The search for growing segments in a slow-growth society almost always leads to identifying domestic and global geographic areas of growth. Where people live, how they earn and spend their money, and other socioeconomic factors-referred to as geodemography-are critical to understanding consumer demand. The study of demand related to geographic areas assumes that people who live in proximity to one another also share similar consumption patterns and preferences. For example, one study found that consumer purchases from various channels or retail formats, such as grocery stores, drugstores, mass merchandisers, club stores, and convenience stores are related to the geodemographic characteristics of those consumers,18 based on the geodemographic areas described in Market Facts 7.1.