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| Abandoned Shopping Carts in Supermarket |
At a major supermarket in Suwon on weekend, numerous shopping carts filled with groceries—strawberries, Hallabong oranges, mangoes, pears, lettuce, chives, instant noodles, beer, snacks, and more—were left unattended near the checkout counters.
Supermarket staff had to sort the abandoned products, placing frozen foods back into freezers and fresh produce into refrigerators to prevent spoilage.
🗣️ A supermarket employee stated:
"These are items left behind by customers after filling their carts. It happens very frequently, and we constantly check the store to collect abandoned carts."
But what’s really causing this phenomenon?
1️⃣ The Rise of "Deceptive Shoppers" 🤨
The main reason behind the increase in abandoned shopping carts is a growing group of deceptive shoppers who take advantage of supermarkets' free sampling programs.
🔹 These individuals pretend to shop by loading their carts to avoid suspicion.
🔹 While browsing, they consume free samples and even eat fruits or drink beverages from their carts—without paying.
This behavior makes it difficult for supermarket staff to distinguish between real customers and scammers.
👉 If staff monitor customers too closely, they risk violating privacy rights and damaging the store's reputation.
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| Abandoned Carts from Quiet Tasters |
2️⃣ Nationwide Problem: Abandoned Carts Are Everywhere 🛍️
This issue isn't limited to Suwon—it’s happening in major supermarkets across South Korea.
🗣️ A supermarket representative admitted:
"We’re struggling with these fraudulent shoppers. They move from store to store, exploiting the system, making it even harder to control."
The biggest concern?
- Fresh foods left in abandoned carts often can’t be resold and must be discarded, leading to significant financial losses.
🗣️ Another supermarket employee shared:
"Most supermarkets nationwide suffer from this, but no effective solution has been found."
3️⃣ Possible Solutions: Can Supermarkets Stop the Losses? 🏪
Some suggest that supermarkets should:
✅ Blacklist repeat offenders using CCTV surveillance and share data internally.
✅ Set up "Return Refrigerators" (리턴 냉장고) to store abandoned perishable goods temporarily.
✅ Increase awareness campaigns to discourage dishonest shopping habits.
However, tracking every customer through security cameras is challenging.
💡 In the end, supermarkets must rely on shoppers' ethics and social responsibility.
🛒 Learn Korean Through Current Events: Key Vocabulary
- 얌체 시식족 (Quiet Tasters) – People who pretend to shop to exploit free samples without the intent to buy.
- 리턴 냉장고 (Return Refrigerator) – A cooling unit placed in supermarkets to store abandoned fresh products before they spoil.
- 방치된 카트 (Abandoned Cart) – A shopping cart filled with products but left behind by the customer.
- 폐기처분 (Disposal) – The process of discarding fresh products that can’t be resold.
- 횡포 (Exploitation, Abuse) – Taking advantage of loopholes in the system for personal gain, like faking shopping to get free samples.
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