Episode 8: The Shopping

One of the things I was most excited for when coming to South Korea was the shopping. Seoul is known to quickly adopt trends and offer cheap and stylish clothing. So obviously, one of the first things I did after landing in South Korea was go shopping.

I quickly noticed that the shopping scene here, namely trying on clothes and its storage, was quite different than in the States. When shopping in the states, typically anything that is on the floor at the retail store is all the inventory and sizing that the place offers. Any item a customer tries on and decides to purchase is an item found on a clothing rack within the store.

In Seoul, I’ve noticed that many retail stores here don’t do that. When a customer wishes to purchase an item – unless it is the last one available – the store will typically have a few items on clothing racks to try on and view, but the actual item to be purchased is in the back still in its packaging and brand new. This is much more hygienic than having all the inventory on the floor to be tried and purchased as how it is done in the States.

Along the lines of hygiene, when trying on any top, a store will typically have thin face covers to ensure that no makeup can smear onto their merchandise. I think this is incredibly genius! Not only does it keep the clothes clean, it also ensures one’s makeup isn’t messed up either.

This is a practice that I think should be more widely adopted. Having the ability to walk out of a store knowing that you are leaving with brand new items should be the norm and it is something that has greatly enhanced my shopping experience in Seoul.