Date of Graduation

5-2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in International Business

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Marketing

Advisor/Mentor

Rapert, Molly

Abstract

With the increasing globalization of the world economy, companies looking to take part in this trend must pay attention to the differences between aspects of their home country and the country in which they are trying to sell products. Being well informed on criteria that could affect the purchase decision of foreign consumers is essential to avoiding self reference criterion and ethnocentrism, or the unconscious referral to and focus on one’s own culture rather than the targeted culture. “Sociologic differences around the world largely outweigh the similarities. People in the global community are influenced and driven by different things. Lack of cultural considerations not only can result in a mediocre response to product promotions, but can even impact the company’s international image” (Welsh). Making decisions for a company selling products domestically is challenging, and for international endeavors that can be even more difficult. In my comparison of the grocery shopping experience in the United States to that in Spain, I used an effective method that could be expanded upon or translated to other countries for those wishing to sell products to foreign consumers to produce insights. These insights are centered around three primary a priori themes: consumer behavior, products, and the shopping environment. Observations were recorded by photographs taken during my time in Spain in the Fall semester of 2011, which were then uploaded to the emerging media model Pinterest. Using Pinterest as a tool for my analysis, as well as a literary review, this comparative analysis between the grocery landscape in Spain and the United States produced several insights that would be helpful to a CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) company supplying items typically sold in a supermarket.

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