Up next in our Spotlight on States series: Michigan!
Michigan joined the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state. It is located in the Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest and is bordered by Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio. Michigan is also bordered by four of the five Great Lakes and has the longest freshwater coastline in the United States, as well as the second-most water area of any state, behind only Alaska.
Michigan consists of two peninsulas: the Lower Peninsula, which is shaped like a mitten, and the Upper Peninsula, which is separate from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac.
The capital city is Lansing, and the largest city is Detroit. The population of Michigan is 10,077,331 according to the 2020 census, making it the tenth most populous state.
Official Michigan State Symbols
Every state has their own unique symbols, from birds to flowers to songs and more! Here are some of Michigan’s official state symbols:
– Bird: American Robin
– Fish: Brook Trout
– Flower: Apple Blossom
– Fossil: Mastodon
– Game Mammal: White-Tailed Deer
– Reptile: Painted Turtle
– Tree: White Pine
– Stone: Petoskey Stone
Find more information about Michigan’s state symbols here.
Fun Facts about Michigan
Michigan is the only place in the world with a floating post office. The J.W. Westcott II is the only boat in the world that delivers mail to ships while they are still underway. They have been operating for 125 years.
The nation’s first regularly scheduled air passage service began operation between Grand Rapids and Detroit in 1926.
The world’s largest weathervane is located in Montague. It stands forty-eight-feet tall and weighs thirty-five hundred pounds. Its wind arrow is twenty-six-feet long.
The Lake Superior shoreline, if straightened out, could connect Duluth and the Bahama Islands.
Singing sand can be found on the beaches of Grand Haven. The sand particles make a whistling sound as you walk upon them.
More tonnage passes though the historic Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie than the Suez and Panama Canals combined.
Famous people from Michigan include actors Kristen Bell and Selma Blair, comedian David Spade, Eminem, Madonna, and Diana Ross.
NCP Panel Members in Michigan
Want to learn more about your fellow panel members in another state? Here’s how our Michigan panel members answered some of our survey questions!
How long have you been a panel member?
– 33% of survey respondents have been members for 15 or more years.
– 11% have been members for less than a year.
– 91% of respondents have lived in Michigan for more than 15 years.
Is the area you live rural, suburban, or urban?
– 35% live in rural areas
– 55% live in suburban areas
– 9% live in urban areas
Do you have children?
– 70% of respondents have children
– Of those, 21% have children living in their home
Shopping habits of NCP Panel Members in Michigan
Do you think peoples’ shopping habits differ based on where they live? We’re curious about this, so we asked our panel members questions about how, when, and where they shop, along with some other questions about their habits.
Here’s what our panel members in Michigan had to say about their shopping habits:
– 59% of respondents shop both online and in-store, with 37% shopping in-store only.
– 66% of respondents tend to shop at the same stores.
– 74% of respondents mostly stick to their list when shopping, but sometimes make impulse purchases.
– 68% of respondents shop alone, with another 24% shopping with a spouse or partner.
When it comes to choosing where to shop, 53% of panel members shop mostly at grocery stores. Another 35% primarily shop at mass-merchandise retailers. Price, location, and convenience are the top factors that influence where people decide to shop. Other things that influence where panel members shop are the customer rewards program, sales, store quality, and ability to purchase larger quantities.
Convenience while shopping
While ordering groceries and other items online has long been an option, the COVID-19 pandemic made delivery and pick-up a lot more common for people.
Here’s what Michigan panel members had to say about it:
– 69% never order groceries online and pick up at the store, while 21% do sometimes.
– 71% never order groceries online to be delivered, while 20% do sometimes.
We also wondered if the weather influenced a person’s choice between online and in-person shopping. 37% of respondents said weather doesn’t impact their decision, with 36% saying they prefer in-person shopping regardless of the weather.
And finally: self-checkout. Some people love it, others hate it. According to our survey, 25% of respondents always choose self-checkout, with another 41% indicating they frequently choose it. 23% of respondents rarely use it, and 11% never do.
Interests of NCP panel members in Michigan
Here are a few other fun facts about Michigan panel members from our survey!
More than half of respondents engage in outdoor recreational activities regularly or occasionally. The most popular outdoor activities are hiking and walking – it was a favorite for 83% of panel members. A few of the unique answers panel members wrote in include horseback riding, disc golf, rockhounding, and bird watching.
We asked panelists which sports they follow, and 45% said football, while 41% said none. Some of the other sports panelists follow are high school wrestling, shooting, bullriding, and grandchildrens’ sports.
We also wanted to know: what place would you recommend to visitors in your hometown or state? The most popular types of attractions panel members recommend in Michigan are restaurants, culinary places and local markets. Here are some of the answers we got from panel members:
– Mackinac Island
– Great Lakes
– Henry Ford Museum
– Motown Museum
– Sleeping Bear Dunes
– Greenfield Village
Did you learn anything new about Michigan? How do your shopping habits compare to panel members in Michigan? We hope you enjoy learning about panel members in other states. Stay tuned for the next one: Minnesota!
Join NCP!
If you’re not a NCP panel member and you’re interested in joining NCP to share your shopping experiences, earn great rewards, and influence what you see on store shelves, click here or go to the Join NCP section of the blog for more information.
Regards,
Taylor
Blog comment reminder: If you have a panel-related issue that you need assistance with such as a problem with scanning or your rewards, please contact our Panel Support Center directly and they will be happy to assist you! You can reach them at 1-800-962-6700 or email them at [email protected]. You can send a message from NCP’s Facebook page. Please don’t enter panel-related issues or share any personal panel membership information in the blog comment section. Any issues will be addressed faster if you contact our support center directly. Thank you so much!
I was born in Grayling Michigan but now I live in Tennessee. I still love Michigan.
I was born & raised in Michigan, if you ever get a chance to come to Michigan, go to the Upper Penninsula. It is packed full of waterfalls, the Soo Locks, and the best pasties you have ever had.