The "fake shopping" trend to relieve the real pressure of Korean youth
(Dan Tri) - No delivery, no collection but still brings a real shopping feeling. That is a new trend that many young Koreans are looking for to relieve spending pressure.
Ordered but did not receive the goods
It was almost midnight, a young person opened the food ordering app and chose a portion of fried chicken that was half spicy, half traditional, adding fries, soft drinks and a few cheese balls.
Everything is put in the shopping cart, enter the address, choose to pay by card and press the “Order” button.
The map shows the driver's arrival. Three minutes, one minute and then a notification appears that the delivery person has arrived.
But when I opened the door, no one appeared.
It's not a scam, nor is it a system error. In fact, no orders were generated, the driver never left and no money was deducted from the bank account.
Instead, the screen then shows the words: "You just avoided taking in 2,120 calories", with a bill worth about 22 USD but with a payment amount of 0.
That's the experience that FoodNeverArrives, a platform launched in Korea at the end of March, is bringing to users.
The interface is designed almost identical to popular food delivery applications. Users can choose many similar dishes when using the real application.
The creator of the platform is Park Seo-hyun (27 years old), a person who understands the temptation of ordering food late at night.
He said he used to be addicted to ordering food about 10 times a week. One time he joked with his friends that if only he could order food but the food never arrived.
And then the idea and encouragement from friends inspired him to successfully develop a virtual food ordering site.
By mid-June, his website attracted about 30,000 uses per week. Many people also suggested adding new dishes for a more authentic experience.
On the social network Twitter, an account shared a screenshot of a virtual order with the content: "I chose sushi and spicy hot pot for dinner, added thousands of side dishes but still didn't lose any money. I can order everything I want without having to worry about money."
Virtual shopping, relieve real pressure
Not only food, the trend of ordering without receiving goods also spread to e-commerce websites.
Another website called Sajasaja allows users to buy all kinds of products that do not exist in the world.
The product catalog includes strange items such as “Jade Rabbit's Moonlight Mill” worth 120,000 won or “Adhesive tape to mend broken friendships” priced at 50,000 won.
Users can still add to cart, pay, receive invoices and even leave reviews like on regular e-commerce platforms.
The app's developer says the imaginative products on the site are inspired by the Doraemon comic series.
"I have watched Doraemon since I was a child. Whenever I encounter difficulties, I often imagine if there was a magical treasure that would help solve everything," this person shared.
What surprised him was that users did not consider this just a joke.
One account also left a 5-star review for the imaginary mortar with the content: "This is the most worth buying item in 2026."
This trend quickly spread beyond Korea. Websites like FoodNeverComes offer more diverse menus with Mexican, Indian or Brazilian dishes, while another site, DopamineCart, simulates the Amazon shopping experience but does not generate transactions.
Beyond shopping, simulation websites also expand to many other activities.
One of them is the smoking simulator. Users just need to press the button to light a cigarette, watch the cigarette burn slowly and see that other users are also "smoking" like them.
There's no smoke, no nicotine, but it feels like you're taking a short break with others.
Lee, a 24-year-old student, said he often visits this website during exam season. Even though he didn't actually smoke, this student felt like he was taking a real break with everyone.
Seeing many people also visiting the website helps him feel less lonely when studying alone.
Why does "buying late" still make people happy?
According to psychological experts, the attraction of these websites does not simply come from a sense of novelty.
Professor emeritus Kwak Keum-joo, majoring in psychology at Seoul National University, said that the brain can still secrete dopamine when performing an activity that simulates the shopping process, even though the user knows clearly that it is not a real transaction.
In a context where people are constantly pushed to consume through advertising, the desire to shop is always present. But right after payment, many people fall into a state of regret because they spent too much money.
"These websites help users partly satisfy their shopping desires and reduce the feeling of regret after spending money," she said.
The expert commented that suggestion algorithms on online shopping platforms also contribute to maintaining the consumption cycle by continuously recommending products similar to what users have seen.
"They stimulate shopping desires that already exist in each person. As a result, many people continuously buy the same items, spend more and then regret it later," she said.
The above reasons and economic factors make the trend of "fake shopping" even more attractive.
In June, South Korea's consumer inflation increased by 3.2% over the same period last year, the highest level in about two and a half years.
Online shopping sales in May also reached about 25,000 billion won, up 10%, mainly thanks to food and cosmetics.
Between the pressure of escalating prices, a corresponding lack of income and the siege of shopping applications, many young people turn to websites that sell nothing as a way of relief.
They can order a portion of fried chicken, order a product that will never be delivered, or join strangers for a few minutes of “smoking breaks” online.
No items were delivered, no bills had to be paid. However, for many people, just the feeling of experiencing the shopping process, temporarily forgetting the pressure of spending and being less lonely is enough for them to close the browser with a lighter mood and intact wallet.