Internet Shopping: Easy and Fast
While some people out there complain about the lack of selection in stores around Ulsan, whether they sometimes stock good stuff and then never carry it again, or the local farmer’s union doesn’t carry a large selection of western good specifically catered to the needs of foreigners, there is an alternative. I discovered the secret to living large and getting fat in Korea… internet shopping!!!
These days I am not one to complain about lack of western foods because I get them delivered to my door. The hardest thing about this transaction is either typing my address or walking to the bank to transfer the money.
EZSHOP Korea (www.ezshopkorea.com) is a great start for your international food and to stop your whining. The prices are a little higher than what you would find around town or at Costco but if you factor in thefact that you don’t have to go anywhere and you actually have someone doing your shopping for you, you will realise that it is totally worth it.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the cost of the buses, taxis and the time it takes to go to either Daegu or Busan add up to a lot more that the costs on EZSHOP. These days they carry many “non-costco” Western items that are hard to find in Ulsan. With their points program you get even more discounts each time you shop. With my last trip to Costco in Busan, I calculated the extra costs involved and shopping on EZSHOP was near to the same price and I didn’t even get up off my fat rump. Orders typically come within 2 days.
GMARKET is my latest venture. For a while I was frightened of the flashing adds and the 30,000 images on a single page, but for the sake of this article, I decided to test it out. It was great and it sucked a few hundred bucks out of my wallet. While Ulsan is great, it lacks many things that other cities have in bulk.
Recently, I started back into cycling. OMK bikes is the best choice for all things cycling and spandex in Ulsan, but the sight of me in tight shorts and bright colours could scare even the hardest-core ajumma. GMARKET has a tons great equipment (baggy cycling shorts) at extremely low prices. The delivery was also lighting fast. Some items were delivered the next day.
Now I know what you are thinking, it is in KOREAN! While you are partially right, but since being bought by EBAY, the site has taken great lengths to open its doors to foreigners living in Korea. The registration and account pages are all beautifully translated into English making signing up and payment easy and quick.
While I still have trouble with the flashing pages, there are deals to be had and they carry a ton of great stuff, not everything you might want may be available. There is just so much stuff you could search through it for hours.
If you can read Korean or have a Korean friend and are looking for great deals on cameras and electronics, DANAWA is a great site to check out. While is is all in Korean, there are deals to be had. DANAWA will search for the cheapest price for whatever you are looking for from hundreds of online vendors. I have used DANAWA for a lot of my electronic accessories and printers. It you have help and are looking for great deals on computer stuff (and more now) check them out.
BABO SHIRTS is a great place to get those memorable t-shirts with funny Korean sayings on them. I have bought a few T-shirts from them and they have always got a great reaction from the Koreans around me. Their site is easy to navigate and is funny as hell. They continually have new shirts in stock and are very easy to order from.
What the Book is a great place to find books and again is easy to order from. They have thousands of great books to choose from and have access to a lot of titles that are really hard to find here in Korea. Some orders will take longer than others due to the fact that they may have to come from their American warehouse but usually it will take anywhere from 5 to 10 days for the average order. I find their selection of books is great especially for best sellers, Korean language books and awesome computer and photography books.
In the end, it maybe hard at first to navigate some of the pages, but it will be worth it. It can save you a bit a money and make life here a whole lot more comfortable in the process. As for the complainers, if you still can’t find what you are looking for, Itaewan in Seoul carries a wide selection of Western goods to meet your needs and I would encourage you to go there. Look for a solution rather than complain about what you can easily accomplish with a quick internet search. Happy shopping!