From personal craving to Grab & Go

A craving for chicken fries sparked an idea at Tyson Foods: What if Walmart shoppers could grab them hot and ready to eat? Using Scintilla to analyze purchasing behavior, customer preferences, and regional demand, Tyson built a data-backed case for bringing branded chicken fries to Walmart's Hot Deli, with the potential to attract new customers without taking sales from existing favorites.

The opportunity: Bringing something new to the Hot Deli

The idea started when a member of Tyson Foods' analytics team was hungry for chicken fries but wanted something ready to eat and started wondering how many Walmart shoppers might want the same convenience.

For Walmart, the idea presented both an opportunity and a challenge. The Hot Deli assortment was predominantly private brand, with limited space for new products. Popcorn chicken was already the category's top seller, and introducing another chicken product could simply shift purchases rather than generate additional sales.

Tyson needed to demonstrate that chicken fries could capitalize on growing demand for convenient snacks, attract incremental customers, and justify introducing a national brand into the assortment.

The approach: Building a business case with Scintilla

Tyson identified an opportunity to bring new, younger shoppers to Walmart's Hot Deli without cannibalizing existing sales. Shopper Behavior revealed strong double-digit growth in frozen chicken fries, with approximately 4 million customers and growth driven primarily by new shoppers. The product also over-indexed among adults ages 18 to 39, aligning with the Hot Deli's target audience.

Cross Shop analysis reinforced the opportunity: Just 9% of customers purchasing frozen chicken fries or popcorn chicken bought both products, suggesting the two appealed to distinct customer groups.

Tyson then used Customer Perception to uncover why the products appealed to different shoppers. While popcorn chicken was associated with meals and adult consumers, chicken fries stood out as a kid-friendly, dippable snack suited to impulse purchases. Parents especially valued the convenience of feeding hungry children while shopping.

Making the case for a national brand

Shopper Behavior was also used to assess the opportunity for a branded launch, finding that 8.2 million Walmart Hot Deli customers (or approximately 65%) already purchased Tyson products. These shoppers skewed younger and made 9% more trips per year, while those under age 40 spent 17% more. The findings reinforced the brand's potential to drive trial and differentiate Walmart's predominantly private-label assortment.

Using Report Builder, Tyson compared frozen chicken fries and popcorn chicken sales velocities across distribution centers to identify markets with strong demand and minimal risk of cannibalization. The analysis yielded a prioritized list of 10 distribution centers that Tyson could then recommend to Walmart for launch.

The results: Turning shopper insights into retail innovation

By combining data from Shopper Behavior, Customer Perception, and Report Builder, Tyson validated demand for branded chicken fries among younger shoppers, identified distinct customer needs, and developed a targeted launch strategy.

Following launch, Tyson will use Scintilla to track customer demographics, incrementality, trial, and repeat purchases, along with post-purchase feedback to evaluate performance and identify opportunities for optimization.