The bond between quant and qual
Leveraging Scintilla to craft a holistic view of the Walmart Craft Shopper
There's what the shopper is saying, and then there's what the shopper is actually doing. With Scintilla, we could see both.
Finding the right adhesive for a craft project isn't always straightforward. With so many options for different materials and uses, Walmart customers needed more guidance to make confident choices.
The Gorilla Glue Company saw an opportunity to make the process easier. Partnering with Walmart, the team used Scintilla to uncover shopper needs and identify ways to improve the in-store experience.
The opportunity: Making the craft aisle work harder
Gorilla Glue had an opportunity to deepen their relationship with Walmart when a new merchant joined the craft department. The team began by sharing their expertise on glue and tape, along with preliminary insights into the craft adhesive shopper.
That initial conversation opened the door to a larger opportunity: helping Walmart create a best-in-class shopping experience for craft customers.
The approach: Combining what shoppers say with what they do
Gorilla Glue used Customer Perception to better understand Walmart craft shoppers and their purchasing decisions.
The team began with video shop-alongs featuring Walmart Customer Spark Community panelists. Participants valued the prices, assortment, and convenience of shopping at Walmart, but they struggled to choose the right adhesives for their projects. Customers wanted clearer signage, consistent labeling, and products organized by use or material—not fewer options.
A follow-up survey of craft adhesive buyers confirmed that project fit mattered twice as much as price. Only 20% of respondents said they defaulted to the lowest-priced product, while 77% were willing to pay more for a product they trusted to deliver the right result. And with just 9% visiting Walmart specifically for adhesives, making selection easier at the shelf was especially important.
Gorilla Glue then used Shopper Behavior to validate these insights against purchasing patterns. The Performance in Detail report identified craft paints and adhesives as key growth drivers, while the Basket report revealed that shoppers frequently bought multiple adhesive types together. The Where Sold report helped uncover regional opportunities across stores and product segments.
Together, the findings pointed to keeping the assortment broad but making it easier for shoppers to find the right product for their projects.
The results: Turning research into a stronger category strategy
By connecting customer feedback with purchasing behavior, Gorilla Glue developed a 360-degree understanding of the craft shopper and identified opportunities to improve both brand messaging and the in-store experience.
The findings reinforced the value of intuitive product groupings, clear signage, and product availability. In fact, 63% of surveyed customers said a well-organized assortment would make them more likely to purchase, while 50% would look elsewhere if their preferred adhesive was out of stock.
The research suggested an opportunity to build on Gorilla Glue’s reputation for strength while emphasizing project-specific performance. Rather than relying solely on the promise of a strong bond, clearer messaging could help shoppers understand which adhesive worked best for wood, fabric, paper, plastic, and other materials.
Armed with these insights, Gorilla Glue presented Walmart with a data-backed modular update recommendation designed to simplify navigation and build purchase confidence.
The research further strengthened the supplier partnership and established a foundation for continued collaboration and future category growth.
