How Korean Markets Keep Prices Low29 Jun 2009 / Paul Epps
My wife’s in a great mood. She’s just back from grocery shopping at the local Korean market, where fresh produce is sold cheaply.
“Guess how much for these,” she says excitedly, holding up a package of eggs.
“How many are there?”
I haven’t bought eggs in years so I have no idea how much they cost. I’m thinking of guessing $1.99 but I don’t want to undershoot the real price and take all the fun out of it for her.
“Two ninety-nine,” I say.
“Ninety-nine cents!” She’s now holding up a small carton of fruit. “How much for these?” she asks.
“What are those?”
“Ninety-nine cents,” I say, since that was the right answer on the eggs.
“Thirty-three cents! How can they sell this stuff so cheap?”
“They sneak around local farms by night, stealing eggs and boysenberries. It’s the only possible explanation.”