You might be a Walmart shopper...

March 6, 2007 7:07 PM

Proported [Leaked] Walmart Internal-Marketing Presentation.Hate Walmart? Well, you're now a Conscientuous Objector (14% of their market). Read up on the Price-Value Shopper, the Brand Aspirationals, and the Price Sensitive Affluents, and see if you can figure out where you are in the Walmart Universe.
posted by rzklkng (46 comments total)

This is good.
posted by furtive at 7:14 PM on March 6, 2007

I didn't see a "Beaten into submission to shop there because it's the only place I can buy picture hangers at 2AM and I really need to buy stuff right then"
posted by Burhanistan at 7:15 PM on March 6, 2007 [4 favorites]

I'd like to think that in Hell, every marketing "expert" would have nothing to read in the bathroom except this cursed presentation. And all they get to eat are Tijuana burritos.
posted by dbiedny at 7:16 PM on March 6, 2007

Burhanistan, I think that makes you a "Convenience Seeker".
posted by smackfu at 7:18 PM on March 6, 2007

Careful, Walmart is listening.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:24 PM on March 6, 2007

Goes without saying that I would save this locally, as I wouldn;t expect it to be around (legally) come tomorrow.
posted by rzklkng at 7:27 PM on March 6, 2007

So the price value shopper, which is Walmart's core customer (16%) is a woman four out of five times, has a 2 in 3 chance of having kids, a 1 in 3 chance of being under 34, lives paycheck to paycheck, a 1 in 4 chance of being a baptist and a 1 in 3 chance of having depression, is just as likely to get acid reflux as they are to read the National Enquirer (and 23% of them read the national enquirer!) They have only a 17% chance of being "very analytical", three quarter's of them acquired their vehicle used, if they have a vehicle at all, and are more likely to enjoy checkers or dominoes than painting.

You see, I did not know that until now, and I find it very interesting.
posted by furtive at 7:28 PM on March 6, 2007 [3 favorites]

Sorry, 23% out of the 92% that read magazines.
posted by furtive at 7:29 PM on March 6, 2007

Hauntingly beautiful.
posted by gorgor_balabala at 7:33 PM on March 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

Where can I download the powerpoint? Am I missing that?
posted by puke & cry at 7:35 PM on March 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

puke & cry: I didn't see a download link; just save the webpage.
posted by Burhanistan at 7:37 PM on March 6, 2007

Why don't I get to "Meet the Conscientious Objector"?
posted by spicynuts at 7:38 PM on March 6, 2007

I was really hoping there would be a Pschographic breakdown on the Conscientuous Objector.
posted by lekvar at 7:42 PM on March 6, 2007

Very cool. Nice piece of research.
posted by xammerboy at 7:58 PM on March 6, 2007

Shouldn't "More Loyal to WM" read "Fewer Options" and "Less Loyal to WM" read "More Options"?
posted by scheptech at 7:58 PM on March 6, 2007

I'm a Price Sensitive Affluent; what do I win?
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:10 PM on March 6, 2007

Where's the category for "Drunk/stoned at 3am and WalMart is the only place that still sells Cheetos?"
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:20 PM on March 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

Ok, so what about those of us who've never stepped foot in a Walmart because we are terrified of creepy greeters?
posted by miss lynnster at 8:40 PM on March 6, 2007 [3 favorites]

"Where can I download the powerpoint? Am I missing that?"

Well, if you could download it then the super important blogger who posted it to his site wouldn't have as many page impressions!
posted by Sukiari at 8:47 PM on March 6, 2007

Watch the BBC's indispensable 'The Century of the Self' for some of the history and theoretical ad-brainwashing framework behind the terminology.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:49 PM on March 6, 2007 [3 favorites]

Where's the category for "Wild horses couldn't drag me in to shop at Wal-Mart"?

I'd like a full copy of the presentation as well, why would the Consumerist make people go through the hassle of downloading 29 slides individually? That just seems stupid.
posted by fenriq at 8:58 PM on March 6, 2007

Maybe I missed the "market research equals evil" memo but this seems like what I'd expect out of a competitive, market-driven company.

That is to say - they want to know who you are and what you'd like so they can sell it to you. There's no evidence in this presentation of some grand conspiracy to plant cameras in your toilet or whatever.

All that said, the "Growing these segments..." slide appears to conclude that their core consumers all want things which seem in-line with a grow-forever-or-die culture: "bigger aisles and faster check-out" and "unbeatable prices!"

There are so many other reasons to dislike Wal-Mart, their market research seems to play a distant nth behind predatory labor practices, union busting, and unsustainable growth mania.
posted by abulafa at 9:07 PM on March 6, 2007 [2 favorites]

Dang, this is just fascinating to read through.

abulafa, you are right, market research itself isn't evil but it can certainly be used for evil purposes. But the ex-market research analyst in me is totally sporting wood reading through this.

But yes, there are far more reasonable arguments for hating and boycotting Wal-Mart, like this one from a recent article out of India

Wal-Mart is the biggest monopoly retailer in the world which is infamous for its pathetic record of violating labour laws, union-busting, displacing small retailers and exploiting small producers of manufactured and agricultural commodities.

Why yes, yes I do happen to have an anti-Wal-Mart blog, why do you ask?

Also, that was a real pain in the ass to download each slide by hand. I think I'll leave an annoying comment pretty much to that effect.
posted by fenriq at 9:24 PM on March 6, 2007

I fall under the "I still remember the time the white managers strip searched all the black employees at the new Wal-Mart when some money went missing" category.

(more here -- wrote it up for the No Cleveland Walmart / now The Writing On The Wal site way back when).
posted by bitter-girl.com at 9:27 PM on March 6, 2007 [2 favorites]

I don't need to look at the market research, I've lived with thirteen and a half million housewives for fifteen years and I know everything about them. She's 37 years old, she has 2.3 children, 1.6 of which will be girls. She uses 16 feet 6 inches of toilet tissue a week, and fucks no more than 4.2 times a month. She has 7 radiators, and is worried about her weight, which is why we have her on a diet. And because we have her on a diet, we also encourage her to reward herself with the little treats, and she deserves them, cause anyone existing on 1200 calories of artificial synthetic orange-flavoured waffle a day, deserves a little treat. We know it's naughty but you do deserve it, go on darling swallow a bun! And she does.

posted by phooky at 9:29 PM on March 6, 2007 [4 favorites]

More seriously, the phrase "he doesn't spend more than he has to, because he does not want to feel cheated" (slide 24) really summarizes why we're all doomed. There are a lot of people who are more concerned that they're somehow being suckered than whether or not they're getting a good product, or supporting companies that pay a living wage. I was instilled with the "save at all costs" impulse by my father, and I still have to struggle to get past it. I'm starting to believe that it's really important not to be too rich.
posted by phooky at 9:41 PM on March 6, 2007 [2 favorites]

Of course, every chain store has research like this. And Walmart's segmentation isn't much different from what Woolworth's would have been in 1935, had they had such detailed MR back then.

What's interesting, though, is the poor health of the ideal Walmart customer; I wonder how that translates into the shelf-space war for antacids and headache remedies.
posted by QuietDesperation at 9:52 PM on March 6, 2007

You don't actually have to download each slide by hand, everyone. File-->Save as, and from the "save as type" drop-down, pick "full web page" or "web archive" or whatever your browser calls it. Of course you'll get everything else with the slides, but you can delete the rest. Unless the "preview" slides are too small for you and you want the full-size ones, anyway.
posted by sleeplessunderwater at 11:44 PM on March 6, 2007

Interesting... "One of four does not have access to the internet (26% / 173) and only 1 of 3 (33% / 115) has a computer at home"; so, a huge chunk of their userbase is apparently getting internet access from work, school, or a library.

It's funny how a Wal-Mart PowerPoint is such an accurate reflection of poverty in this country.
posted by spiderskull at 12:43 AM on March 7, 2007

My beef with Walmart is that in a discount store you used to have a choice of three of any item. A cheap one, a mid-priced one, and a higher priced one. The cheap one was almost never a bargain, so it became a matter of comparing the relative merits of the other two relative to expense, and then selecting.

Now you only have two to choose from, and they are both junk, regardless of price.
posted by dglynn at 1:26 AM on March 7, 2007

Interesting, if truthful, point : Walmart custs aren't very analitical.

Which means they pay A LOT of attention to price, but ..that's just that. SUPERDUPER LOAD SAVER -10% DEAL BEYONCE.

Do they compare ? I think they don't really , as that would imply

1. getting a list of the prices of 30-40 common good
2. drive to costco, justco, whatnotco
3. compare

and maybe discover you need to travel y miles to get a .20$ reduction..pointless, waste of time, unless you are unemployed and/or dirt poor.

Which would lead them to a tentative conclusion : one doesn't really save by shopping Xmart, unless they price differences are consistent on ALL product buyed for most of the times, but have to factor the cost opportunity and transport ocsts. But they are not analitical, so.....
posted by elpapacito at 2:03 AM on March 7, 2007

proported - purported
posted by davidmsc at 4:00 AM on March 7, 2007

I find it somewhat amusing that they did not add 'Supercenter' to their custom dictionary, causing it to be flagged as typo
posted by MrLint at 4:38 AM on March 7, 2007

Clarification - the 14% of Conscientuous Objectors is not of people who shop there, but of people from the survey which they took.

For all the complainers about the page format, I think Sukiari is right - page impressions.

Two other observations: Back in the day, the saying was "What's Good for General Motors is Good for America." White collar and union blue collar jobs, growth and stability, and a spillover effect across the economy, from retail to shipping to raw materials. After decades of crappy product, arrogance, legacy costs, and currency issues, not so much.

Based on Walmarts customers, what is the national benefit to Walmart, if all it does is suppress local positives to benefit their shareholders (but not the other stakeholders)?

Lastly, a brief career in sales taught me "when you compete on price, you lose". That seems to be WM only market strength, with the exception of dominance as the single shopping choice. And their singular "most loyal" shopper is a paycheck away from financial ruin. Certainly not good for growth or stabililty. Their vested interest is in keeping their core customer poor, worried, and pressed for time.
posted by rzklkng at 5:14 AM on March 7, 2007

Wider aisles.

That's what we really want.

Which is when I go with my daughter and grandbun to Wallyworld today we drive past the old one, going to the newest one with wider aisles.

Seriously.

(The fact there will be no panhandlers in the parking lot of the second store is a plus.)
posted by konolia at 5:30 AM on March 7, 2007

PS - here's a story on BestBuy's 5-Customer Profiles:

"It has also begun to woo a roster of shopper profiles, each given a name: Buzz (the young tech enthusiast), Barry (the wealthy professional), Ray (the family man) and, especially, Jill [the "very smart and affluent" homemaker]"

posted by rzklkng at 5:33 AM on March 7, 2007

"It has also begun to woo a roster of shopper profiles, each given a name: Buzz (the young tech enthusiast), Barry (the wealthy professional), Ray (the family man) and, especially, Jill [the "very smart and affluent" homemaker]"

And Spatch (the guy who's learned how to say "No thank you, I don't want a protection plan" in five languages. Just in case.)
posted by Spatch at 5:48 AM on March 7, 2007

Yes, this is pretty much what EVERY company of significant size does - identifies the market around them, keys in on the 2-3 segments they want, and then tailors their offering to them. I've received a few of these to "help" me prepare ads targetting these profiles, and although the seven groups had different names they translate just the same.

What I love about the presentation is the requirement to have pictures as examples of each of the segments, and the requirement that they be happy. Even when they're conscientious objectors. Boy, he's some happy, isn't he?
posted by GhostintheMachine at 6:19 AM on March 7, 2007

My first experience with this was when I was a production artist on hangtags for the Broadway/Emporium stores a million years ago. Their "research" found that a lot of Mexicans shopped there and that Mexicans like pink and bright blue so I had to experiment with those colors. Being from San Diego I questioned that "fact" but then I drove through Griffith Park one Saturday and saw dozens of pink and blue wedding and birthday parties going on around me. I wanted to yell "Don't stereotype people!" at my boss, but after that I couldn't & it drove me nuts.
posted by miss lynnster at 7:11 AM on March 7, 2007

This reminds me of meetings I've sat through at the art museum where I work, where we hear about similar research done on our membership. And I recognize the value in knowing your market, but it makes me sort of ill hearing people pigeonholed into little boxes with cutesy alliterated names like "Arts Appreciators" and "Cultural Connectors."
posted by COBRA! at 7:21 AM on March 7, 2007

Where would "I don't shop at Wal-Mart because it depresses me" fit?
I can waste lots of time browsing at Target or Meijer; for some reason I feel intensely anxious in a Wal-Mart and just have to get out and I feel depressed for quite a bit after leaving the store. I've been trying to pinpoint why I only get this reaction in Wal-Mart and not Big Lots or dollar stores. Oh wait, I got that reaction magnified to the Nth degree at Bronner's. My SO now refuses to take me there. Or Wal-Mart.
posted by needled at 8:02 AM on March 7, 2007

What I find truly interesting is the fact that mathowie often gives similar presentations to his own staff member, jessamyn, on the topic of MeFi users - or "our web/virtual dialectic consumers" as he calls us.

Yet is this a bad thing? Hell No! If mathowie wants to shoot his mind-bullets of thought branding into the ideas-space beyond the envelope in a dialogue of roundtabling braindumps in order to drill down to a mutual helicopter view of value-adding to the customer delivery zone, then that's his own damn business.
posted by the quidnunc kid at 10:36 AM on March 7, 2007

I'm reminded of the Neal Stephenson book where advertising execs divide everyone into wretched, tiny stereotypes like "pent-up corporate lickspittle," "irrelevant mouth breather," "orange county book burner," "frosty-haired coupon snipper," "ufos ate my brain," "400-pound tab drinker," "mall-hopping corporate concubine," "post-confederate gravy eater," "burger-flipping history major," "stone-faced urban homeboy," "bible-slinging porch monkey," "manic third-world entrepeneur," "first-generation beltway black," "debt-hounded wage slave," "high-metabolism world dominator," and "toilet-scrubbing ex-steelworker."
posted by adipocere at 4:03 PM on March 7, 2007 [1 favorite]

Adipocere, do not forget "depression haunted can stacker", "high metabolism world dominator", and "economic roadkill".

If there is one thing I've learned in life it is that with few exceptions you get what you pay for. That is why I dont shop WalMart.

Welcome to Costco, I love you.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:47 AM on March 8, 2007

Oh, yeah, Interface is a fun book. I liked "High Metabolism World Dominator", and work it in to conversations when I can.
posted by Scoo at 7:53 AM on March 8, 2007

Watch the BBC's indispensable 'The Century of the Self' for some of the history and theoretical ad-brainwashing framework behind the terminology.

Also, if you're impatient, skip to minute 40 or so of Part 3 for the most relevant bit to this discussion. Worth watching it all for the background, though.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 12:26 AM on March 9, 2007