Convenience Stores in Korea vs. the U.S.
Submitted by Hera Lee
If you are an avid TikTok user or are on social media, you may have come across viral videos of convenience stores, typically in countries like Korea and Japan. Convenience stores, although not as glorious as they sound, have become a widely popular fixation in the Western world. These stores, unlike the ones you find in America or other European countries, are not your typical, boring shops that sell chips and drinks. With the help of Korea’s innovative technology and creativity, these Asian countries have found ways to enhance the experience of shopping at a convenience store.
1. Variety
In a typical American convenience store like 7-Eleven or Circle K, you will find common snacks, chips, microwavable food, ice cream, and sometimes slushies. Although these stores provide a wide variety of food and drinks to choose from, you most likely won’t find something you have seen or tried. On the other hand, convenience stores in Korea not only offer food and drinks, but they also sell skincare and cosmetic products, alcohol, sanitary products, medicine, and even prescription glasses! Their stores are designed to provide customers with anything they could possibly need instantly- hence why they are so convenient!
2. Creativity
Taking a trip down to your local convenience store isn’t something you plan to do for fun. However, in Korea, you’ll find lots of foreigners recording themselves shopping in convenience stores. Why is that? That’s because these stores provide a different style and experience of shopping. Korean convenience stores, unlike the ones in the United States, allow you to cook the foods you buy. For example, if you buy a cup of ramen, a popular staple of these stores, there are water boiling stations within the store and chairs and tables for you to sit at to enjoy. Some stores also provide additional toppings for your ramen such as cheese, kimchi, eggs, and dumplings for purchase. People can get really creative with their meals and also have fun while making it. For drinks, Korean convenience stores provide packaged ice cups and display a wide variety of drinks in pouches. You are able to choose a drink (or multiple) and a type of ice cup to make your very own drink. With these fun and interactive shopping experiences, Korean convenience stores captured the attention of foreign countries such as Americans on social media.
3. Cost
A huge difference between American and Korean convenience stores is the cost. With the currency difference between the two countries, Korea wins over the affordability of the products these stores sell. For example, a bag of Cheetos at a 7-Eleven store here in the States can cost roughly around $5. For $5 in South Korea, you can purchase chips, a cup of ramen, a drink, ice cream, and even a small dessert. Korea is known for its cheaper prices, and that is not all credited to its cheaper currency. These stores hold their purpose of providing “convenient” and cheap products to be able to provide for all customers.
4. Convenience
People often enter convenience stores to grab a quick snack or a cup of coffee in the morning. In the U.S., many stores are often located near gas stations for the convenience of shopping while getting gas. If you are not located somewhere crowded like New York City, you most likely will have to travel by car in order to find your nearest convenience store. In Korea, it is a lot easier to locate stores not only due to the smaller size of the country, but also because of the number of convenience stores there are. There are currently 55,200 convenience stores in Korea and 152,396 stores in America. Although America seems to have much more stores by these straight numbers, the story is different if we were to consider the size of each country since South Korea is much smaller than the U.S. With the size into consideration, Korea has an average of 2 convenience stores per square mile, while America has 0.04 stores per square mile. That’s not even 1 store accounted for in the States! This explains why you’ll find a convenience store at every corner in South Korea. You won’t need to look for long before you find one, serving a great convenience for Korean shoppers.
The next time you travel to South Korea or fly there for the first time, I definitely recommend checking out the convenience stores there to experience them yourself! You can’t miss it! (literally).
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