Marketing Research - Walmart A Case Study

Research Design & Analysis
“Walmart in Australia – A Case Study”
Submission date: September 21, 2016
Submitted by
Word Count – 4,000 Words
Name
Sakina Chappalwala
Akash Sharma

Walmart in Australia - A Case Study2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. WAL-MART’SMANAGEMENTDECISION PROBLEM AND THE MARKETING RESEARCH PROBLEM
FOR EXPANSION INTO AUSTRALIA  .............................................................................................3
1.1 BRAND ORIGIN....................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 THE DECISION PROBLEM FACED BY MANAGEMENT ..........................................................................3
1.3 THE MARKETING RESEARCH PROBLEM.......................................................................................... 4
1.3.1 The Broad statement of the Market Research Problem................................................... 4
1.3.2 The Specific Componentsof the Market Research Problem.............................................. 4
2. IDEAL TYPE OF RESEARCH DESIGN.............................................................................................5
2.1 EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN................................................................................................ 5
3. RATIONALE FOR VARIABLES TO BE INVESTIGATED.....................................................................7
3.1 COMPETITION RESEARCH...........................................................................................................7
3.2 SEGMENTATION RESEARCH........................................................................................................7
3.2.1 Demographically Segmented Market............................................................................. 8
3.2.2 Behaviorally Segmented Market.................................................................................... 9
3.3 INSIGHTS ON EXISTING BRAND IMAGE........................................................................................... 9
3.4 KEY BRAND COMMUNICATION ELEMENTS.................................................................................... 10
3.5 DISTRIBUTION RESEARCH......................................................................................................... 10
4. ROLE OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH AND ITS TECHNIQUES ......................................................... 11
4.1 KEY BENEFITS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDING THE MANAGEMENT PROBLEM................... 11
4.2 IDEAL QUALITATIVE RESEARCH TECHNIQUE .................................................................................. 11
4.2.1 Focus GroupsMethod................................................................................................. 12
4.2.3 Social Media Monitoring............................................................................................. 12
5. RECOMMENDED SURVEY METHOD ......................................................................................... 13
5.1 ELECTRONIC SURVEY METHODS ................................................................................................ 14
5.1.1 Email Surveys............................................................................................................. 14
5.1.2 Internet surveys using social media.............................................................................. 14
7. SUGGESTED SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE................................................................................ 15
8. SAMPLING PLAN FOR ADMINISTERING THE SURVEY ........................................................... 19
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................... 22
APPENDIX:................................................................................................................................. 26

1. WAL-MART’S MANAGEMENT DECISION PROBLEM AND
THE MARKETING RESEARCH PROBLEM FOR EXPANSION
INTO AUSTRALIA  
1.1 BRAND ORIGIN
Wal-Mart is an American Multinational Retail Chain that started as a single discount store,
selling the idea of more at everyday low prices and has now grown into the world’s largest
retail giant. With nearly 11,500 stores across 28 countries, it has become a known name in
households across the world (Wal-Mart Store, Inc 2016). Walmart’s entry into the Australian
market has been long due, however there are some considerations that need to be addressed
with a thorough marketing research.
1.2 THE DECISION PROBLEM FACED BY MANAGEMENT
As stated in Malhotra (2013), Marketing research implies the identification of the
management decision problems raised by the decision makers, market experts, secondary
data analysis and an in-depth qualitative research. The problem will then need to be solved by
identification of relevant qualitative and quantitative data and its analysis.
When entering Australia, the biggest challenge faced by Walmart’s management is that of
identifying a strategy to survive in the world’s most concentrated supermarket industry where
the duopoly of Coles and Woolworths threatens the entire retail industry (Chung 2015). In
addition to focus on achieving ‘everyday low prices’ from its new Australian suppliers,
Walmart will need to thoroughly research the market potential and market share statistics in
order to compete with these two dominating companies (as seen in Figure 1, p.4). The duo
commands unprecedented power in Australia, the kind that Walmart has in USA which will
not be operationally viable if not dealt with strategic efficiency.
The other major concern revolves around Walmart’s existing brand in Australia which is
dampened by the accusations of underpaying employees, unfair customer management,
exploitation of suppliers in developing countries as also predatory competitive strategies that
are causing bankruptcy for most small-scale competitors (Morillo, Mcnally & Block 2015).
The management’s positive attitude towards this research is imperative for a successful
resolution of the identified problem.

1.3 THE MARKETING RESEARCH PROBLEM
Walmart began building Supercentres in 1988 in The US and grew to understand the market
needs and demands gradually over a period of 50 years (Walmart Store, Inc 2016). On the
other hand, Australian home brands like Coles and Woolworths founded in 1914 and 1924
respectively have a much deeper understanding of the Australian customers and are almost
100years ahead of Walmart in their market research. Adopting an analytical research model
with verbal and graphic elements is the recommended research approach.
1.3.1 THE BROAD STATEMENT OF THE MARKET RESEARCH PROBLEM
The marketing research aims at obtaining information required to combat the competitive
strategies deployed in the market and how this information can be sourced from secondary data
as part of the preliminary research.
1.3.2 THE SPECIFIC COMPONENTS OF THE MARKET RESEARCH PROBLEM
The procurement of objective evidence required by the management at Walmart needs to be
relevant, accurate, reliable and timely based on Malhotra’s Market research classification seen
in figure 1 includes:
1. Competition Research about existing market share and consumer perceptions
2. Segmentation research in identifying the different potential segments for example – segments
such as groups preferring locally sourced fresh produce, bakery, deli and dairy products as
opposed to the apparel and electronic divisions which can be sourced internationally
3. Information studied from a cause-effect perspective to gain qualitative insights on existing
Brand image
4. Brand Communication Elements that attract end consumers
5. Distribution Research to achieve lowest possible prices

2. IDEAL TYPE OF RESEARCH DESIGN
In order to identify the most apt research design, construction of a marketing research design
for developing an approach to the problem is important. This acts as a roadmap for conducting
this marketing research project. Figure 2.1 illustrates the two basic research design options
Malhotra (2013) gives us – Exploratory Research Design and Conclusive Research Design
2.1 EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN
Where conclusive research would help Walmart understand the depth of the market
competition it faces in Australia, the exploratory research design will be a more meaningful
type of research owing to its flexibility and adaptability benefits. With the information needs
loosely defined, exploratory research will allow the management to understand the reason for
the nuances in the market as well as the points-of-difference banked by the competitors.
As seen earlier, the problem of fierce competition identified is heavily researched and
evidenced by industry experts like Roy Morgan, Business Insider and others of their like. As
observed in figure 2.2, the duopoly of Coles and Woolworths commands a total of
approximately 70% market share as of December 2015, with the German Aldi and Australian
IGA standing at a distant 3rd and 4th spot. In a market as tightly held as this, Walmart will need
to reinvent itself on various front.

Australia’s Supermarket’s Share of Market 2007 - 2015
Figure 2.2 – Australia Supermarket’s Share of Market 2007 – 2015 Source Roy Morgan 2016
The exploratory research should be followed by a conclusive research to assist the decision
makers in evaluating the proposed research findings and implementing the most suited
recommendation. It provides a cost effective platform for analyzing secondary data and
preparing the foundations for qualitative primary research. Sizing up the market and its
potential at the time of implementing an expansionist move to avoid any failures should be the
primary objective of the research design. Surveys of online focus groups and examination of
social media content are some of the recommended methods under exploratory research. This
is aimed at formulating a well-defined management problem, develop hypothesis to prepare
for any alternative courses of action, identification of variables that could help generate
meaningful insights into the problem and make room for further research.
The marketing research approach best suited for Walmart at this initial stage should comprise
of external suppliers of information including – limited service suppliers that provide access to
field services, focus groups, qualitative services and other analytical services (Eg. Published
Material, Computer databases etc.) as also full service suppliers such as internet and social
media platforms. Syndicated Service suppliers such as the Australian Market & Social
Research Society, Roy Morgan Research, Australia and The Nielson Co, UK are to be utilized
for gathering meaningful information.

3. RATIONALE FOR VARIABLES TO BE INVESTIGATED
Looking at some figures it was found that Walmart grossed US $482 billion in 2015 (Justin, G
2015). That is, if Walmart was a country, it would have the world’s 28th largest GDP (Snyder
2015). However, the retail giant has also been battling issues around it’s vindicated unethical
practices from 2003 resulting in 56% of Americans voting on Zogby for the notion “Walmart
is bad for America” (Morillo, Mcnally and Block 2015). At the same time, home brands Coles
and Woolworths are not new to such flak (Sydney Morning Herald 2016).
3.1 COMPETITION RESEARCH
As seen previously in figure 2.2, Coles and Woolworths are Walmart’s biggest competitors
commanding 70% of the Australian Supermarket’s market share. Interestingly, of the four
major supermarkets – Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and IGA (in the order of market share), IGA
has the most loyal customers according to a Roy Morgan press release (2016). Beaton-Wells
(2015) notes how Woolworths was falling behind Coles in 2015 but it has now been reversed.
Also, Aldi’s share of business is growing overtime capturing some of that from the duopoly
whereas brands like IGA enjoy the benefit of proximity and have been able to only scratch the
surface so far.
In her article, Phillipov (2015) acknowledges the significant public criticism faced by both
Coles and Woolworths from farmers, politicians as well as media. The latest findings from Roy
Morgan Research (2016) show that a whopping 77% of the Australian consumers visit at least
two different supermarkets in an average four weeks. It emphasizes on how supermarket
loyalty is close to inexistent in this part of the world. This presents an objective case for
Walmart Supercentres’ expansion into Australia. The variables Walmart will need to look into
closely therefore include:
3.2 SEGMENTATION RESEARCH
In their article, Panday and Pathak (2013) identify a supermarket’s desire for stability in its
segment’s structure. This is particularly difficult to achieve given the heterogeneous needs and
changing customer preferences over a period of time. In order to identify key potential
segments for Walmart, the market research should divide the market in two main variables:

3.2.1 DEMOGRAPHICALLY SEGMENTED MARKET
The inherent competitive advantage established by Walmart is that of being a one-stop shop
for buyers ranging from young adults to senior citizens (Walmart Stores, Inc 2016). This
qualitative research should look at a smaller but more focused group of data providers that
assist in generation of rich descriptions to the assessed problem (Connelly 2013). When
conducting geo-demographic coding with the sample audience segmented demographically,
according to Smith (2013, p. 76) the target segments to be investigated should include-
 Age Group: 18 – 35 years
 Gender: Primarily Women
 High literacy rate: 99% in youth aged from 15-24 years and 96% adult literacy rate
(UNESCO 2016),
 Economic Status:
Comprising of mainly
students and young families
who would prefer everyday
low prices. The average
weekly earnings of
$1,141/household (RBA
2016)
 Ethnic Backgrounds:
Australians are familiar with
English but come from a
highly diverse number of
backgrounds
Figure 3.1 – Australian Economy Snapshot Source: RBA 2016

3.2.2 BEHAVIORALLY SEGMENTED MARKET
When segmenting the market behaviorally, it is important to understand the trends existing in
the market and the future change possibilities (Chekwa, Martin and Wells 2014). The target
segments to be investigated include:
1. Attitudinal Data – For. E.g.: segments such as those preferring locally sourced products
2. Media Consumption insights – For. E.g.: Smartphone Savvy Consumer Segments: More
than 60% of Australians use internet on their smartphones more than once a day
3. Customer convenience preference of Supercenters (Walmart) over Supermarkets (Coles
and Kmart)
4. Shift in demand towards online retailing with substantial access to computers and internet
5. Impact of loyalty programs like Coles’ Flybuys and Woolworths’ Rewards Card
The change in consumer communication preference over a period of time has inclined towards
social media platforms which will form the foundations of this research (Patino, Pitta,
Quinones 2012). A close look at the online focus group’s user pages on these platforms will
allow the exploratory research to delve closely into the components of the research identified
previously.
3.3 INSIGHTS ON EXISTING BRAND IMAGE
Even though Walmart is easily the World’s largest retail chain, it is definitely not the world’s
most appealing organization (Snyder 2015). From 2003 Wal-Mart has been in bad light with
setbacks including voters blocking various planned supercenter launches, class-action gender
discrimination suits, and exploitation of employees on count of lower than admissible wages
and so on (Lake research partners 2005). This can prove detrimental for Walmart’s survival
when launched in Australia posing questions about what is the existing brand equity of the
brand in this market. This therefore is a major variable that needs investigation.
Walmart’s supercentre will need to identify key elements that reflect its unwavering
commitment bring value to all its stakeholders.

3.4 KEY BRAND COMMUNICATION ELEMENTS
As seen in figure 3.2, the key brand characteristics to be investigated will include both
tangible and intangible attributes (Duncan 2005 as cited in Keller 2013)
Despite the various controversies that surrounded Walmart, Kirklin (2006, p.2) claims that the
company is not all evil and these accusations are a birth child of the sheer size of the
organization (as cited in Morillo, Mcnally and Block 2015). With 269 Walmart stores closing
down in the biggest-ever mass closing, the retail giant is already seen making room for it digital
operation expansion (Genslar 2016). This will help in improving and establishing a progressive
and market leader brand image in the Australian Market.
Innovative location-based marketing allows the marketers to reach the buyers right where they
are. A further research into consumer brand perceptions, brand management techniques,
adoption of digital advertising campaigns and even brand endorsement prospects is essential
(Phillipov 2016).
3.5 DISTRIBUTION RESEARCH
Assessing alternate supply option is another important variable in this exploratory research.
With almost 70% of Walmart’s products sourced from China, a lot of American and European
suppliers closed down (Chan 2011). This was to achieve lowest possible prices for its
consumers. However, when it comes to fresh produce and grocery items, Walmart will need to
source locally. The research needs to identify the most suitable farmers and suppliers especially
given the recent controversy faced by Coles on ethical sourcing.

4. ROLE OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH AND ITS TECHNIQUES
With the identification of exploratory research design, the intent of this report is to initiate geo-
demographic coding that will combine both internal secondary data sources (i.e. Walmart’s
customer databases, data warehousing and mining, CRM and Database marketing) and external
secondary data sources (i.e. Syndicated Data, Business Data, Government Data and Social
Media sources) identified by Malhotra (2013). Syndicated sources of secondary data are free
of bias to a large extent when compared to primary data (Bãlãšescu 2014) making the
qualitative research effective as the conclusion may differ from what was expected when the
research started.
4.1 KEY BENEFITS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDING
THE MANAGEMENT PROBLEM
1. Requires a comparatively smaller sample size than quantitative research and is
relatively cost efficient (Alvesson 2003)
2. The three key features of qualitative research that set it apart as identified by
Branthwaite and Patterson (2011) are:
i. A conversation – An Impersonal dialogue
ii. Active listening – Assessment of any reluctance or suppressed emotions
iii. An Interactive Rapport – Deeper insights once comfort-level is achieved
3. Assists in revealing the differences between the foreign and the domestic market
4. Makes headway for in-depth conclusive research which is quantitative in nature
5. Feelings and emotions that could be used further in advertising research (Silverman
2011)
4.2 IDEAL QUALITATIVE RESEARCH TECHNIQUE
The recommended qualitative research procedures curated in Malhotra (2013) are seen in
figure 4.1. Walmart must identify qualitative research methods that adopt a direct approach,
wherein the participants are aware of the purpose of the research (Alvesson 2003).
An appropriate deployment of the direct qualitative research methods of Focus group
interviews is more likely to provide insights regarding market share, market competition and
consumer preference for Walmart. Incorporation of social media monitoring would further

facilitate recognition of consumers’ buying behaviour and their openness to welcome the
American Walmart culture into Australia (Frost national bank 2010).
4.2.1 FOCUS GROUPS METHOD
The dynamic emergence of online focus groups method poses a better suited method due to its
ease in recruiting interviewees, building rapport, monitoring and track-keeping. It is touted to
provide an understanding of a sample of individuals who are the major buyers of products and
services from the Australian super market heavy weights (Coles and Woolworths). Such focus
groups also help interpret previously obtained quantitative results as their responses are not
restricted by physical intimacy of the interviewer. (Alvesson 2013).
4.2.3 SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING
Use of platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter is increasingly
adopted by the Marketing research fraternity primarily because of their intuitive insights into
changing trends (Malhotra 2013 as cited by Robertson 2014). Social media monitoring with
sentiment analysis would closely assist in reflecting Walmart’s existing brand image as well as
that of its competitors. Based on the source of content, the social media posts can be coded as
positive, negative or neutral in order to collate responses from various sources regarding similar
research questions (Poynter 2011, p. 23).

5. RECOMMENDED SURVEY METHOD
Surveys are one of the most effective ways of collecting descriptive quantitative data. As seen
in figure 2.1, this research method falls under the conclusive research category and can help
Walmart’s management in assessing the problem and evaluating the due course of action with
evidence. Surveys are one of the most efficient sources for collecting descriptive data that can
help define the customer personality, behaviour, needs and expectations (Connelly 2013). The
insights from qualitative research are used in formulation of questions for such surveys.
Surveys are therefore conducted to find out who the consumers are, how they behave and why
they behave in certain ways. Malhotra (2013) identifies some effective Survey Methods seen
below in figure 5.1-
Figure 5.1 – A Classification of Survey Methods Source: Malhotra 2013, Fig 7.4, p. 187
The criteria for selecting a survey method as listed by Malhotra (2013), when applied to
Walmart’s case, suggests that electronic survey methods of E-mail surveys and Internet
Surveys would be the speediest, most cost efficient and free of interviewer bias. Tailoring the
market research methods deployed to understand the scale of market potential and consumer

preference, in order to investigate the key brand communication characteristics, should be
strongly considered by Walmart’s management (Segal and Giacobbe 1994). Sensis (2016)
demonstrated comprehensively that the internet usage in Australia was on the rise.
5.1 ELECTRONIC SURVEY METHODS
Coles and Woolworths have stores all over Australia and in order to connect with their
customer base a large scale survey would need to be done. Electronic surveys are one of the
best methods to reach such a large audience. It is especially essential for Walmart as it is trying
to conduct a pre-market quantitative research with social desirability being the issue and not
sample control. It will aid Walmart in understanding the expectation and preference of
consumers better.
5.1.1 EMAIL SURVEYS
Email surveys would aid the company in gathering information regarding price, product and
purchase patterns directly from consumers. The reminder or follow up process would also
become simple with the involvement of electronic devices thereby reducing field work and
interviewer bias (Malhotra 2013). These processes should be carried out in a manner that
involves hard-to-reach audience.
5.1.2 INTERNET SURVEYS USING SOCIAL MEDIA
The study of independent variables and hard facts provide the basis of reliability and validity
in any research project (Sapp 2006). Australia had been consistently listed at or near the top
of social media usage rankings. According to a survey conducted by Deloitte, 80% of
Australian survey respondents used social media in 2015, up from 65% in 2012 (Deloitte 2015).
Furthermore, Sensis 2016 reported 87% of Australians access the internet daily. Therefore, the
positive figures regarding internet accessibility and increasing dependence on social media
point out towards the fact that internet surveys using social media platforms would be a viable
medium to gather information on consumer behaviour and preferences.

6. SUGGESTED SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
Personal Information :
Name:
Age: ( ) <18 years ( ) 18-25 years ( ) 25-40 years ( ) 40-65 years ( ) >65 years
Gender: ( ) Male ( )Female
Contact Number:
Address:
Questionnaire:
1. I visit the supermarket at least-
Once a
week
More than
once a week
Once in two
weeks
Once a
month
2. How far do you travel to your primary grocery store?
Under 2
Kilometers 2 to 10 Kilometers
More than 10
Kilometers
3. My typical weekly budget for grocery and home shopping falls in the range of:
$ 0 - 50 $50 -100 $100 - 150 $150 - 200
4. Based on the below mentioned elements, please indicate how important are they to you

5. How likely are you to visit a supermarket because of specials or promotions being
advertised, 1 being not likely at all and 7 being extremely likely?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Not at all likely Extremely likely
6. Below are a number of statements regarding attitudes to shopping. Please read these
statements and indicate your extent of importance associated with each of them
7. The supercentre’s community engagement is an important factor in selecting my
preferred shopping spot
8. How would you rank the following retailers in terms of your personal brand preference?
9. How satisfied are you with the prices of the products you shop from the retailers you
ranked No. 1 in question 8?

10. How would you rate the retailer you ranked No. 1 in question 8 on the following
elements of the store’s ambience?
11. Choose your preferred shopping platform for the listed categories?
12. How likely are you to prefer a supercentre (Everything from groceries, apparels,
electronics to furniture under one roof) over supermarkets (Different stores for
groceries, apparels, electronics, furniture etc.?
13. Have you heard of Walmart Supercentres?
Yes No

14. If you answered ‘Yes’ for question 10, how would you feel about Walmart’s
introduction in Australia? Please click on the option
15. How likely are you to try Walmart Pay, a new mobile payment platform like Apple Pay?

7. SAMPLING PLAN FOR ADMINISTERING THE SURVEY
Sampling innovations have changed the way statisticians thought about capturing data from
large populations (Brick 2011). Sampling is the observation of some part of a population to
get an estimation of the whole population pertaining to the findings relating to the identified
management decision problem (Thompson, 2012). Theoretically, there are two types of
sampling techniques:
 Probability sampling
 Non probability sampling
The 20th century witnessed a dramatic shift to probability sampling replacing the full
enumeration of non-probability sampling. In more recent times, online sampling has become
easier to target a more select sample with increasing number of people responding to them.,
thereby giving us the third sampling technique:
 Internet Sampling via Social Media
The Sampling Design Process laid down by Malhotra & Birks (2007):
Figure 7.1 The Sampling DesignProcess Source: Malhotra and Birks (2007)

Designing a sampling process for Walmart’s international marketing research is a challenging
task as the sample is quite large. Hence, the sampling should be done in a way that the potential
sample is chosen randomly from the curated target segments.
7.1 TARGET POPULATION
 Age Group: 18 – 35 years
 Gender: Primarily Women
 Economic Status: Comprising of mainly students and young families who would
prefer everyday low prices (EDPL).
7.2 SAMPLING FRAME
It is the representation of the elements needed for the target population. The sample frame is to
be obtained from the available syndicated sources as there is not much data available on official
government websites. This will require provision of a detailed description of the desired retail
shopper Walmart wishes to target and any known buying habits that are preferred by the retail
giant.
7.3 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
Sampling is an essential step of the process of a typical marketing research. Based on the nature
of the identified population and the data that is being collected through sampling of the
population, there are several ways for drawing a sample. Some of the sampling techniques are
listed below:
Figure 5.2 Sampling Techniques Source: Malhotra and Birks (2007)

Probability sampling on the other hand is the method in which probabilistic chance of
selection of each element of the population is fixed and enjoys the benefits of higher accuracy,
projectable results and stratification (Malhotra 2013). In favor of Internet sampling, Market
Research Association’s Research Industry Index (2014) reports that more than 50% of primary
research is now done online.
Thus, the two prominent techniques identified for Walmart’s market research needs include:
Stratified sampling - The population is divided into various strata and then elements are
randomly selected from each stratum. This will balance the precision and sampling costs need
for Walmart (Stratified Sampling 2008).
Internet Sampling via Social Media- With the surveys at the tap of their fingers, online
surveys have been on a rise. With more than 79% of Australians under 55 years of age, owning
smartphones (Deloitte 2015, seen in figure 2 – Appendix A), online sampling will help
drastically in engaging internet users in more rewarding online surveys resulting in quality
samples. The use of survey routers proposes in-the-moment invitation of internet surfers to
surveys via online banners, interstitials(pop-ups) and google ad words and more on social
media platforms (Brigham, Fallig and Miller 2014).
SAMPLING SIZE
Sampling size will be based on the qualitative and quantitative research that has been done to
make sure that all the elements are included in the study. Methods, like Neyman allocation
should be used to select the ideal sample size of the strata (Cingi 1994).
SAMPLE EXECUTION
All the details in sample design should be implemented carefully so that there is no chance of
error. Linking every stage of the Sampling plan to the management and research problem
would serve to provide a more meaningly understanding of the perspective for generation of
models, research questions as well as analysis (Silverman 2011)

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APPENDIX:
Smartphone Ownership in Australia 2015 (Under 55 years of Age)
Figure 2 – Ownership of Smartphones by Australians under 55 years of age Source: Deloitte 2015

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