull the product? No, it convinced the manufacturer to remove all pictures of insects from the cans in that state. Suddenly the product appeared more socially acceptable, and sales soared.

Related quote: One Wal-Mart representative said he could tell you how many cans of chili were purchased in the last hour, divided by state. (From NPR's series on the social and economic impact of Wal-Mart.)