Exploring the Cities and Learning Their Market Segments (5/15)

Saturday was a free day to explore Viña and the surrounding areas, so we took advantage of it. In the morning, we shopped at a variety of stores in a plaza that would resemble a shopping mall. What was different was that many stores sold cell phones. This was interesting because the lack of product differentiation implies that this industry is likely not competitive (perfect competition), and that consumers do not prefer one store over another. Also, there were plazas that resembled markets, with individual owners selling a variety of souvenirs (a popular Chilean custom). You could find the same souvenirs in a lot of shops, but sizes, prices, and designs of these products differed, implying an industry that resembled monopolistic competition (sellers attempt to gain more profits by entering its own market segment—no direct competition in that segment; they are the only product).

For lunch, we ate with Mimo. A few of us had pizza that was loaded with toppings (pepperoni, Spanish sausage, and tomatoes). The ingredients immediately reminded me of Chile, as did the large portions. We also had a drink that mixed Pisco with pineapple and ice cream. The drink had a strong flavor but a tasty one, definitely with a high Chilean influence. We walked around shopping after lunch to see different types of stores but there were not many. There were different types of bread shops, specifically selling bread, which is not seen in the U.S. This shop would thrive on consumers who only want bread, but a supermarket would be more fitting for customers who want an assortment of products.

In the evening, we went to the beach to watch the sunset. I have always enjoyed watching sunsets over the ocean and it was just as enjoyable in Chile. After the sunset, some of my fellow classmates decided to go swimming in the ocean (they brought swim trunks, unlike the Chilean student from the resort and spa). They said the water was cold, but it was the first time that many of them had been in the Pacific Ocean. I still have not been in it, but I plan to eventually, especially when I start to travel more after College.

For dinner, I ate at McDonald’s with a few students. Ordering was difficult and due to the language barrier. However, we were able to resolve the issue by communicating with the workers. At night, we went back to Camilo’s rooftop to enjoy the view and converse with Chileans. I felt that the language barrier was lessening and that I could communicate more easily and have more in-depth conversations.