Today I focused on the comments Dr. Revels made on my last post because I thought they were good points. After talking to another Brazilian friend of mine who wants to become a translator and who studies at Universidade Metodista de Sao Paulo, she offered some interesting thoughts. She said as far as amusement parks go, Brazil has virtually none. Most Brazilians have never experienced a roller coaster or enjoyed a theme park. Orlando is the Mecca of all amusement parks and rides in the eyes of a Brazilian. Brazilians almost have an obsession with wanting to visit Disney World or see Shamu in SeaWorld. As far as malls go, Brazilians have many. Malls are being built everyday, as of now the most expensive mall in Latin America is under construction in Sao Paulo. By the end of 2012, there will be 40% more malls in Brazil than there were seven years ago. The growing middle class has created a new purchasing power in Brazil. It is estimated that as many as 30 to 40 million people have moved up to the middle class since 2003. By the year 2030, it is expected that another 45 million Brazilians will also make that move. The middle class of Brazil would become as large as the entire population of Spain. One article says Brazilians spend three to four times as long in malls as North Americans. Items in Brazil are very expensive due to import taxes on foreign products. The United States does not have large tariffs on foreign goods making many items cheap to buy. Cheap American goods and a new shopping mentality may be the reason so many Brazilians go to the United States to shop.
Link 1 - http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-news/latin-american/the-rise-of-the-mall-in-brazil/article2150882/
Wow---those are amazing statistics! I wonder if our economic leaders are paying attention to Brazil and how it is on the rise. I'm so used to hearing about the steep decline of the American middle class that I think we should definitely see what other countries are doing to reverse this trend.
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