Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nicwr2002]

I was out with the wife today at the local traditional market and I was greatly disappointed. Government officials and the local business owners always complain about the big box stores taking away their business. These markets were places where you could haggle the price of items and get things cheaper than the big marts. However, the sellers were having non of that and seemed to be annoyed that you would even ask for a different price or ask for an extra this or that. I mean, not just the usual tactic to make you pay higher, they flat out said "No, are you kidding me? We don't haggle here."

Even swapping out one bad orange in the box with a good orange in another box annoyed the seller. She adamantely refused to do just that one simple gesture of customer service. If this is the way the traditional markets work, they are no different than the big marts. It doesn't make me have a lot of sympathy for the business owners their. There are more negatives than positives to going to the traditional market over the big marts. The one thing, in my opinion, that the traditional markets had was the ability to haggle. Now that they have almost done away with that, there isn't much reason for me to want to go there.

What do you think? Is my case just the only one?

[wooden nickels]

[Fox]

I like our traditional market, but when I say that, I mean I like certain particular shops at our traditional market. We buy most of our chicken and duck there from a family that raises the chickens themselves. Sometimes we buy bulk fruit, usually right after harvest. And it is nice to buy 떡 there because it is made fresh each day.

With fruit in general, I think the way to tell a good shop is:
1) They will happily let you sample anything.
2) They move your purchase from the basket into a bag, and in a non-obfuscatory fashion (so you can see there is no bad fruit hidden at the bottom).
3) They always add some extra of a different type for free (which is why they do not have to scam you into buying bad stuff: they give away the fruit which might go bad soon to breed good will).

That is my experience, anyway.

[Rutherford]

I shop in Bujeon market a lot. It's once of the biggest markets in Busan and has better prices than most of the smaller neighborhood traditional markets. I mostly buy fruits, veggies, fish, and chicken there. I find most things to be cheaper and more fresh than Emart, Homeplus, etc. Seasonal items in particular are a good deal.

Some highlights:

-A friendly vendor who has a small shop selling "foreign" produce. Has good prices on cauliflower, beets, radishes, and celery. Much cheaper than the marts and he throws in free curly parsley.
-Chicken vendor has whole birds 4 - 6,000. Cuts them to order. 1kg legs for 7000 as well.
-1kg of fresh young ginger for 8,000. Made ginger liqueur with kirkland vodka.
-Fish are cheap in season. Occasionally find herring. Right now you can get a good deal on cod.

[yodanole]

Whatever is being sold, more than one vendor is going to be selling it. Move on to the next one.

I like that there are "exotic" items available that are not to be found at box stores. I don't buy anything anywhere ( except the ER ) unless I feel that I'm getting what I could reasonably want.

[Cave Dweller]

I think bartering and bargaining have gone the way of the dinosaur here. But as far as being better than big box stores, often times, they are. But big box places have parking and are heated. A lot of these old markets are gross and dirty. They have dog meat and pigs heads and crap is sold uncovered so anyone walking by could cough in your dinner. No thanks for the most part.

[tiger fancini]

If they want to survive, they need to up their game. Simple as that. I understand that they feel that they cannot compete against the likes of Emart and HomePlus, which do provide a far more family-friendly shopping experience. But cold, dirty stores and shopping areas, coupled with poor selection and often rude and unfriendly staff do not make me sympathise with them too much. It's the same in any situation, either move with the times or get left behind - for better or worse, that is the world that we have chosen to create around us.

[atwood]

How do you know for certain the provenance of what you're buying at the traditional markets?

I remember this past Chuseok where investigators found at least 30% of the seafood being sold was either from China or Japan.

[nicwr2002]