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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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lukas
Joined: 22 Aug 2009
Location: Bucheon
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 Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:33 pm Post subject: No Dry Cleaners in SK??? |
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Are there really no dry cleaners in south korea?
I can't find any, maybe someone can point me in the right direction. Right now im living in between Incheon and Seoul.
It's wild to me that I havent seen any yet. Do Koreans really throw their suits right in the wash and hang them dry? |
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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Of course there are dry cleaners. They are called 세탁, and all them have a big sign out front saying this. |
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Konglishman
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Nanjing
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| Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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My parents have often asked me if there are any drycleaners in Korea. They always seem to have trouble believing me when I say they are not exactly on every single corner.  |
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waynehead
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Location: Jongno
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| Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Where I live, they are on every corner... |
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Xuanzang
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Location: Sadang
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| Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:54 pm Post subject: |
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| They`re the one thing you can count on finding. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 12:04 am Post subject: |
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| I live in a small Korea town with three lighted intersections and four drycleaners (though one of them ships stuff to a nearby city to get cleaned). |
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vaticanhotline
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Location: in the most decent sometimes sun
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 12:31 am Post subject: |
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| Xuanzang wrote: |
| They`re the one thing you can count on finding. |
That and billiards. |
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eIn07912
Joined: 06 Dec 2008
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 12:43 am Post subject: |
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I don't understand how they stay in business. I often see two or three within 50 ft. from each other.
Who ever told you there were no dry cleaners in Korea, was pulling a fast one you mate. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 1:00 am Post subject: |
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| eIn07912 wrote: |
| I don't understand how they stay in business. I often see two or three within 50 ft. from each other. |
Korean small business behaviour is one for the textbooks! Someone opens a biz in a neighbourhood (sandwich shop, chicken shack, PC room, bakery, convenience store, drycleaner, you name it) and it's profitable but then another comes into the market (sounds like typical economic behaviour) but then another and another and another comes in, each not considering the oversaturation given the size of the market, each cutting into each other's margins until there is no money to be made and staying afloat through loans and weathering attrition in hopes of being the last one standing, is, so.... typical in this country. I've seen it played out countless times over the years. All my business courses, marketing, retailing, organizational behaviour, all are useless in the Korean context, are so non-Asian in their assumptions and descriptions of economic behaviour. I can see the appeal of doing an MBA on Korean business strategies. Lots of original research in need of publishing I bet. |
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eIn07912
Joined: 06 Dec 2008
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 1:18 am Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
| eIn07912 wrote: |
| I don't understand how they stay in business. I often see two or three within 50 ft. from each other. |
Korean small business behaviour is one for the textbooks! Someone opens a biz in a neighbourhood (sandwich shop, chicken shack, PC room, bakery, convenience store, drycleaner, you name it) and it's profitable but then another comes into the market (sounds like typical economic behaviour) but then another and another and another comes in, each not considering the oversaturation given the size of the market, each cutting into each other's margins until there is no money to be made and staying afloat through loans and weathering attrition in hopes of being the last one standing, is, so.... typical in this country. I've seen it played out countless times over the years. All my business courses, marketing, retailing, organizational behaviour, all are useless in the Korean context, are so non-Asian in their assumptions and descriptions of economic behaviour. I can see the appeal of doing an MBA on Korean business strategies. Lots of original research in need of publishing I bet. |
I have a business degree as well. But I could understand how someone with the most basic understanding of markets would just scratch their head at how business is done here.
I had a gf tell me once that when her family or someone needs a door, or lights, or any kind of home product, they go to this one area near Wangsimni because that's where they sell that stuff. Like in the entire city, everyone comes to this one town to pick and choose from about 30 stores that all carry the same thing. It's bad enough they're all right next door to each other, even worse that they don't diversify their product. It's like when you go to techno mart and there's a guy there selling hard drives and literally the booth right across from him is selling the exact same hard drives. In Itaewon, it's the same with foreign clothing. They all carry the same shirts, or pants, or jackets, and all at the same price. Why bother having 7 stores that carry the same thing within eye site of each other? WTH?
It's no wonder commercial renovations are going on non-stop here. Seems like someone stays open long enough to run through half their initial inventory and then boom, doors closed. Somebody else moves in, puts on a new coat a paint, changes the locks, throws up their sign, stock their shelves with the exact same thing the other guy had, and somehow thinks it's all gonna be different for them. |
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dirving
Joined: 19 Nov 2009
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 2:03 am Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
| eIn07912 wrote: |
| I don't understand how they stay in business. I often see two or three within 50 ft. from each other. |
Korean small business behaviour is one for the textbooks! Someone opens a biz in a neighbourhood (sandwich shop, chicken shack, PC room, bakery, convenience store, drycleaner, you name it) and it's profitable but then another comes into the market (sounds like typical economic behaviour) but then another and another and another comes in, each not considering the oversaturation given the size of the market, each cutting into each other's margins until there is no money to be made and staying afloat through loans and weathering attrition in hopes of being the last one standing, is, so.... typical in this country. I've seen it played out countless times over the years. All my business courses, marketing, retailing, organizational behaviour, all are useless in the Korean context, are so non-Asian in their assumptions and descriptions of economic behaviour. I can see the appeal of doing an MBA on Korean business strategies. Lots of original research in need of publishing I bet. |
Ditto! Russel's head would spin here, eh?! |
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lukas
Joined: 22 Aug 2009
Location: Bucheon
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 6:40 am Post subject: |
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| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
| Of course there are dry cleaners. They are called 세탁, and all them have a big sign out front saying this. |
Sweet, thank you soooo much. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 6:58 am Post subject: |
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| eIn07912 wrote: |
| VanIslander wrote: |
| eIn07912 wrote: |
| I don't understand how they stay in business. I often see two or three within 50 ft. from each other. |
Korean small business behaviour is one for the textbooks! Someone opens a biz in a neighbourhood (sandwich shop, chicken shack, PC room, bakery, convenience store, drycleaner, you name it) and it's profitable but then another comes into the market (sounds like typical economic behaviour) but then another and another and another comes in, each not considering the oversaturation given the size of the market, each cutting into each other's margins until there is no money to be made and staying afloat through loans and weathering attrition in hopes of being the last one standing, is, so.... typical in this country. I've seen it played out countless times over the years. All my business courses, marketing, retailing, organizational behaviour, all are useless in the Korean context, are so non-Asian in their assumptions and descriptions of economic behaviour. I can see the appeal of doing an MBA on Korean business strategies. Lots of original research in need of publishing I bet. |
I have a business degree as well. But I could understand how someone with the most basic understanding of markets would just scratch their head at how business is done here.
I had a gf tell me once that when her family or someone needs a door, or lights, or any kind of home product, they go to this one area near Wangsimni because that's where they sell that stuff. Like in the entire city, everyone comes to this one town to pick and choose from about 30 stores that all carry the same thing. It's bad enough they're all right next door to each other, even worse that they don't diversify their product. It's like when you go to techno mart and there's a guy there selling hard drives and literally the booth right across from him is selling the exact same hard drives. In Itaewon, it's the same with foreign clothing. They all carry the same shirts, or pants, or jackets, and all at the same price. Why bother having 7 stores that carry the same thing within eye site of each other? WTH?
It's no wonder commercial renovations are going on non-stop here. Seems like someone stays open long enough to run through half their initial inventory and then boom, doors closed. Somebody else moves in, puts on a new coat a paint, changes the locks, throws up their sign, stock their shelves with the exact same thing the other guy had, and somehow thinks it's all gonna be different for them. |
Mainly has to do with the fact there are no street names and intelligible addresses. If you had street names with proper street numbers, its no problem finding a store. With Korea's setup its nearly impossible to find a single store. The best way is for a 'block' to setup multiple stores that sell the same products so that people go to a specific "area" and they can be sure to find what they need.
Seriously, if I told you the Dry Cleaners are at 123-4 DDongko-dong, are you going to be able to find it easily? |
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Meenam
Joined: 16 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 11:47 am Post subject: |
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| Seriously, if I told you the Dry Cleaners are at 123-4 DDongko-dong, are you going to be able to find it easily? |
If you had a map you could. |
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Konglishman
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Nanjing
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| Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Meenam wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Seriously, if I told you the Dry Cleaners are at 123-4 DDongko-dong, are you going to be able to find it easily? |
If you had a map you could. |
No, you mean if you had a GPS device. Have you ever noticed how many drivers in Korea have GPS installed in their cars? |
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