Implicit in the subject of regional markets is the inference that they deserve more attention in research than they have been given in recent years. Based in large part on cheap energy for transportation and production, the economy has reflected increased regional specialization in production for a national (or international) market. Concurrently, there has been a disinter-mediation of many of the regional differences in consumer wants and preferences because of the increased mobility of the population and the exposure of all persons to the same mass communications material. These factors have contributed to an emphasis on the national market, in contrast to the regional market in both research and the popular press.