Posted on 03/26/2004 12:07:57 PM PST by kaktuskid
Wal-Mart Figures Out Top Sellers in a Hurricane
LA JOLLA, Calif. (March 25, 2004) - Among its many IT initiatives, Wal-Mart Stores is using historical data to take a proactive position in anticipating stores’ needs in certain unusual circumstances, such as a hurricane, according to Linda Dillman, chief information officer. “We have gathered so much historical data, we’ve decided to anticipate what will happen in a given situation instead of waiting for it to happen, and then reacting,” Dillman explained in a presentation this week at Grocery Manufacturers of America's Information Systems and Logistics/Distribution Conference here. The example she talked about was Hurricane Isabel. “In anticipation of [Hurricane Isabel], we put together a list of items that we knew would sell, and then alerted the affected stores electronically to order the items manually based on prior events.” According to Dillman, the top sellers in a hurricane situation are, in order, bottled water, tarpaulins, spotlights, manual can openers and strawberry Pop-Tarts, followed by Armour Vienna sausage and Spam.
Wait, that's what I usually buy anyway....
I'm not kidding...
If you're into barter, cartons of cigarettes and sealed bottles of liquor are small & fetch premiums after a disaster.
We actually have a collection of "what you need in an emergency" links:
Followed by a shot of whiskey, or a shot to the head. Mmmmmm... Them's good eatin'!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.