Shopping!

Part of the travel experience is shopping... and I had no problem shopping in different venues! It was interesting to see the effects of atmospherics in shopping around the South American countries.

There were a lot of street vendors in Chile, and many indoor shops, similar to a flea market atmosphere. We spent a lot of time walking around little outdoor and indoor shops that were part of a bigger shopping complex. There were a lot of little independent venues selling jewelry, accessories, and various trinkets.

Brasil: Open Air Markets

Particularly, there were a lot of open air markets along the beaches in Brasil. Little kiosk-y venues sold food, drinks, jewelry, swim suits, wraps, windchimes, and beach necessities such as sunglasses and lawn chairs. Little shops were all over in the sand. Individuals set up displays and sold items along the sidewalk. Other sellers walked throughout the beach and came right up to you to sell an item.

Shopping here was easy, because the vendors came right up to you! This increased some social pressure to buy! Plus, being on the beach, purchasing something felt like a tourist-y thing you needed to do. Also, on the beach, it felt so carefree that it was easy to part with a few Reis.

At these types of open air markets, price was a relative thing that could be bartered and compromised. The vendors definitely target the tourists, who are perceived to have a lot of money and a lack of complete understanding due to a language and culture barrier.

Lima: Oceanside Mall

In contrast, there was the shopping mall. In Chile and Peru I went to a bigger mall that is more like what we are used to in the states, with department stores and retail shops. The bigger malls had advertising and lighting similar to the malls in the U.S. There were big posters with models wearing the jewelry, clothing, or perfume. I felt a sense of familiarity to be at the larger malls. Many times, I saw the influence of American culture in the music, brands, and style.

These shops sold their items at a much higher ticket price than the little independent venues and street side market. The price felt more concrete--you wouldn't think about haggling the price further down. The higher and set prices gave a sense of familiarity, security, and quality. In this environment, I felt like I would receive a quality of item associated with the higher price.

Specifically in Peru, we stopped at a shopping mall that was along the coast. It was beautiful! The location gave this shopping mall a luxurious feel. The atmosphere felt a little upper crust. This mall had higher priced items, but as mentioned earlier, the price went along with the whole atmosphere. Walking into the mall, it was obvious that it was a higher-end shopping center.

Cusco: Market

We spent part of our time in Peru in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. In this area, there were many markets, but these had a totally different feel than any of the Chilean or Brasilian markets. These markets were run by the native people of the area. The Indigenous culture of the people totally influenced the entire feel of the market. Most items in these markets were handmade. Most the items were representative of a culture. There were blankets, rugs, teddy bears, sweaters made with Alpaca wool. There were trinkets and jewelry that represented cultural symbols and way of life.

The thing about this market was that the culture of the people is what made it so special and different. The feel was totally different. The items and selling were largely directed towards the tourist. Even the colors of items and setup of the market were culturally significant. Prices were very relative and compromisable. Part of the shopping experience was actually in that price compromising! Buying goods from these markets made you feel like you could also get a glimpse of their way of life, and partake a little bit of their culture.

It was interesting to compare the different types of markets and shopping experience throughout Chile, Brasil, and Peru, and compare them with what we are used to in the United States. The atmosphere totally has an effect on buying behavior and purchasing decisions.