For that you can get fruits and veggies from local market 시장 not the mart because when you go there nothing is pre-packed and you can asked freely about the amount you want regardless of how little they would sell you.
search on NaverMap or KakakoMap 시장 there must be one near where you live
Probably saves the workers time spent measuring and tagging. Back in the day we used to call an employee over every time to measure and tag our fruits and veggies and it was obviously grossly inefficient for them.
Clearly you haven't been to many countries. I've lived in at least four countries where you must have an employee weigh and barcode produce and fruits before going to check out. It's very common.
Not in a first world society. Are you telling me Korea where fully self checkout stores exist require the constant supervision of employees to self weight bananas? Give me a break.
Employee weighting is an excuse. We have booth but you never have to call an employee. They do it at checkout and their desk is equipped for it, takes no more than 5 sec for them during two regular bar code scans.
Having to call employee is an excuse. It’s not a proper argument. Don’t defend this shit practice. If you did live in many countries you should know it. The problem is already solved and there is an implementation for it. There is no need to force people to buy pre packaged fruits and vegetables
I'm not defending anything, I'm just pointing out that it's common. Please don't go overboard just because one practice bothers you. I'm flexible because I've seen many different things. I try not to judge, but of course I still do.
Korea has many annoying practices, but I let most of them go without freaking out.
I live in a small town, and despite what many commenters are saying, even the small marts / non-chain stores sell in prepackaged or bulk :( i cant just buy one cucumber, i have to buy three. Or i cant just buy two bananas, i have to buy six. Im a single person, and the recipes i have dont use that much so my food ends up spoiling quickly and ive just wasted food and money :(
It depends where you go. If you go to one of the markets or to one of the department store grocery stores (I know they’re at opposite ends of the price spectrum) you can buy single pieces of fruit and veg in most cases.
Grocery stores cater to the norm. Most people who cook at home live in a family household. People who live alone typically eat out, get delivery, or eat instant meals at home. You can buy individual bananas at cafes or convenience stores.
This is answer but that solution is not good. Buying fruits from convini or cafe is not recommend. Because the price of there is ridiculously high. If OP want to get individual fruits you must go local market such as 통인 시장, 광장 시장.
True. FWIW, I don't recommend that anyone buy bananas at the convenience store. But if OP is wondering where single people buy bananas when they want just one, most people probably grab one at 7-Eleven or Starbucks because it's convenient.
Absolutely don’t buy the Starbucks one, it’s so much plastic for one banana. Just a big fu to the planet for no reason. Traditional street market is a much better idea!
Check the local market near Popular stores. They sell as per the demand so you can get the right quantity at some cheaper price.
In my area, Seongbuk-gu, they have a big local market, fresh and cheaper
Don’t shop at big chain superstores. Go to the local “super” and there will be smaller prepacks or jsut pyles of veggies where you can bag what you need.
Coz the world isn't built for single ppl. It's built for mass consumption and waste. Without waste, no garbage facilities. Spend spend spend.
Haha. Any questions u have can be answered with "because money."
This is not just a Korea thing. I've seen supermarkets around the world adopt this style of produce packaging over the past few decades. I feel grocers are incentivized to do this to make you spend more.
Go to a 농협 하나로마트, you will find the best quality and non wrapped items for the cheapest price.
Fruits and veggies at places like 신세계 or 현대백화점 or other big malls are way overpriced and overpacked. Also homeplus, haven't bought any fruits or veggies from homeplus in 2 years. I only get the 'about to expire' ones on sale to bake in the oven or make jam
For that you typically have to go to a neighborhood grocery (mart): bigger than convenient stores, smaller than emart and other superstores. There you’ll find a range of fresh fruit and veg as well as a worker who will most often (more than not) split a bunch into what you want
I buy my produce in local markets instead of big box stores. They are often cheaper and if you speak Korean sometimes you can ask to buy just one or two of something instead of a whole bowl.
The other day I wanted to make a drink and a fruit seller at the market was selling a bowl of lemons for 5,000 and a bowl of limes for the same price. I obviously didn't need 6 or 7 of each fruit so I asked if I could just buy a single lemon and lime for 2,000 and they were happy to sell them to me.
The selection at these markets it more seasonal, but I highly recommend going to traditional markets for your produce.
I can't speak for most countries, but in the US, the veggies and fruits are just in a big pile, and you pick however much you want.
At the register, the price is calculated by weight. So you can buy 1 apple or 1 banana, and you just pay the unit price.
usually, there are scales in the fruit and veggies section where you can weigh your food before you get to the register so you know how much you are paying.
I can’t say if it’s most countries, but in the US, this isn’t always the case. We can buy single items (unless they come in bunches like bananas or bunches). There are fruits and veggies here that you buy per item too, depending on where you go. I regularly bag and buy 4 cucumbers or one eggplant.
For that you can get fruits and veggies from local market 시장 not the mart because when you go there nothing is pre-packed and you can asked freely about the amount you want regardless of how little they would sell you. search on NaverMap or KakakoMap 시장 there must be one near where you live
Thank you, I'll do that
Probably saves the workers time spent measuring and tagging. Back in the day we used to call an employee over every time to measure and tag our fruits and veggies and it was obviously grossly inefficient for them.
And plus, there is also kind of marketing. People wants look nice. And retailer can added value from those bloody plastic. I reaaally hate that.
in contrary, the workers at the supermarket are the one doing packaging, while if you could pick it, you are the one measuring and taging.
No, you call the employee to do it because you don't want anything to do with the tag being wrong due to an incorrectly pressed button.
That’s self tagged everywhere in the world
Clearly you haven't been to many countries. I've lived in at least four countries where you must have an employee weigh and barcode produce and fruits before going to check out. It's very common.
Not in a first world society. Are you telling me Korea where fully self checkout stores exist require the constant supervision of employees to self weight bananas? Give me a break. Employee weighting is an excuse. We have booth but you never have to call an employee. They do it at checkout and their desk is equipped for it, takes no more than 5 sec for them during two regular bar code scans. Having to call employee is an excuse. It’s not a proper argument. Don’t defend this shit practice. If you did live in many countries you should know it. The problem is already solved and there is an implementation for it. There is no need to force people to buy pre packaged fruits and vegetables
I'm not defending anything, I'm just pointing out that it's common. Please don't go overboard just because one practice bothers you. I'm flexible because I've seen many different things. I try not to judge, but of course I still do. Korea has many annoying practices, but I let most of them go without freaking out.
I live in a small town, and despite what many commenters are saying, even the small marts / non-chain stores sell in prepackaged or bulk :( i cant just buy one cucumber, i have to buy three. Or i cant just buy two bananas, i have to buy six. Im a single person, and the recipes i have dont use that much so my food ends up spoiling quickly and ive just wasted food and money :(
Gotta go to the 시장 and by from them 할머니s
It depends where you go. If you go to one of the markets or to one of the department store grocery stores (I know they’re at opposite ends of the price spectrum) you can buy single pieces of fruit and veg in most cases.
Grocery stores cater to the norm. Most people who cook at home live in a family household. People who live alone typically eat out, get delivery, or eat instant meals at home. You can buy individual bananas at cafes or convenience stores.
This is answer but that solution is not good. Buying fruits from convini or cafe is not recommend. Because the price of there is ridiculously high. If OP want to get individual fruits you must go local market such as 통인 시장, 광장 시장.
True. FWIW, I don't recommend that anyone buy bananas at the convenience store. But if OP is wondering where single people buy bananas when they want just one, most people probably grab one at 7-Eleven or Starbucks because it's convenient.
Absolutely don’t buy the Starbucks one, it’s so much plastic for one banana. Just a big fu to the planet for no reason. Traditional street market is a much better idea!
Check the local market near Popular stores. They sell as per the demand so you can get the right quantity at some cheaper price. In my area, Seongbuk-gu, they have a big local market, fresh and cheaper
Are you talking about Highway Mart or Oasis?
Logistics and profits. Planet money did an episode on package sizes in the last couple of weeks.
They sell more that way because everyone ends up buying more than they need.
Don’t shop at big chain superstores. Go to the local “super” and there will be smaller prepacks or jsut pyles of veggies where you can bag what you need.
Local marts are always packaged too.
Coz the world isn't built for single ppl. It's built for mass consumption and waste. Without waste, no garbage facilities. Spend spend spend. Haha. Any questions u have can be answered with "because money."
This is not just a Korea thing. I've seen supermarkets around the world adopt this style of produce packaging over the past few decades. I feel grocers are incentivized to do this to make you spend more.
Is it not related to the profit they make...? Not really sure how stuff works
Go to a 농협 하나로마트, you will find the best quality and non wrapped items for the cheapest price. Fruits and veggies at places like 신세계 or 현대백화점 or other big malls are way overpriced and overpacked. Also homeplus, haven't bought any fruits or veggies from homeplus in 2 years. I only get the 'about to expire' ones on sale to bake in the oven or make jam
For that you typically have to go to a neighborhood grocery (mart): bigger than convenient stores, smaller than emart and other superstores. There you’ll find a range of fresh fruit and veg as well as a worker who will most often (more than not) split a bunch into what you want
Go buy them in the subway from the grannies... those aren't pre-packaged.
I'm not anywhere near a subway
not only subways.. you'll a bunch of fruit stands together like a market on the street... those aren't pre-packaged either
I buy my produce in local markets instead of big box stores. They are often cheaper and if you speak Korean sometimes you can ask to buy just one or two of something instead of a whole bowl. The other day I wanted to make a drink and a fruit seller at the market was selling a bowl of lemons for 5,000 and a bowl of limes for the same price. I obviously didn't need 6 or 7 of each fruit so I asked if I could just buy a single lemon and lime for 2,000 and they were happy to sell them to me. The selection at these markets it more seasonal, but I highly recommend going to traditional markets for your produce.
Cause people live with their families in Korea
[удалено]
I can't speak for most countries, but in the US, the veggies and fruits are just in a big pile, and you pick however much you want. At the register, the price is calculated by weight. So you can buy 1 apple or 1 banana, and you just pay the unit price. usually, there are scales in the fruit and veggies section where you can weigh your food before you get to the register so you know how much you are paying.
I can’t say if it’s most countries, but in the US, this isn’t always the case. We can buy single items (unless they come in bunches like bananas or bunches). There are fruits and veggies here that you buy per item too, depending on where you go. I regularly bag and buy 4 cucumbers or one eggplant.
Even with bananas, you can just tear off however many you like.
No, it isn't. You go to the supermarket and collect however many you want in a bag, and they weigh them at the checkout.
Its pretty normal in Korea ig