Wal-Mart to study customers with research firm

MENLO PARK, Calif. According to Knowledge Networks, an online panel research company, Wal-Mart is using its services to give manufacturers a better understanding of Wal-Mart's customers. Using the retailer's proprietary Segmentation Lens, Knowledge Networks will conduct custom studies to help manufactures selling to Wal-Mart learn how the retailer's target segments -- brand aspirationals and price value and price sensitive affluent shoppers -- respond to strategies and tactics, and thus the opportunity to target key consumers with greater accuracy.

These groups will become the backbone of Wal-Mart's customer strategy moving forward, according to Knowledge Networks both Wal_Mart and its manufacturer suppliers will grow by looking at every piece of research through the eyes of these key segments. Knowledge Networks has coded its entire online KnowledgePanel according to the Wal-Mart segments, meaning that the segments have already been identified and can be easily studied.