The Pink Store: A unique tourism enterprise at the US-Mexico border

Abstract

This case study examines the unique situation of the Pink Store in Palomas, Chihuahua, Mexico, a small town and crossing point on the US-Mexico frontier. This case is unique and interesting because of how managers have recognised the value of the international border and capitalised on it as a positive experience for day-trippers from the United States. Consequently, they developed certain practices that have positioned the store as a well-recognised icon in the larger region, allowing them to take advantage of the border and the commercial opportunities it creates. The management actions are both product- and service-led, and marketing-oriented. As a result, the Pink Store represents a distinctive border attraction that is characterised as an all-inclusive attraction, exotic and foreign, yet secure and oriented to its major market: residents of the USA.