The story I heard from my data warehouse professor in college was that Walmart analyzed receipts of purchases made on saturdays, and noticed a strange correlation between diapers and cases of beer.
A deeper analysis showed that fathers where being tasked with the replenishing of the diapers stock on weekends, and made a stop by the beer section on the way.
Following this, Walmart put diapers and beer close the each other, and sales skyrocketed.
It's probably not the real story, but it was a memorable enough introduction to get a bunch of sleepy students to learn what normal forms were all about.
A deeper analysis showed that fathers where being tasked with the replenishing of the diapers stock on weekends, and made a stop by the beer section on the way.
Following this, Walmart put diapers and beer close the each other, and sales skyrocketed.
It's probably not the real story, but it was a memorable enough introduction to get a bunch of sleepy students to learn what normal forms were all about.