Exploring San Diego Malls: Best Buy, Ross & More
Whenever I travel abroad, I always get curious about what the locals buy and how much things cost. Just like a few days ago when I walked to Chick-fil-A (which isn't in Korea yet) for a meal, I wanted a glimpse into everyday consumer life, so I decided to check out a large mall near San Diego. The sprawling parking lot and single-story stores under the bright blue California sky made for a classic American scene.
After parking, I headed straight into Best Buy, which was the first thing that caught my eye. It's like Himart in Korea, so I planned to browse some electronics, but right from the entrance, home appliances were piled up like mountains.
As I walked through the store, what caught my attention the most was none other than a Starlink kit. It was fascinating to see them displayed in boxes. If the price and performance improve later on, it's definitely a product I'd love to try using back in Korea.
Aside from Starlink, there weren't really any new or interesting electronics, so I just quickly skimmed the store's vibe. There was a mobile carrier booth on one side, and seeing the plan advertised at 25 dollars per line made me realize that American phone bills are no joke either.
Leaving Best Buy, I headed to Ross, a discount store right next door. Since it's a place that gathers out-of-season merchandise from department stores and brand shops, the interior is pretty rough, almost like a warehouse.
With the exchange rate being so high these days, basically anything you pick up feels expensive. So, is there nothing to buy here? Not at all. Head over to the clothing racks, and it's a completely different story.
The signs say they offer 20 to 60% off department store prices, and if you actually dig through, you can find brand-name clothes like Carhartt or Levi's for around 10 or 20 dollars. At this point, the price difference compared to Korea is so huge that it's an absolute steal to throw them in your cart. I bought not only clothes but also shoes and accessories from other brands quite cheaply. If you need comfortable clothes to wear during your US trip, I highly recommend going on a treasure hunt here.
After a rewarding shopping spree at Ross, I stopped by a massive wine store next. Since I was in California, I figured buying wine was a must, and right from the entrance, I was greeted by a dazzling display of irresistible champagne.
The further inside I went, the more an endless array of wines from all over the world unfolded before me. From Bordeaux wines to the Old World section, everything was densely organized by country and variety, so just browsing took quite a while.
The store was so massive—like several soccer fields stitched together—that I had to take a panorama shot just to capture it all at once. I stared in awe at the overwhelming volume, which doesn't even compare to the liquor sections in Korean supermarkets.
Maybe because it's California, the local wines were exceptionally cheap, and the variety on display was beyond imagination. After agonizing over the countless options, I picked up a bottle of Napa Valley red wine that had a fantastic price.
I paired that Napa Valley wine with my dinner, and it had such a heavy, excellent flavor that it felt like a completely different standard from what I usually drink in Korea. It was of superb quality, easily rivaling the wine I had at a fancy restaurant like the upscale spot I visited before heading to the Santa Monica Pier in LA. I think I'll make it my goal to finish a bottle of wine every evening while staying in San Diego.
