Seoul has a reputation of being a paradise for shoppers all around the world. There are just so many things to buy (snacks, food, clothes, bags, shoes, skincare) at cheaper prices that you can really shop until you drop!
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| Photo from Google Image |
We were prepared to go all out during our 9D8N visit to Seoul by buying 50kg luggage allowance in total and bringing a lot of cash. We even changed some of our itineraries to focus on shopping on the last 2 days, imagine how crazy it was.
Personally, my bro and I are thrifty shoppers so we would not simply spend our money if we feel that it's not worthy. During the first few days, we thought that everything in Seoul is freaking expensive and we wondered how could people shop so much. To our pleasant surprise, there is something for everyone in Seoul and therefore we managed to fully utilize our luggage allowance at the end of the trip wtf hahaha.
I'm compiling this list based on my personal experience and preference. Do note that this list is not comprehensive and there could be other places with better bargain which I did not manage to explore during my stay in Seoul.
1) Express Bus Terminal Goto Mall
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| Photo credit |
I don't think I could ever stress enough just how much I enjoy shopping here to the extent that I ditched my bro in order to come. The clothes here are trendy and most of them are sold at 10,000 won. A lot of shops are actually selling similar patterns and designs of clothes, so it's better to walk around first before buying anything to compare prices because some shops might sell the same piece of top for a price that is above 10,000 won. If you're on a budget, I personally think that you can already get some fashionable clothes (tops and dresses) at just 10,000 won. You can even find some clothes sold at prices lower than that albeit not as trendy, but ultimately it's all a matter of preference.
Besides that, I happened to stumble across a shop that sells cute socks at 1,000 won per pair here. The price is not unusual because it's the same elsewhere such as Ewha, Hongdae and Myeongdong. However, what was really surprising to me was that the shop sells most, if not all, socks at 1,000 won per pair regardless of designs! I bought a pair of Song Joongki socks for my BFF who is a huge fan of his (Korean drama Descendants of the Sun was very popular when I went to Seoul) at 1,000 won only whereas the same pair of socks was sold at 2,000 won in Myeongdong. Moreover, you get discounts if you buy 10 pairs of socks from the same shop (I brought Pikachu, Charmander and minions home!).
The best part about Express Bus Terminal Goto Mall is that the restaurants are conveniently located on the other side (I didn't even try to find them, they're impossible to miss), so you can feed yourself after going on a shopping spree. I ordered dolsot bibimbap at one of the Korean restaurants but unfortunately I didn't enjoy it because it had a burnt taste. However, I spotted a lot of people eating there so I guess it was just my luck? Perhaps the other food on the menu is good.
I bought this at CU convenience store before heading home. Isn't it adorable!? I saw this from my friend's Instagram when she visited Seoul and I was wondering why I didn't see it in convenience store (because I usually just go to GS25). There were so many flavors with different Line characters that I had a hard time deciding which one to purchase. I guess mango always wins though heh.
For a price of 1,000 won, you get the packet and a plastic cup filled with ice. Mind you, it's not any ordinary plastic cup, it's Line! I think it's obvious even without saying it out loud, but I brought the cup home with me. Seriously there are so many cute stuffs like this in Korea, you could go broke trying to buy everything.
Overall, I spent more than half a day here and decided to leave when it got too crowded around 4pm. It was a bit uncomfortable for me to continue shopping because the shops were kinda small and there were a lot of people. If you're interested to come here for shopping, I suggest that you beat the crowd and come earlier.
Express Bus Terminal Goto Mall
Express Bus Terminal Station (Line 3, 7, 9), Exit 8-1
2) Gwanghwamun Station - 5,000 won shop
We discovered this shop by pure luck while we were on our way to Gwanghwamun Square. I didn't take note of the name of the shop, but it was very noticeable since you can clearly see 5,000 won written from the outside of the shop (that's how we were attracted by the shop wtf hahaha). The items sold here are secondhand (which probably explains the price) but the coats and jackets are of really good quality! We just couldn't stop browsing through the racks and ended up buying a lot of them. Well, not me but my bro. I only bought a denim jacket and I kinda regret not buying some of the fashionable trench coats that I saw. What a pity.
They also sell dresses and hats but they are not my style so... let's just skip that. Focus on the coats and jackets!
Directions: Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5)
- We spotted the shop when we were heading to Exit 9, but if I'm not mistaken, you should be able to see the shop pretty soon after you get off the train.
3) Gwangjang Market
We bought Korean traditional snacks from here as souvenirs for our family and friends! I've blogged about it before here.4) Myeongdong
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| Photo from Google Image |
If you're looking for cosmetics, skincare and beauty products, this is not a place to be missed! I was surprised to see so many Nature Republic, The Face Shop, Etude House, Tony Moly, Holika Holika and etc as I walked along the same street.
The perk of shopping in Myeongdong is that you can get free stuffs! Some staffs might be standing outside of the shop and handing out free masks in order to attract shoppers. If you are buying a lot from the same shop, you can also try to ask for free gifts. Another advantage to shop in Myeongdong is that some of the staffs are actually quite fluent in English or Mandarin, so feel free to approach them if you have any questions.
5) Insadong
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| Photo from Google Image |
Although I'm pretty sure Insadong is famous for arts and crafts, we bought many bags instead because they only cost 10,000 won each! I'm not even talking about handbags or small bags, I'm referring to backpacks. The quality is rather good and there are various colors and designs to choose from. I don't think you can get a backpack of such quality and design in Malaysia at that price.
Directions: Anguk Station (Line 3 Exit 6)
- We walked past two shops that sell 10,000 won bags while we were going to Ssamziegil mall. If you continue walking down the same street, there is a stall that sells 10,000 won bags as well.
6) E-mart
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| Photo from Google Image |
We went to E-Mart on the last night when our luggage was basically stuffed with all kinds of clothes, bags, skincare, traditional snacks and etc, so we were telling ourselves not to get carried away while we were at E-Mart.
We initially planned to just get some snacks and beverages since I heard that E-Mart is generally cheaper than Lotte Mart, but we were distracted by all the sampling stations here wtf. FREE FOOD AND DRINKSSSS!! Milk, yogurt, beer, sparkling juice, wine, ramyeon, meat, seafood... We had so much fun walking around eating and drinking for free wtf hahaha.
Anyway, I met two kind ahjummas who work as promoters here. The first one saved me from embarrassment when I was struggling to pick up octopus by using a toothpick at the sampling station. I tried for a couple of times but I still couldn't get it and hence I was thinking if I should just give up since there were a number of people nearby watching (and I'm not that thick skinned). Just then, the ahjumma picked up the octopus with a pair of tongs and put it into my mouth casually which put an end to my misery wtf hahaha.
Another case was when we were looking at seaweed while holding some paper cups in our hands after the free sampling. I don't know why it's so difficult to find rubbish bins in Seoul! Not sure about the other parts of South Korea though. As I was saying, we were doing our shopping when an ahjumma who is a promoter approached us. I thought she was going to ask us to buy whatever she was selling (just like those promoters in Malaysia), but she actually took the empty paper cups from us and threw them away for us. I was so touched by her act of kindness because she totally didn't need to do that. Great service indeed!
E-Mart
E-Mart has various branches across South Korea, simply click here to search for a store nearest to you.
Happy shopping!
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