Today I had a flashback to my year abroad. After welcoming a couple of friends who just arrived from Europe for their own semester abroad, we took them shopping for basic supplies. As we were strolling through the shampoo & soap aisle, they were amazed by the sizes in which all products came. Of course in this continent, at least in the Northern Part, things tend to be at least twice as big as in Europe.
It reminded me of how when I got to be on the other side of the ocean, the first time I went shopping, things seemed just too small. I was used to my 750ml bottle of shampoo when in Europe that would mean industrial size. My mind immediately took me to that Supersize Me documentary that came out a few years back.
As far as Canada, the US and Mexico are concerned, perhaps we’re the only three countries in the world in which people drive around in large SUV’s and trucks. We have the largest bottles, cases, cups and plates. Want half a liter of coffee? It’s right there around the corner. Coffee in Europe is the size of a what a regular espresso would look like for us here.
Perhaps it’s the fact that geographically speaking we’re a much larger continent that has influenced sizes here. In all my travels around the world (not just Europe) has been the same case. Things are much much larger here. No wonder product adaptation becomes a challenge when the Place Mix involves the Americas with another continent.