Comments on: I pine for the days of Wal-Mart. WTF? http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/281 Crunky! This is a blog about an English teacher living in South Korea. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:04:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: torgodevil http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/281#comment-893 torgodevil Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:34:03 +0000 http://www.torgodevil.com/archives/281#comment-893 Well, yeah, I mean, E-Mart is basically Wal-Mart put through the Korean filter. Instead of "Great American" versions of Breakfast Oatmeal, we have E-Plus brand Quail Eggs in soy sauce. (DELICIOUS!) Explain this to a marketing student and they will have a headache. "Wait, so, they have less choice, and are driven to shop more?" Well, yeah, I mean, E-Mart is basically Wal-Mart put through the Korean filter. Instead of “Great American” versions of Breakfast Oatmeal, we have E-Plus brand Quail Eggs in soy sauce. (DELICIOUS!)

Explain this to a marketing student and they will have a headache. “Wait, so, they have less choice, and are driven to shop more?”

]]> By: Eric http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/281#comment-875 Eric Mon, 20 Nov 2006 14:19:10 +0000 http://www.torgodevil.com/archives/281#comment-875 "copies of Korean foods that are well established" Branding. It works. I thought you majored in business? Seriously. Plus, given what you've posted about the homogeneity of Korean culture, this makes perfect sense. Everyone is drawn to the familiar. Not every culture is choice-obsessed like America, despite what economists would have you believe about their universal philosophy of human nature. “copies of Korean foods that are well established”

Branding. It works. I thought you majored in business? Seriously. Plus, given what you’ve posted about the homogeneity of Korean culture, this makes perfect sense. Everyone is drawn to the familiar. Not every culture is choice-obsessed like America, despite what economists would have you believe about their universal philosophy of human nature.

]]> By: torgodevil http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/281#comment-874 torgodevil Mon, 20 Nov 2006 01:19:38 +0000 http://www.torgodevil.com/archives/281#comment-874 I've been looking. I've got an Mp3 player that can record stuff, but I never have the microphone on me when I go. Also, they don't play the Happy E-Mart song at this new location. At the old location they used to play it on the hour, but now it's nothing but never ending pop music on a loop. Perhaps they'll change it to the Imperial March when they take over all of the retail space in Korea. I’ve been looking. I’ve got an Mp3 player that can record stuff, but I never have the microphone on me when I go. Also, they don’t play the Happy E-Mart song at this new location. At the old location they used to play it on the hour, but now it’s nothing but never ending pop music on a loop. Perhaps they’ll change it to the Imperial March when they take over all of the retail space in Korea.

]]> By: ZenKimchi http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/281#comment-873 ZenKimchi Mon, 20 Nov 2006 00:28:29 +0000 http://www.torgodevil.com/archives/281#comment-873 Same is true in my area. Wal-Mart replaced an E-Mart, so we have two E-Marts fairly close to each other. Occasionally I'd find something cool at Wal-Mart, but the E-Mart which is closer to me has been stocking more "foreign" goods. It got to the point where the E-Mart had more of what I was looking for than the Wal-Mart. Besides, the old Wal-Mart's interior got me depressed the same way Wal-Marts in America did. I think that blue and gray color scheme just programs people to beat their kids in public. But man, do you know where I can download that Happy E-Mart Song? That is always stuck in my head. The only way to exorcise it is to saturate. Same is true in my area. Wal-Mart replaced an E-Mart, so we have two E-Marts fairly close to each other. Occasionally I’d find something cool at Wal-Mart, but the E-Mart which is closer to me has been stocking more “foreign” goods. It got to the point where the E-Mart had more of what I was looking for than the Wal-Mart. Besides, the old Wal-Mart’s interior got me depressed the same way Wal-Marts in America did. I think that blue and gray color scheme just programs people to beat their kids in public.

But man, do you know where I can download that Happy E-Mart Song? That is always stuck in my head. The only way to exorcise it is to saturate.

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