These websites give you the thrill of online shopping without buying anything
A new trend emerging in South Korea allows users to browse products, place and order and even track its ‘delivery’.
Black News 
This article was originally published in Rest of World, which covers technology’s impact outside the West.
This week, I placed orders for a $44,860 Patek Philippe hand-engraved watch, a $12,500 Hermès handbag, a $9,800 Tiffany diamond ring, and a $7,350 Cartier Love bracelet in yellow gold.
I don’t need any of them. I certainly can’t afford them. Thankfully, they’ll never arrive.
Instead of Amazon, I spent the past week browsing a new breed of websites known as “dopamine sites,” a trend that emerged in South Korea. These websites – like Dopamine Shop and FoodNeverComes – recreate the entire ritual of online shopping: You search for products, compare reviews, add items to your cart, enter a shipping address, place an order, and even track your delivery.
Then … nothing happens. No money changes hands. No package arrives.
It’s tempting to dismiss them as another quirky internet trend. But after spending a week placing imaginary orders, I found myself wondering if online shopping has stopped being solely about buying things.
South Korea is one of the world’s most mature e-commerce markets, where digital payments, food delivery, and online retail are deeply embedded in everyday life. That makes it an ideal place for an idea like fake shopping to materialise. But the behaviour itself is far more...
