Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jdog2050]

Hey all,

I friggin' loathe the "Technomarts" here: i.e., Yongsan, the Technomart just across the river from Jamsil, etc. 9 floors of people selling the exact same crap, never having what you actually need, and overly expensive components that are manufactured 3 hours away in Taiwan.

So, does anyone have a suggestion for a place that doesn't leave them frustrated by the time they leave the door? Brick and mortar is fine, but I'm thinking of a good korean website/discount website like pricewatch.com

[jeffkim1972]

I was just recently in Yongsan also. Rows and rows of the same crap at the same high price. Utterly ridiculous. you could fit Yongsan on one floor.

But you have 20 copies of the same booth selling the exact same stuff.

[Paji eh Wong]

http://www.danawa.com/

[ttompatz]

Why is it that everyone thinks that the I'Park Mall (Yongsan station) and Terminal Building (big blue building attached to Yongsan station by the pedway over the rail yard are all that Yongsan consists of?

There are LOTS of great deals to be had on all kinds of stuff but you have to actually get out of the station to find them.

Son-in Plaza (the place with the big gigabyte sign on it), Nanjin Arcade (both buildings), Electroland, etc....

I can usually meet or beat the prices from Danawa by going to the Son-in plaza.

[peppermint]

Never ordered stuff online from a Korean site, but I found that if you print off the page for a product from a site like Danawa, it's a pretty useful bargaining chip at Yongsan

[johninmaine]

...ive read somewhere that they are using these retail shops as "warehouses" to reduce their "actual inventory", thus making it seem like they are selling something, thus increasing stockholder share.

in Chinatown in NY they do they same thing, along with money-laundering, hiding money, etc.

so, they're not actually selling anything...it's more of a warehouse /money-laundering business to bump up stock price.

the chinese /asians aren't stupid, but they're unaware that the US is on a bit of a reductionist-idealogy now and aren't buying crap, electronics, etc (except the teenagers)

just ask any 40 yr old US parent, they'd rather be fishing than fooling around with their Blackberry. travel and leisure is UP, electronics is DOWN. (except laptops)

[peppermint]

Uh, Johninmaine, these shops cater to the domestic market exclusively. As well, equating all Asian people with Chinese, particularly the Chinese underworld won't win you any friends when you arrive

[johninmaine]

if you've studied economics for any significant time, you'll understand about inventory management, cash flow, production, etc.

if company XYZ manufactures 50 million cell phones then hides them in back rooms and retail stores, then company XYZ begins to "show" a profit.

have you read anything about US corporate scandals and inflating or manipulating balance sheets?? these companies look like the next Dell, but in actuality, they're not producing anything.

all countries do it in some manner, some worse than others. just so happens the Asian countries tend to use electronics.

another US example is ToysRUs, and they went bankrupt, and were bought in March 2005. because many of their stores weren't selling anything, just small warehouses, holding onto real estate like monopoly houses.

[ttompatz]

[jdog2050]

[jinju]

[Gatsby]

From what you describe, places like this in the States are called "factory outlets." This sounds like a Korean version of a factory outlet mall. Sort of. Except each store sells the same stuff?

Now, the problem with factory outlets is that much of the stuff is B stock. This is stuff that has been returned, is defective, is slightly used, is old merchandise, or in this case, might be gray market stuff that does not have a manufacturer's warranty Of course, outlets also sell A stock, but it is labeled and costs more.

How do you know you are not getting B stock here?

[IlIlNine]

What are you looking for?

[jdog2050]

[jdog2050]