# Commercialization and globalization of cities, advantages and disadvatage?



## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

My idea of creating this thread is from a friend of mine who just made a stopover in HK on this way back to The Philippines. He's been working as an assistant administrator at a construction firm in Bengasi, Libya.

We would ask him the common question that most Americans would ask like how is life there or if they have Mc Donalds, Pizza Hut or shopping malls there. Note that Libya was sanctioned by the United States and has been lifted. And of course he said no. He mentioned that life there was simple and most shopping were in the markets. There was some pizzerias there or some nice restaurant but not the known brands that you'll find. Put it in short, you won't find a Wal Mart, Carrefour or even a Marks N Spencer there. Though he mentioned that in Tripoli, the capital of Libya had a KFC opened up.

HK is one city that is very commercialized. Also every consumer or retail brand you can find it there like Mc Donalds, Pizza Hut, Marks N Spencer, Zara, Bathing Ape, HMV, Hard Rock Cafe, etc. It is the same in cities in North America, Europe, Australia, some cities in The Middle East and the most developed cities in Latin America and Asia. 










In cities of less developed countries, you may have none of a few of these known brands. A city in Nepal may have a Mc Donalds but may not have a KFC or may have a local chain present. 

Especially in cities in mainland China. I remembered visiting Guangzhou back in the early 90s and they didn't have the American fastfood chains. Their main shopping mall was the Friendship Store. Today, the city is very commericialized. Same thing with Moscow, before the fall of the Soviet Union, they didn't have a Mc Donalds. When the first Mc Donalds opened up in the city, hordes of people lined up in the counters to get a taste of The Big Mac.

Anyway, what do you think of globalization and commericialization in cities of less developed countries? What are the advantages and disadvantages. Especially to those living in these cities, do you like the idea of commercialization or do you prefer your city the way it is?


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## MILIUX (Sep 13, 2002)

Well one major problem of creating a 'globalised city' in a less developed country is the growing number of slums and the stress on the public utility infrastructure.


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

MILIUX said:


> Well one major problem of creating a 'globalised city' in a less developed country is the growing number of slums and the stress on the public utility infrastructure.


It is a problem. But the thing I really want to discuss about is, if a less developed city would be better off if the big retails or restaurants / fastfood chains are present. For example would those living Dakar, Senegal be better if they have Mc Donalds or Wal Mart or are they better off with the city's local eateries and do their shopping in the marketplace?


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## sydney_lad (Dec 6, 2005)

Better off??

Why would they be better off??

Spending money on fast food and cheap appliances never made anyone "better off".


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## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

Sweden is very "commercialized" but KFC, Walmart, Carrefour, Starbuck or any of those chains doesn't exist there.

I guess it's not profitable for these huge chains to come to Scandinavia, simply because there is no demand for them. The local hamburger chains, supermarket chains and coffee chains are simply to good...

I've looked at it as if a country has a lot of international chains, it could be a sign of a week home market. This doesn't go for all countries though, obviously.


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

staff said:


> Sweden is very "commercialized" but KFC, Walmart, Carrefour, Starbuck or any of those chains doesn't exist there.
> 
> I guess it's not profitable for these huge chains to come to Scandinavia, simply because there is no demand for them. The local hamburger chains, supermarket chains and coffee chains are simply to good...
> 
> I've looked at it as if a country has a lot of international chains, it could be a sign of a week home market. This doesn't go for all countries though, obviously.


But Sweden has of course, IKEA  Anyway, there's a similar case like this in Manila, Philippines. Manila is a very commericialized city with almost every American fastfood or retail chain present. Though Mc Donalds can be found in every part of the city, Jollibee a local burger chain is selling more hamburgers than Mc Donalds. 

Other fastfood chains like Taco Bell have closed some of it's outlets because of lack of demand or their food doesn't suit Filipino taste.


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## MILIUX (Sep 13, 2002)

To me, i think American fast food companies are not generally healthy for anyone. You would tend not to let kids eat McDonalds or KFC regularly. I think it is generally bad.


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## DiggerD21 (Apr 22, 2004)

Advantage of McDonalds etc.: They are a good meeting point for tourists (of course only when the area is not plastered with one chain). On the other hand they make cities more uniform and therefore boring. If cities offer the same retail and food chains, there is no need to go to another city for shopping. If a city however has well-known stores and chains which can only be found in this city (at least within the country), it is an enrichment to the attractiveness of a city.


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## Minato ku (Aug 9, 2005)

DiggerD21 said:


> Advantage of McDonalds etc.: They are a good meeting point for tourists .


Not a very good idea in Paris
Paris has 0.7 McDonalds per square kilometer


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## DiggerD21 (Apr 22, 2004)

I thought more about "Let's meet in front of the McDonalds at the Town Hall square."
Of course you can replace McDonalds with any other world known chain (Burger king, Starbucks...). It generally works, only in cases where several stores of one chain are located at the place (in my example the town hall square) it doesn't work.


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## futureproof (Nov 2, 2006)

many food chains are in the developing world for one reason only, for the tourists, that´s their only target, as the prices they put on their food is the same as in the country of origin.

there are no heavy consumers of mc´donalds in the developing countries, just the tourists that might find realiable eating in an american restaurant than in a local food chain or local food.

neither in paris, berlin or rome, where mc´donalds is neglected by the locals, but not the american tourists.


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## tablemtn (May 2, 2006)

Why not just let the locals choose what they like and don't like? For example, in Mexico, Mexican people like Wal-Mart, a lot. That's why there are so many Wal-Marts in Mexico today. That's the choice of the consumers. If they want what Wal-Mart sells, that's their decision.


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## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

futureproof said:


> there are no heavy consumers of mc´donalds in the developing countries, just the tourists that might find realiable eating in an american restaurant than in a local food chain or local food.


China is a developing country, and yet the second largest fast food market in the world.


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## tablemtn (May 2, 2006)

Most McDonald's customers in France are French.


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

ok this is my rant from another thread: 

about how a Danish expert found the 'truth about london' that we're one of the most carcentric and uncaring, unfriendly cities despite the mayors efforts. In a place of 100,000 people passing through daily there were no seats, on almost every street the exhaltation of all the traffic signs and visual clutter was nothing but confusing, and in a psychological context, alienating and making the person feel he was being told to well, go **** off.

*Anyway more seats, more toilets. I honestly believe NOTHING comes free in this city, no seats and no toilets= having to go to a cafe or pub and pay for the luxury, which works just FINE for business. One doesnt live in a city anymore, one pays.*

Also the fact that on the rapidly overcrowding trains when they have the option of either putting on an extra carriage, or taking the majority of all the seats out, they choose the latter. Also they time the trains infrequently crowding them to capacity, so that paying customers-per-train 'efficiency' is at a premium.

Living in a globalised world means giving your power over to psychotic big business to **** you over - if you think about how standard business practice works its the textbook definition of a psychotic - fucking people over for their buck, doing nothing if its not to ones own advantage, exploitational, deceitful, no true sense of morality, conscience or regret. If you fall over and break your leg in their store they dont give a damn about your leg, but whether you'll sue. Giving out discounts and 'customer loyalty' freebies is exactly that - so that you'll keep coming back and lining their pockets. Avoiding Bad Customer Service doesnt mean they genuinely care for you, it means that the marketing studies have shown that if they don't you'll tell an average of seven other people to put them off using their business.

Its not the poor exploited saps who work in the shops and businesses, its the managers, the directors, the shareholders, the kind of people who will sell off a profit making centuries old native institution to foreign investors to make a quick billion - think about our stock exchange, our airports, our seaports - who'll auction off Turner paintings to Las Vegas restaurants - as money, above all, including his own views, is KING, thankya vermuch.

*In a globalised society our individualism and identity will be watered down to one common (paying) denominator where they know what we want and what we'll pay for it. After a while differences, opinions, identities will be exorcised, and in true psychotic tradition, sent the way of the death camps.*

London's better than that imo. Wise man say even the longest journeys start with one small step, so Im starting with the fucking benches. More seats, and power to the people you wankfone pinstripe bastards.


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## vtower (Jan 31, 2006)

Yo, I can't live in a neighbourhood without KFC.


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## futureproof (Nov 2, 2006)

is globalization the same as "american invasion"?

i don´t think mc´donalds or any food restaurants make the globalization definiton quite understandable


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## bayviews (Mar 3, 2006)

Like so many things urban commercial globalization can be quite good in moderation, but can get quite bad when taken to excess. 

Sure, there are many advantages in being able to find a McDonalds, adhering to very strict & uniform quality control, just about anywhere even in Nepal! Starbucks is convenient too. But having Starbucks on every other corner, as it is here, it’s just not needed. It’s not really bad that there are few pockets like Libya, Cuba, and Myanmar & North Korea where the cuisine & commercial flavor (to the degree either exists) is still virtually all “local”. There isn’t much of a culture of “service” in these places. No doubt that when the first McDonalds opens in Libya the locals will be lining up in droves. But as in places like Moscow & Beijing, the novelty of fast food will gradually wear off. 

Better enjoy unspoiled Benghazi while you can! If the Colonel has already opened up, McDees & walmart cant be far behind!


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

The aim for globalisation is to REDUCE US to water down our thoughts, ideals, choices and identities into one common denominator, one thats easily controllable, predictable, exploitable and ready to part with cash.

As in psychotic tradition - as standard business practice follows - difference will one day go the way of the dustbin, the deathcamps.

POWER CORRUPTS POWER IS CONTROL


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

bayviews said:


> Like so many things urban commercial globalization can be quite good in moderation, but can get quite bad when taken to excess.
> 
> Sure, there are many advantages in being able to find a McDonalds, adhering to very strict & uniform quality control, just about anywhere even in Nepal! Starbucks is convenient too. But having Starbucks on every other corner, as it is here, it’s just not needed. It’s not really bad that there are few pockets like Libya, Cuba, and Myanmar & North Korea where the cuisine & commercial flavor (to the degree either exists) is still virtually all “local”. There isn’t much of a culture of “service” in these places. No doubt that when the first McDonalds opens in Libya the locals will be lining up in droves. But as in places like Moscow & Beijing, the novelty of fast food will gradually wear off.
> 
> Better enjoy unspoiled Benghazi while you can! If the Colonel has already opened up, McDees & walmart cant be far behind!


My friend working in Bengasi is originally from Manila which is a highly commericialized and cosmopolitan city. When he started working in Libya, he felt a major culture shock and felt that the city is too laid back for him. He felt really homesick and if it wasn't for his work, he would want to come back home.

To have big names like Starbucks, Marks N Spencer or Ikea would be nice for a city but there should be a limit.


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