Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BoholDiver]

I am wondering i your areas are also seeing a mass-closing of big chains. My area is.

The main road opened a new Paris Baguette and Tous Les Jours near a few small bakeries. I expected a slaughter. In actuality, the Paris and Tous closed. In the same week. Also, another small Paris Baguette closed inside the station.

I have also seen a few Baskin Robbins close recently.

[definitely maybe]

[definitely maybe]

[Swampfox10mm]

Suddenly several businesses in one building will change or disappear. It is partly due to their rent contracts coming up at the same time. Very common. Often if a business is successful,the buiding owner will raise rent astronomically, assuming the tennants wil pay. Some do not.

[ThingsComeAround]

Ive seen Panamie close (one near me and another at Daehwa)
Dunkin moved to the center of my block. Still plenty of cell phone stores- maybe two dozen within an eighth of a mile.

[matthews_world]

I believe that in Korea a business must occupy the same storefront for a minimum of 10 months, even if they don't do well. Someone correct if wrong.

[chrisinkorea2011]

its not due to the rent or contracts a lot of the time, although im sure that could indeed happen to some. For the most part actually its placement of the business and its location adjacent to another one of the same company or a competitior. I have a few friends who are managers at different places and its the same story for them. One of them works at a dunkin doughnuts, they had huge profits, another opened up about 2 blocks away and it slashed their profits, (by how much im not sure) but it was the deciding factor. same with PB and the others. its like they come up like weeds to kill out the other weeds.

[eamo]

I live in a massive new town which just had the first businesses open about 18 months ago.......so it's crazy to see the slaughter going on......no one there is established. Everyone could survive or die. Every business owner is sweating buckets.

The 18 month mark seems to be sorting the wheat from the chaff......lots of small independent shops and restaurants are going under.

The main street near me is truly the avenue of broken dreams.

[Slowmotion]

I wish there was a bakery that made decent bread and more paris baguettes closed down

[chrisinkorea2011]

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

[atwood]

Nol Bu keeps opening new restaurants. I normally avoid chains but his places do things right--good food and good service, which is harder to find than good food.

[Murakano]

The Paris Baguette in Gangnam (CGV side) closed recently too.

[Swampfox10mm]

Sometimes I wonder if these places open and close so fast by design. Maybe as a front to launder "black money?" Given the stupidity of the locations of some places people open, you wonder if they put any thought or planning into what they were doing. It's hard to believe people can be so stupid. That's why I wonder if there isn't something else behind the scenes going on.

[BoholDiver]

I think it is linked to the prevalent thought here of 'it won't happen to me'. So many others have failed, but I will succeed.