Minnesota was the 32nd state to join the union on May 11, 1858. St. Paul is the state capital and its largest city is Minneapolis. Minnesota is the 12th largest state in the U.S. and is bordered by the states of Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population of Minnesota is 5,737,915 (July 2023 est.); it ranks as the 22nd most populous state.
Official Minnesota State Facts and Symbols
Every state has their own unique symbols, from birds to flowers to songs and more! Here are some of Minnesota’s official state symbols:
Nickname: The North Star State
State Bird: Common Loon
State Flower: Pink and White Lady’s Slipper
State Tree: Norway Pine
State Song: Hail Minnesota
State Motto: “L’Etoile du Nord” (The Star of the North)
Find more information about Minnesota’s state symbols/facts here.
Fun Facts about Minnesota
– Minnesota is known as the The Land of 10,000 Lakes and actually has more than 14,000 named lakes that are 10 acres or larger.
– Art Fry, a scientist at Minnesota’s 3M Corporation, invented Post-It Notes when the developer of a tacky, reusable adhesive, 3M scientist Dr. Spencer Silver, could not come up with an application for his invention.
– Minnesota is the only state that water flows out of and not into due to a unique three-way continental divide located in the northern part of the state near the Canadian border (with the exception of a few border streams that cross into the state and leave again).
– More turkeys are hatched in Minnesota than anywhere else in the country.
– SPAM, the most famous brand produced by Austin, Minnesota-based Hormel Foods, is known around the world. There is even a free SPAM Museum in Austin, MN where you can learn about the history of the product.
– Famous people from Minnesota include Prince, Bob Dylan, Judy Garland, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Schulz, and many more!
NCP Panel Members in Minnesota
Let’s learn about your fellow panel members in Minnesota! Here’s how our Minnesota panel members answered some of our state highlight survey questions.
How long have you been a panel member?
47% of survey respondents have been panel members for 15 years or more
8% have been panel members for less than a year
How long have you lived in your current state?
60% of respondents have lived in Minnesota their entire life/born there
Is the area you live rural, suburban, or urban?
38% live in rural areas
49% live in suburban areas
13% live in urban areas
Do you have children?
70% of respondents have children
Of those, 16% have children living in their home
Shopping Habits of NCP Panel Members in Minnesota
We asked panel members questions about how, when, and where they shop, along with some other questions about their shopping habits. Do you think peoples’ shopping habits differ based on where they live?
Here’s what our panel members in Minnesota had to say about their shopping habits:
When asked how they do most of their shopping, 63% of respondents said they do a combo of online and in-store shopping. 36% said they shop in-store only and 1% said they shop online only.
66% of respondents tend to shop at the same stores vs. 34% who said they shop at a variety of stores.
74% of respondents said they mostly stick to their list when shopping, but sometimes make impulse purchases.
65% of respondents said they shop alone, with another 24% shopping with a spouse or partner.
When it comes to choosing where to shop, 47% of the Minnesota panel members who responded said they primarily shop at mass merchandise retailers and 36% at grocery stores.
Price, convenience, and location are the top factors that influence where they decide to shop. Most of our Minnesota panel members said they shop 2-3 times a week for groceries and do most of their shopping on Tuesdays.
About 86% of survey respondents look for ways to save money while shopping, with digital coupons and joining a store’s loyalty program being the most popular options. They also use paper coupons, use the store sales flyer to plan their list, shop at multiple stores, and subscribe to store emails.
Convenience while shopping:
Here’s what our Minnesota panel members had to say about different aspects of shopping:
67% never order groceries online to pick up at the store, while 23% sometimes do.
69% never order groceries online to be delivered, while 25% sometimes do.
When asked if weather influenced their choice between online and in-person shopping, 33% of respondents said weather doesn’t impact their decision, with 31% saying they prefer in-person shopping regardless of the weather.
When asked about self-checkout, 17% of respondents said they always use self-checkout, 45% indicated they frequently use it. 24% of respondents said they rarely use it, and 14% said they never use it.
Interests of NCP panel members in Minnesota
When asked about the outdoors, 42% said they occasionally participate in outdoor recreational activities. The most popular activities were hiking/walking (85%!), canoeing/kayaking/boating, and swimming. Of the other interests panel members wrote in, the most popular were gardening, camping, and fishing.
When asked which sports or events they follow, the top responses were football, baseball, basketball, and ice hockey.
We also asked what “type” of place or tourist attraction would they recommend to people visiting their state/hometown. The most popular responses were natural parks and reserves, restaurants/culinary places and local markets, outdoor and recreational activities, and cultural events and local festivals.
When asked what “specific” place or tourist attraction they would recommend in their state/hometown, here are some of the top recommendations:
Mall of America
Itasca State Park
Voyageurs National Park
Minnehaha Falls
Minnesota Zoo
Duluth, MN and Lake Superior
Paisley Park (Prince’s Home)
We hope you learned something new about Minnesota! How do your shopping habits compare to panel members in Minnesota?
Stay tuned for the next state spotlight on…Mississippi!
Join NCP!
If you’re not an 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
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