Thursday we visited Sonae Industria, Sonae Sierra, and Fortis. Sonae Industria is a manufacturer of laminated wood, and we got to tour their production and warehouse facilities. Sonae Sierra was an interesting company to hear about because they design shopping and leisure spaces. Having an interest in marketing, and especially how shelf displays and store layouts affect purchasing behaviors, it was neat to see some of their properties. Their competitive advantage is the innovation they put into the designs of their shopping centers. Actually, one of their properties - Via Catarina, a shopping mall - is right down the street from our hotel. We walked down there this evening to check it out, and the food court was nice - it was designed to look like the outside of little European village buildings (similar to some
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