Nine out of ten people have flocked to the nearest CU’s in the dead of the night for a bedtime snack. In recent years, automated stores have become the norm due to their 24/7 availability. Under the convenience lies the struggles of vendors. 

Mannequins don new clothes every month in the trendiest apparel stores in Dongseong-ro. However, Daegu, South Korea’s fashion hub, faces serious issues due to the rapid rise and fall in clothing trends. “Fast fashion emerged in Daegu in the 2000s, making clothes more accessible and speeding up the design, production, and distribution processes,” Professor Kim You-Kyung from Daegu Catholic University said.