On a weekly research visit to a local Wal-Mart store this past week, a small purchase produced a receipt with an interesting addition -- an opinion survey that could be performed online. Generally, these surveys are a waste from most retailers. A customer is required to fill in all kinds of personal information with the slight chance of winning a free stuffed toy while providing the retailer all kinds of marketing information that should be worth way more than a "chance" at winning something insignificant.But Wal-Mart's was different: a chance to win a $1,000 gift card to one if its stores. Now, I'm quite sure Wal-Mart can be a little more generous that five of these cards for receiving probably millions in customer research value through survey responses, but the concept still resonates with the average Wal-Mart shopper most likely.
I found it interesting that the receipt also printed out these items to be used within the survey: Store number, ID (probably a unique customer number) and a password. The "ID" is what caught my attention. I'm left wondering if Wal-Mart is tracking purchases (down to the nth degree) with what survey results are being tallied. There's some highly valuable data to mine, my friends. After reading the company's privacy policy, I'm left no longer scratching my head.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-12-2008 @ 4:46PM
WHATEVER said...
WHAT HAPPEN TO YOUR TV AD,AMERICAN MADE,AMERICAN JOBS.EVERYTHING MADE IN CHINA AND IT NOT WORTH CARRING HOME,AT WHEN WE FUSS ABOUT BEING MADE IN JAPAN IT WORKED.YOU SOLD OUT THE USA JUST LIKE BUSH
4-30-2008 @ 12:15PM
chuck said...
I have shopped here at the elkins Walmart for years and have always found what i need and nice people to help and now i'm working with this survey ??
10-22-2008 @ 5:12PM
Mistyblue19 said...
i Still love shopping at wallmart was there this afternoon Met people i knew and cashiers that had waited on me before who were very nice Got our perscriptions .,a book to read and diet ice tea and a pizza. Ilove brousing and buying at wallmart it makes my day.
Sincerely Anne Marcozzi
4-07-2009 @ 2:54PM
ycruse said...
thank u so much walmart in stockton,california on hammerlane for doing such a wonderful work by helping me to purchase new but inexpensive tires.like everyone knows these day we need ours $$$ to stretch.before i came to walmart i had went a few other places searching for the best deals on tires and once again walmart was the best.thanks so much mike in the auto dept.who done the work on my car.
4-23-2007 @ 5:41PM
Darby said...
I think you better stay away from this survey,they said the receipt number was already used,I never used it.I also found Walmart selling pet food with wheat gluten,they didn't seem to care.
4-23-2007 @ 8:39PM
Brockage said...
The survey is a great idea and part of Wal-Mart's continuous improvement plan: green stores, med coverage, customer service, new items stocked. I'm glad management is on the ball and seeking feedback to keep up the improvement I see each time I shop Wal-Mart. Brockage
4-24-2007 @ 4:39AM
cliff said...
it isn't uncommon for companies to do surveys like this.
Target does online surveys all the time and the prizes change month to month. the current prize is a 42 in TV set. last month it was a $1000 gift card and $1000 cash.
cliff
5-01-2007 @ 8:51PM
anne marcozzi said...
store#2023:id#8639197:password:3818: i enjoy shopping at wall mart for clothes , books ,things for in the house ,decorations for holidays , sometimes lunch at Subway ,some groceries also the pharmacy, for the most part people are friendly. And i love to browse just to see what i can find.my husband also likes to get his oil changed there
5-31-2007 @ 9:29AM
p j dahl said...
I wanted to take this survey but could nit find it on the site it says to go to. Real nice.
5-31-2007 @ 9:46PM
Patti said...
Home Depot has a similar offer, 5k for survey about your visit (short?} I don't know what's going on with them and wallyworld. More of a reason not to shop there, than be cheated.
7-10-2007 @ 1:26PM
Steve said...
I don't know why online surveys get such bad press. Maybe because of so many sites that try to rip you off by charging you to get the survey site names or getting your email address and selling it. Anyway, I have been making a nice side income taking surveys and I got the information to do it for free at http://www.paid-survey-success.com
If you want to make some extra money you should try it. Surveys are fun and generally quick and the companies listed there are verified.
8-17-2007 @ 10:11PM
mikie sparks said...
the store was full today. And to bad it wasn;t twice the sise it is the people wood love it or even 2 or 4 stores higher as well,like a city inside a city, i;m sure it wood still; be full with no problem!
8-17-2007 @ 10:07PM
mikie sparks said...
it a good store ;make it bigger or up higher.it wood still be full i bet
8-27-2007 @ 9:12PM
fernmartini said...
In the last few months, the store I use has finished remodeling. They have made the isles wider and set the displays in a manner that gives you more room. The selection on clothes for men women and kids has improved as well. The food items are competative with the communitity stores and the selection is exceptional. WalMart is a store that has it all.
9-25-2007 @ 2:00AM
ola Burns said...
always shop at wal-mart buy almost thing from food to clothes all electronic stuff in ecluding computers just every thing, i love it ola
10-06-2007 @ 7:31AM
Sandra said...
I just tried to do the "quick" survey on the Wal-mart register receipt and got sucked into one of those awful chain reaction deal. A billion (+/-) questions later, I gave up and never saw anything aout Wal-mart or a gift card. What a waste of time! I could have finished Madame Bovary by now. Never again.
10-08-2007 @ 4:45PM
William D. Easter SR. said...
Why is the survey at the end of the link , do all the comments get sent to this link, i visit a Wal-Mart on 10-2-07 all went well at that visit