Operation Wal-Mart

1. We shadowed a family that was African American that consisted of a mother and father who were probably between the ages 35 and 45, two daughters between the ages 6 and 10, and a son who was between the age 8 and 13. The gender did not necessarily impact the items they bought, because they bought groceries that applied to a family; they bought items in bulk and things that are necessary for family meals. There are no items within a store that are acceptable for one gender to purchase but not the other, because there may be certain circumstances that are unknown, such as a man purchasing feminine products for his girlfriend, wife, or daughter. However, a taboo in this aspect would be for a man to buy women’s clothing or feminine products for his personal use, or vise versa for a woman.

2. Our group chose Wal-Mart because we thought we could find a variety of cultures within this store, because the prices are more inexpensive and people of all economic standpoints can shop for items there, rather than Target, that mainly attracts higher middle class to upper class people. There is not one specific culture within Wal-Mart because it is known more for its cheaper prices and affordability that almost all people can qualify to buy; this store is more of a melting pot of different cultures. The culture in Wal-Mart describes the greater American culture and the culture in College Station because it is diverse.

3. Our consumers only purchased food and did not use a self -checkout stand because they had too many items that they were purchasing. Self -checkout stands represent the independent nature of customers and the privacy they wish to maintain when purchasing items. The presence of food in stores such as Wal-Mart and Target shows that food is provided for American cultures because we are more industrialized. These stores prove that we