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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 5:54 am Post subject: The latest in the supermarket war |
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When the regulation about large supermarkets being required to close two Sundays per month first came about, I remember people arguing that it was no big deal. "It's only two days per month, and it might work in helping small businesses", they said. Well, now there's new evidence for my argument that principles matter.
Last night I was in my local E-Mart and ended up buying a lot more than I had planned. I asked if they could deliver the things I bought, something they used to do when you spent 50,000 won or more. The clerk told me that the delivery service is now only being offered on large items like refrigerators and Internet orders, but not for things you can carry purchased in the store, by order of the government.
I assumed this was for environmental reasons (going to the store uses gas unless you walk, and delivery uses even more), which I would be equally against, but the clerk told me it was to reduce large supermarkets' competitiveness vis-a-vis small supermarkets.
*sigh* |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 6:24 pm Post subject: Re: The latest in the supermarket war |
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| cdninkorea wrote: |
When the regulation about large supermarkets being required to close two Sundays per month first came about, I remember people arguing that it was no big deal. "It's only two days per month, and it might work in helping small businesses", they said. Well, now there's new evidence for my argument that principles matter.
Last night I was in my local E-Mart and ended up buying a lot more than I had planned. I asked if they could deliver the things I bought, something they used to do when you spent 50,000 won or more. The clerk told me that the delivery service is now only being offered on large items like refrigerators and Internet orders, but not for things you can carry purchased in the store, by order of the government.
I assumed this was for environmental reasons (going to the store uses gas unless you walk, and delivery uses even more), which I would be equally against, but the clerk told me it was to reduce large supermarkets' competitiveness vis-a-vis small supermarkets.
*sigh* |
Ain't democracy grand? |
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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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It's ridiculous. What I can't believe is that the government also insisted that large stores that sell mostly to tourists, like the Seoul Station Lottemart and Yongsan E-Mart, also be closed on two Sundays each month. Inconveniencing Japanese and Chinese tourists makes no sense.
No logic at all was used in the decision-making. |
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hogwonguy1979
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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| dairyairy wrote: |
It's ridiculous. What I can't believe is that the government also insisted that large stores that sell mostly to tourists, like the Seoul Station Lottemart and Yongsan E-Mart, also be closed on two Sundays each month. Inconveniencing Japanese and Chinese tourists makes no sense.
No logic at all was used in the decision-making. |
you expect LOGIC IN KOREA???????? ROTFL!!!!!
this is the country where logic comes to die  |
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Moondoggy
Joined: 07 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 8:22 pm Post subject: |
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| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
| dairyairy wrote: |
It's ridiculous. What I can't believe is that the government also insisted that large stores that sell mostly to tourists, like the Seoul Station Lottemart and Yongsan E-Mart, also be closed on two Sundays each month. Inconveniencing Japanese and Chinese tourists makes no sense.
No logic at all was used in the decision-making. |
you expect LOGIC IN KOREA???????? ROTFL!!!!!
this is the country where logic comes to die |
actually your brain cells are dead already. i like your user name though, hogwon guy. O what a miserable life... |
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tatertot
Joined: 21 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Moondoggy wrote: |
| hogwonguy1979 wrote: |
| dairyairy wrote: |
It's ridiculous. What I can't believe is that the government also insisted that large stores that sell mostly to tourists, like the Seoul Station Lottemart and Yongsan E-Mart, also be closed on two Sundays each month. Inconveniencing Japanese and Chinese tourists makes no sense.
No logic at all was used in the decision-making. |
you expect LOGIC IN KOREA???????? ROTFL!!!!!
this is the country where logic comes to die |
actually your brain cells are dead already. i like your user name though, hogwon guy. O what a miserable life... |
ZING /s |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Moondoggy wrote: |
| actually your brain cells are dead already. i like your user name though, hogwon guy. O what a miserable life... |
You really think a 33-year-old came here in 2003 and still works in a hakwon? |
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Stan Rogers
Joined: 20 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 10:11 pm Post subject: |
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| I can see how having to carry your own groceries would be a tramatic experience. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:37 pm Post subject: |
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Never used this service, but just the fact that they're pushing these chains more irks me.
I'm going to walk by a mom&pop and NOT go in! |
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fermentation
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 2:37 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I'm going to walk by a mom&pop and NOT go in! |
I never shopped at them but now whatever sympathy I've had for them has dwindled. |
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NYC_Gal 2.0
Joined: 10 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 4:59 am Post subject: |
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| Captain Corea wrote: |
Never used this service, but just the fact that they're pushing these chains more irks me.
I'm going to walk by a mom&pop and NOT go in! |
Supermarkets are closed 2 Wednesdays a month in Incheon. I'm not sure if it's citywide, but I've been to several areas where it was the case.
It is a bit lame, but I also see a bunch of for rent signs in empty storefronts. It's sad how the Walmart effect has hit here as well. I go out of my way to get produce from the wholesale market in Incheon because
1) Fewer middlemen between the farm and market.
2) It's way cheaper. I split a 20kg box of potatoes that cost 30k with 2 friends. My husband and I ate a lot of potatoes that month, but our food budget had extra left over for some nice cheese.
3) There's far more variety when it comes to fruit and veg. |
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fezmond
Joined: 27 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 5:00 am Post subject: |
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Does this whole closing on Sundays actually work? If I am out doing a big shop and find the place is closed I'll just come home and do it the next day. Does anyone really do grocery shopping at the local places?
The only decent thing about my local mum and dad store is that their beer is 1500 a bottle compared with 2200 over in family mart. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 5:34 am Post subject: |
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| fezmond wrote: |
| Does this whole closing on Sundays actually work? |
Depends on what you mean by work in this case. If you mean politically, of course it does--at least with the mom & pop store owners. If you mean legally, I seriously doubt the laws will survive review by Korea's Supreme Court. If you mean practically, of course it doesn't. "Blue Laws" never work. It doesn't matter what the stated reason for this asinine law is, it's just not going to work. If anything, all it will do is get more people angry than it's making happy. |
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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 5:41 am Post subject: |
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| FWIW Costco has no new stores planned for Korea while 3 more will open in Japan over the next few weeks, and 3 more will open in Australia over the course of 2013. If the Korean government wanted to ruin a good thing for many consumers and suppliers then mission accomplished. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 5:49 am Post subject: |
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| Korea already proved they don't care about having a good thing when they chased out both Wal-Mart and Carrefour. |
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