One of the first times I went to the supermarket here in Chile, I was ecstatic to see the wall of "American" style Lays potato chips. A little piece of home. As I continued to make visits to the grocery store though, I found myself wishing there were more options to choose from. Just a few months ago I was the pickiest eater you could have ever met. But Chile has apparently made me a changed woman, because I want to try any and every food I see. It was sad for me then, to see the options for new flavors shrink as I progressively tried all the flavors of snack foods and candy and soda on the shelves.
I know we talked about market research last week, so I have been trying to figure out how this lack of diversity correlates to Chilean culture. I have noticed a lack of variety within restaurants as well (you can order chorrillanas or an empanada). I´m assuming that if this result did come from market research, it would have resulted from Chileans´ risk aversive tendencies. They stick to what they know and are comfortable buying the same products and flavors that they can already trust.
I think this may make the market in Chile less competitive, but it seems to be working for them.
Before you jump into the conclusion that this limited offer is because of research I would like you to consider a few other aspects: Are your observations valid for all supermarkets and product ranges? Are there any other possible explanations for your observations?
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