Submitted by Jillian Luetje on the 2018 winter session program in London, England sponsored by the Department of Communication…
This week, I spent a day at Portobello Road, which is a huge shopping market in London. The market atmosphere was very different than something you would find in the United States. There were a lot of indoor as well as outdoor shops, even in the rain. Even though it was an incredibly busy street, it was still very quiet. How quiet it is here is one of the main differences I have found in London compared to home. People talk very quietly, or not much at all in public, and you can spot Americans because they’re the loudest ones in the bunch. Also, the vendors do not approach the customers walking around. In America, vendors often ask customers what they’re looking for, or try to show their products in the hope of making a sale. The vendors on Portobello Road stood by and watched customers perusing the items, and were very nice if I asked for help, but they did not approach everyone going into their shop. I really liked this way of marketing, because I do not enjoy feeling pressured to buy something when I am browsing. I am a fashion merchandising major, so seeing a new way of selling and marketing was really interesting to me. I enjoyed seeing this lovely shopping market, and seeing how the British run their marketplaces.