Study: Where do our nav systems take us most? Walmart
Groan. Remember the $350,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom parked in front of a Walmart? Apparently it's not an isolated case. That's right, according to a new survey by TeleNav, most Americans use their navigation systems to find the Arkansas-based mega-store full of cheap stuff that Sam built. The great burning irony, of course, is that most cars with navigation systems are "luxury" products. Though of course that's changing, as navigation systems are making their way into lower strata vehicles and portable units and smart phones offer full GPS at much lower prices.
After Walmart, us Americans are searching for Starbucks, Target, Best Buy and Bank of America, respectively. Full disclosure time. Have we ever used a nav system to find a Walmart? Yeah, once, but we were in Louisiana and in need of spray paint (don't ask). We'll sleep okay tonight. We do, however, wonder how many two-gallon pickle jars would fit inside an Audi Q7.
[Source: AOL Autos]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
mikebell83 2:34PM (3/11/2010)
Believe it or not, I have used the navigation system on a Phantom to find a Wal-Mart.
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dea911 11:43AM (4/03/2010)
I don't believe it. No sarcasim. I'm serious, I don't believe you.
James Sonne 2:46PM (3/11/2010)
I have no reason to doubt, but it's curious to me the picture of the Phantom above. Could it be a Chrysler 300 with the Phantom front end modification? I'm not sure if there are more Phantoms going to Walmarts or Chrysler 300's with the Phantom front end modification going to Walmarts. Either way, oh well. There's not like a "rich person" toiletries and necessities stores or anything. And actually, it's surprising how easy it is to get a lease on one of these cars. As long as you have a mortgage that's not upside down and have a combined 6 figure income (which is average for married couples without kids), you can pretty much get a Bentley no problem.
Luis 2:52PM (3/11/2010)
"There's not like a "rich person" toiletries and necessities stores or anything."
You're kidding me right? Ever hear of chains like L'Occitane? Or countless non-chain beauty-supply boutiques where people buy $50 shampoos or shaving cream and $200 badger hair shaving brushes?
Jonathan 5:15PM (3/11/2010)
Everyone knows about those stores, but you have to remember, only Walmart and Target (and grocery stores, etc) sell TOILET PAPER! They don't have some soapy "rich" L'Occitane en Provence poo wipes. lol nice thought though
roadkillrob 7:19PM (3/11/2010)
The richest people I know are some of the cheapest, I believe you!
tekdemon 8:29PM (3/11/2010)
I don't know where this idea of rich people not shopping at Walmart comes from. Rich people might shop at high end stores for some stuff but it's not like they go to some fancy store to buy their basic goods. I mean if you want some Cheerios for breakfast and Charmin to wipe your butt with it's not like you're going to demand that your driver take you to Park Avenue to fetch those things, lol.
Presumably someone well off won't be buying their nice outfits from the Walmart, but stuff like soda pop and toilet paper is cheaper at Walmart, and anybody who wants to stay rich is pretty likely to not want to pay 3x as much for crap when they don't have to.
I suppose the only real reason to stay away is if you're a celebrity and you don't want to be recognized but it seems like even then some well off people will venture off to Walmart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLs15RRf9d8
http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=11035 (ok he might be broke by now)
I can't find the videos now but there's definitely a lot more people who have enough money to shop elsewhere who go to Walmart. I know plenty of people who come from pretty well-off families and I've never met anybody who didn't seem like a spoiled and wasteful idiot (who couldn't make a penny on their own) that had any problems with shopping at Walmart or Target or wherever. Now if you don't want to shop there because of a disagreement with Walmart's way of doing business that's another matter, but to not shop there just because you have lots of 0's in the bank is idiotic.
montoym 2:38PM (3/11/2010)
I can vouch for this. I currently travel a lot for my job and I'm in different cities and states often, many of which I'm unfamiliar with.
Often, one of the first things I look for once I get settled in is a Wal-Mart or Target so that I know where to find necessities.
But, this all makes sense too. Wal-Mart is a common thread across this country, only makes sense that it's also one of the most searched destiniations.
You can be sure that I'll be looking for a Wal-Mart again this weekend when I find myself back in Louisiana in another city I've never been to.
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Throwback 2:54PM (3/11/2010)
I can see you using a nav for this. But I think most people know where there at least 2 walmarts.
montoym 3:09PM (3/11/2010)
Yeah, I am a special case I guess. But, a lot of people still travel and will still want to know where to find stores.
It just so happens that Wal-Mart is a pretty good do-it-all store. I can generally walk in there and get everything I need without having to make multiple stops. So it's usually one of the first stops I make. Many times though I don't even need the GPS since I'll pass at least one Wal-Mart on the way from the airport to the hotel.
Polly Prissy Pants 3:41PM (3/11/2010)
I'm with you. Any time you're travelling, be it a camping trip in the middle of nowhere to an executive business trip in some far off city, if you need something fast, cheap and disposable Walmart is the answer.
BoxerFanatic 2:39PM (3/11/2010)
Should I, or someone be asking... how exactly are these statistics obtained?
Do NAV systems report their requests to some over-arching entity?
Receiving GPS coordinates and extrapolating routes to other GPS coordinates that are pre-programmed, is not inherently reliant upon sending out data as to what those coordinates are.
Cell phone nav that uses internet service to query current information might generate web traffic statistics, but I thought most NAV systems in cars weren't necessarily real-time connected...
I don't have NAV. Never needed it. I use mapquest or google maps occaisionally, to familiarize myself with unfamiliar locations by aerial perspective...
But I am not sure that I would really want a NAV system that reports my activities to someone else, without knowing when, why, and how.
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Brian05SEL 2:53PM (3/11/2010)
Drop the tinfoil hat. The source for this study was cell-phone sat-nav data only- it's in the original article. In-car GPS has no relevance to this story.
imoore 3:05PM (3/11/2010)
I'm with Boxer. I have no need for Navigation systems. All I need are a road map and a clear set of directions, and I'm already there.
AntBee 3:12PM (3/11/2010)
I hear ya! I would never ever have a navigation system in my car. If I ever get to the point where I can avoid a car that comes with it as standard equipment, I would have it taken out or deactivated. I know how to read a map, in fact, I like maps. Plus, I am really good at following directions from, you know, a real person.
Remember the movie, Enemy of the State? Yeah, that's how your data is tracked and collected, via those satellites.
BoxerFanatic 3:21PM (3/11/2010)
@Brian05SEL
If it is cell phone data only, then it is likely irrelevant, by excluding other forms of navigation systems, and the headline should reflect that.
Oh, and then the article belongs on Engadget as a cellular industry statistic, or something... this is a car blog, if this has no relevance to automotive installed navigation systems, then it isn't particularly germane.
And BTW... You'll notice that I don't say that cell systems, nor in-car Nav systems shouldn't be built, shouldn't be offered, or should be banned, only that if they track data, I would want to be made aware of that fact, and make my purchasing decisions accordingly.
I just said I don't feel the need for planned obsolescence, and lazy mental navigational and situational acuity by having a device dictate directions to me. Thankyaverramuch.
kumar 4:04PM (3/11/2010)
Boxer, it looks like cell phone search data only (I actually read articles on occasion).
I have telenav on my Tmobile phone, but went for something else instead of paying for monthly service.
They get requests for searches through cell phones. So it's more believable that, of the users that pay for monthly gps searches that are tied to your provider ( I think Sprint uses them too for their paid nav app), then Walmart would be up there.
Perhaps it would be useful as well to group type of destination...like 'nearest gas station'.
My standalone program from CoPilot doesn't know where I've been unless I approve sharing that info (doing so helps with route generation I imagine, and for coming up with goofy trends).
Polly Prissy Pants 9:56PM (3/11/2010)
"I hear ya! I would never ever have a navigation system in my car."
You guys assume the only purpose of a nav system is to tell you what road to take when you're on your way to someplace you already know you're going. It's not. The best thing about a nav is the POI. It's awesome when you're out somewhere and needing to spontaneously find a Home Depot, or an auto parts store, or the nearest DQ (or Walmart) and your nav system will tell you where one is. A map can't do that.
I used to say I had no use for nav in my car until I had nav in my car. Now I consider it a pretty critical accessory.
doc b 2:39PM (3/11/2010)
I admit I've also GPS'd Walmart a time or two.
I once considered a nearby wal-mart a sign of a hick town.
I now consider lack of a wal-mart a sign of a hick town.
What's happened to me.
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montoym 3:11PM (3/11/2010)
I'm with you. I find myself saying, "Man, that town doesn't even have a Wal-Mart" a lot now.
That's usually the sign of a town I'm not going to have too much fun in.