Shop till you Drop

South Korea, or Seoul, to be exact, is undoubtedly one of the best places to shop in the world. Its high population density and obsession with designer goods attracted various boutiques and brand-name merchandises. But one need not despair just because one does not pull a six-figure income. Seoul is an equal opportunity shopping mecca for all.

Things have gotten a lot more expensive than when I last shopped (8 & 1/2 years ago), but compared to retail prices that Vancouverites pay, denizens of Seoul can procure cheaper goods more easily. For a good pair of heels you can go as low as CAD$30, maybe even less if you have the guts to haggle. My fellow North American consumers can attest to the fact that such a price is not easily obtained in Vancouver.

Even though I cannot deny my utter (sometimes servile) devotion to footwear, I also have a weak spot for cute stationary. Like Japan Korea is a home to many of those so-called "character goods". I've seen Artbox or Morning Glory in Vancouver/Burnaby, but items sold by the original Korean branches are much more varied. North American countries do not fully embrace cutesy stuff to the degree that Asian countries do, it seems.

*Artbox Website* http://www.artbox.co.kr/

Abandon all hope ye who enter.

The problem with these shops lies with their tendency to make me BUY CRAP THAT I DON'T ACTUALLY NEED. Visiting an Artbox store is a real treat to my eyes, but a torture to my reason and wallet. So far I've managed to buy only those that I absolutely need. God knows how long my defense will last against their persistent temptation.

And that's only offline.

Korea is a small, overpopulated country with an affinity towards the high-speed internet. Korean online shopping malls are much more well-organized than their North American or European counterparts. Because the country is so small and there are so many people in the labour force, things are more or less certain to arrive within a few days. Efficient, n'est-ce pas?
Quite. In making your wallet lighter.

Upon my unwilling research for permanent employment and finding all these shopping malls, I couldn't help but wonder (a la Carrie Bradshaw): Are most Koreans driven towards online shopping because they have to work jobs they hate, and have to somehow compensate for their lost dreams and frustrated desires?

Sounds legit.