More North Koreans Opening Small Home Shopping Stalls

After reading this article it struck me that North Koreans are doing what many small business owners in South Korea are already doing by setting up small shops in front of their homes in various neighborhoods:

More residents are enjoying the convenience of using home-run stalls selling simple items, compared to conventional marketplaces that come with restrictions in operating hours, Daily NK has learned.

“You can sell and buy goods from these residential stalls as long as you have an established level of trust with the owner,” a source based in South Pyongan Province told the Daily NK on Thursday. “More people are converting rooms in their homes and selling goods day and night.”

This foundation of trust is bolstered by three chief pillars: the customer has evidence of a steady source of revenue, and is neither an undercover official looking to crackdown on the operations, or a swindler hoping to cut and run with the goods. Passing muster can take time and requires a number of others within the right circles for validation.

According to the source, these home-operated stalls started popping up in the 1990s, mostly around schools to sell snacks to students. Starting a few years ago, more people have been converting or extending parts of their homes and selling electronics–namely televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines–and food in bulk.   [Daily NK]

You can read more at the link.