BENTONVILLE (KFSM) — It was marine antifreeze in Alaska, and protein powder in California. Flannel shirts were tops in Wyoming and Green Bay Packer bath mats in Wisconsin. In Alabama it was crayons, and in Arkansas, the top selling online product on Walmart.com during 2017 was chocolate.
The list from Bentonville-based Wal-Mart Stores reveals the top-selling items by state last year and the varied items illustrate how diverse consumers are by geographic region.
The retail giant said shoppers in Nevada and New Mexico took top prize for their spend on dogs and cats. The top selling item in Nevada was dog treats and in New Mexico, cat food was the No. 1 selling item online.
Shoppers in several states ordered more toys than anything else from Walmart.com last year. The My Little Pony Mini Collection was the No. 1 seller in Idaho, with the LOL Surprise Dolls the favorite in Arizona.
The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stage Chair was the lead seller in Georgia and online shoppers in Hawaii favored the Barbie Farmer Doll. In Tennessee, the Disney Infinity Power Discs were the best selling online item.
The retailer said school supplies took the top-selling prize of the year in three states: Crayons in Alabama, glue sticks in Maryland and erasers in Illinois.
States with a sweet tooth include Arkansas, as well as Washington where vanilla frosting was the top selling product.
Folks in Colorado bought more M&M’s Peanut Chocolate Candy, and in Maine consumers favored brownie mix. In North Dakota shoppers bought more watermelon flavored gum than anything else.
There were five states where shoppers bought more beverages than anything else. Floridians bought sparkling cider, while folks in Louisiana purchased more root beer extract.
Shoppers in Indiana bought instant coffee and consumers in South Dakota favored orange juice while grape flavored drink was the big seller in Ohio.
Food is a big part of what Walmart sells as the nation’s largest grocer so it should come as no surprise food and consumable items were top-selling products in several states. While the weather is cold much of the year in Minnesota, consumers bought more Flaming Hot Cheetos last year than any other product.
Oklahoma shoppers bought more barbecue sauce than anything else, an interesting finding because Texas, North Carolina, Memphis, Tenn., and Kansas City., Mo. are known as some of the top U.S. barbecue destinations.
Shoppers in Washington D.C. purchased more Great Value French Fried Onions and shoppers in North Carolina like mayonnaise as it was the top selling product last year in that state. New Yorkers like Cheerios because that was the top-selling item in the Empire State.
Non-consumables were the top-selling items in three states.
Michigan consumers purchased more lavender scented cleaning products while shoppers in South Dakota chose to buy more pressed makeup powder online, the only state where cosmetics were the top selling item.
Walmart shoppers in New Hampshire favored fresh breath and white smiles because they bought more cinnamon-flavored toothpaste than anything else.
Walmart.com releases this list annually because it illustrates how diverse the retailer’s online offerings have become the past 18 months. The retailer now says it offers more than 70 million items online, up from just 7 million in 2015.
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