Spent the afternoon wandering around Chengdu with an inspiring traveler. We knew the direction of the center of town so we headed in roughly the opposite direction following our noses for the whole afternoon. In a small side alley off the main thoroughfare of a street market we chanced upon the local equivalent of a sex shop – a gentleman with a motorbike, the back of which is folded out to reveal a range of libido enhancers and condoms.

Buy a single Viagra which comes in an authentic looking Viagra container, the seal of which is already broken. Assume it is a fake – have no desire to validate.

Further along the alley there are two other ad-hoc sex shops. Why are they clustered in this alley?
To what degree does the environment convey trust in the product or service for sale?
In a market with a high degree of fakes, and with a product that is easy to fake, what extra steps does a consumer make during the purchasing process? How does it affect use?