Are You Ready to Study in Korea? It Will also Be Helpful to Know About Shopping in Korea.

This article is a posting about Korean traditional markets, marts, discount stores, convenience stores, and grocery stores that are worth shopping for offline in Korea.

 

 Hello, this is OIA from the Office of International Affairs at Silla University.

  If you study in Korea, you will need to buy and use ingredients or daily necessities that are specific to your living environment or lifestyle. So, I'll explain how to shop in Korea, including where and what I can buy.

1. Traditional Markets

One of the places where you can go grocery shopping in Korea is the 'traditional market'.

Thanks to its unique and friendly atmosphere, both men and women of all ages have been coming here for a long time to shop. In addition, most of them sell fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and other groceries.

 

[Characteristic]

(1) The traditional market is one of the places in Korea where you can go grocery shopping.

Men and women of all ages have been coming here for a long time to shop because of its unique and friendly, amiable atmosphere. Furthermore, the majority of owners sell fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, and other groceries.

 

(2) "Haggling" and "dumb culture" are two interesting cultures that can only be felt in the market. When merchants and customers do business here, you will frequently see them haggling over prices. Also common is the "dumb culture," which is a culture that gives something extra as a bonus when you buy something. This culture can be felt by having a little fun in traditional markets.

 

(3) There are numerous foods available on the market that will simply satisfy your hunger. If you get hungry while shopping, you can eat simple snacks like hotteok or tteokbokki. Shopping while eating snacks like this is one of the main draws of traditional markets, which is why many people are always on the lookout for traditional markets.

 

(4) In small cities (not large cities), markets are sometimes held every three to five days, and this period is often referred to as a "market day." When the market opens, you can purchase local delicacies and participate in various traditional cultural events, so learn about Korean traditional markets.

 

 

2. An Offline Store

This time, I'll introduce an offline store that has a distinct charm from the traditional market that I previously introduced. There are various types of stores in the offline world. Offline stores come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including large discount stores, department stores, convenience stores, supermarkets, and warehouse-type discount stores. Let me introduce you to some of them.

 

(1) Marts: Marts and supermarkets are both examples of common grocery stores. The marts consist primarily of a large mart and a large retail store that sells all of the products required for daily life at low prices, ensuring that no items such as groceries, clothing, household goods, or home appliances are missing. Also, there are corporate supermarkets, which are smaller than large supermarkets but bigger than regular supermarkets. It is commonly referred to as a hypermarket, and it primarily sells fresh or processed foods. It is one of the most popular shopping destinations because it is spread not only to large cities but also to middle cities in the provinces, allowing many consumers to easily use it when they want to go shopping. Furthermore, because the majority of these marts are run by businesses, you can get high-quality products at low prices by frequently holding discounts and 1+1 events. As a result, it is also advised to shop at the same store as the mart to achieve the effect of killing two birds with one stone.

 

(2) A warehouse store: In the case of warehouse-type discount stores, there are marts that sell various items such as Costco and Traders at low prices, and furniture stores that collect various types of furniture and sell them at low prices. Therefore, if you want to buy furniture cheaply or if you have a lot of daily necessities, I recommend you visit.

 

 

 

 

 

(3) Convenience store: With the recent increase in single-person households and double-income couples, the number of convenience stores is increasing rapidly, and many brands of convenience stores have been created. It is characterized by a small retail store that is operated based on convenience and is open year-round and early. In addition to the late-night business, it is a 24-hour business, located near the residence, and has about 2,500 products centered on groceries and daily necessities, so it has only the advantages that consumers think are really convenient. So, it is one of the best places for shopping for busy modern people or single-person households because you can purchase necessary items or groceries at nearby convenience stores anytime, anywhere without having to go to the mart or market. If you live in Korea, you will see it everywhere you go and will always find it useful.

 

(4) a local food store: This is a place that only sells groceries. In the case of local food direct stores, they are direct-trade agri-food stores that deal with a new food distribution culture that consumes local food without going through long-distance travel and multi-level distribution processes. Therefore, if you want fresh and safe food, visiting here and shopping is a good option. It also gives many advantages to consumers, but it has many advantages in many ways, as it can revitalize the local economy, have a positive impact on the ecological environment, and reduce carbon emissions. So, if this location is close to your home, I recommend that you go there and shop.

As such, there are various places to visit and shop in person in Korea. Each person has their own charm and strengths, so you can pick a location that suits your needs and buy a variety of items while shopping. This post introduced offline shopping locations where you can do your own shopping. In the next post, I will post part two of my shopping in Korea to introduce information on how to shop online where you can experience one of the famous Korean customs: fast delivery services. 

 

Thank you.