Boxers or Briefs? Ask Wal-Mart

Many a management school professor has spent time studying Wal-Mart (we've even gotten into the act here on BNET.) But Wal-Mart has spent even more time studying the American consumer. The 280 million of us who shop there each year reveal through our purchases a treasure trove of information on our preferences and habits, as well as our regional quirks and peculiarities. Today ABC News has dug into this data to produce an insightful, sometimes hilarious, portrait of America. The revelations include:

1. Odds are if you woke up in the Northeast this morning, you toasted a bagel. If you're in Austin, Texas, you opted for a doughnut.
2. As the work day grows longer, Americans' time to prepare their meals is all but gone. Wal-Mart says frozen pizza sales have increased 12 times in the past 10 years.
3. The number one selling item in the entire store? Bananas. Enough are sold every year to encircle the earth 16 times.
4. Ohio buys the most TVs, maybe because the Buckeye State is a sports lover's paradise -- it's home to eight Division I college teams.
5. Maine is the state for cat lovers -- it leads the nation in spending on cat food.
6. After years of briefs being in the lead, boxers and briefs are tied. There are regional differences, though. Southern men, for example, prefer boxers.
7. Back-to-school time means that the sale of acne products skyrocket.

(Image of underwear by miss pupik, CC 2.o)