Location, Location, Location

   Growing up in northern Indiana, the lifestlye I've grown accustomed to has been one very similar to the Chicago lifestyle.  I have also never lived anywhere different until I went away to school; being only an hour and a half away one wouldn't think that life as a consumer would be much different.  Being more immeresed into Indiana and its lifestyle I have noticed the differences in stores and even consumer products.  Living in this college town leaves a heavy influence on those around the area.  There are many professors, students, and employees of the university that live in the surrounding area.  In stores like Walmart it is normal for there to be a section devoted entirely to Purdue clothing and items; during football season tailgating items are heavily  pushed on consumers.  This past summer I lived in Kentucky and found a similar situation in Walmarts and other stores around the University of Kentucky.  There was also a very visable difference in the types of stores in the area, like the strong presence of Krogers in the area (there are none in northern Indiana).  When it came to shopping for clothing I had high hopes of coming home with clothing not found in my area.  Not only did I find unique clothing, but as a consumer I also discovered the difference between stores in Indiana and Kentucky.  There was a large number of boutique stores and a small number of department stores.  I was excited until I walked into the first boutique and discovered how rediculously expenseve it was.  When I saw people in my age group around town they were all dressed very nicely; and they even explained how they actually dress up (dresses, shirts and ties) for football games!  I came to the conclusion that as you continue down from Indiana to the South that it is common for consumers to want to spend more money for (I am hoping) higher quality items.  This was in the middle of a college town, where normally students are reluctant to spend more than $5 on a meal let alone $50 for a shirt.  I suppose that consumer behavior also varies depending on the location and the upbringing one had.  I had also found that a lot of the people I had met that were currently attending the University of Kentucky also lived in the surrounding area.  I believe that many are probably saving money by attending a University so close to home and that also leads to similar consumer behavior contributing to higher spending on clothing.  After this summer I am more confident that the differences in consumer behavior are also very different in places all across the United States.  I also know that I am slow in my realization considering stores and companies have already figured this out.  Actually being immersed in a different type of "culture"  makes one more aware of how different it actually can be and is one that every consumer should experience.