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Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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matthews_world
Joined: 15 Feb 2003
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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Um,,,potatoes?
Did you happen to shop in the dead of winter or during monsoon season?
Look at my previous post. |
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Steelrails

Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| Steelrails wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
| pkang0202 wrote: |
In Seoul you see it(out of stock items) more often because of the sheer number of people that shop. |
It's not like you can't plan for this.[/b] |
It's probably electronically counted and automatically ordered, just like every corporate run business around the world does. The computer decides. That's why things that usually see consistent purchase are almost always in stock, and things like niche groceries can sometimes be sold out. BUT there can be rushes or unexpected numbers of people.
It's better to have to little of a product than to have too much and have it go out as waste.
Also, the sheer size of the market relative to the amount of food that can be produced means that you will probably have a more inconsistent supply and that orders may be more rigid in quantity and timing. That and Korea is essentially an island from a trade point of view. EVERYTHING must come in from air or sea.
Yes, I know that when your imported olives run out, they should have them flown in on next day air and still have the product cost the same as back home (not that they should ever be sold out, your niche foreign product should be priority #1!), but sadly that's not the case.
And don't forget unlike staples which are bought daily, these foreign products may sit on the shelves for weeks on end until one day someone happens by (possibly with friends), and suddenly buys up the entire stock, with no consistency or pattern. That's bad for store tracking. |
Steelrails, read my posts: I'm not talking about imports (for the tenth time). I've been to EMart when they didn't have potatoes. Are potatoes a niche product? |
Well in the case of domestic produce those things probably still are electronically tracked and ordered. If there happens to be a run on potatoes one day then yes, you might get sold out potatoes. I find it highly doubtful that E-Mart uses anything but electronic ordering systems. Also I bet the orders from distributers are at contracted prices and quantities and that those distributors also service multiple grocery companies and have to fulfill their contractual obligations as well. A poor yield of potatoes, plus one grocery company flexing its muscle to secure extra stocks can lead to that kind of situation.
This stuff happens. . |
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Underwaterbob

Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Location: In Cognito
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 4:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Yes! 5000won for a giant slab of hash browns! Wish they'd get to work on the cheese though. |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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| schwa wrote: |
| atwood wrote: |
| Rule of thumb: If you see something you like, buy a lot of it because it might not be there the next time. |
Thats one strategy, but if others do the same you shouldnt be surprised if something else you like happens to be suddenly out of stock. |
As my post implies, I'm never surprised when something is out of stock in Korea. If it's because someone else has purchased it, good for them. First come, first served.
Distribution here is a mess. I was looking for a specific running shoe. Each store that I went to had a different variety (of the same brand) of running shoes for sale. And if you wait a week, the selections change. |
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