The Innisfree shop on the first floor of Bugak Hall closed on Oct. 14. The powder room — referring not to the toilet but to literal “powder” room — was a place where students could buy and experience various types of cosmetics. These included eye shadow, nail polish, and even hair straighteners, so many students used and loved the shop. With its closure, the Innisfree vending machine located near the shop has also left. Students who used the facility are disappointed given the powder room was a convenient resource on days when they arrived at school without makeup or when the rain had ruined their hair. Yet students who didn’t use the shop have long since wanted another facility given they saw no benefit in the powder room.
 
The nature of the powder room’s replacement is a hot subject of conversationamong students. In the Kookmin University community titled “Every time,” posts asking students what shops they want elicit replies such as Starbucks, Daiso, and Hansot. We interviewed three students to investigate their various takes on the matter. The following are edited excerpts from the interview. A-1 refers to a female freshman, A-2 to a female sophomore, and A-3 to a male sophomore.

▲ Image showing the space is used as an event room for a jewelry brand after the close of the powder room

Q. What do you think of the Innisfree powder room?
 
 A-1. It was great that customers could freely experience cosmetics, unlike other shops. I usually feel burdened when trying cosmetics in other shops, but the powder room put me as ease. It helped me when I went to school in the early morning or late at night. It was also good that I could buy things right away.

 A-2. The shop was a boon when buying necessary things or when fixing my makeup with urgency. The convenience was doubled because there are no cosmetic shops near the school. It matters little whether or not it exists for me.
 
 A-3. It was one of the most interesting and creative shops at school. It had the advantage of allowing customers to both experience and buy, and my friends and I would go when we’d forgotten necessary cosmetics. The sale method using the vending machine was also interesting.

Q. What do you think that of the fact that the shop is now closed?

 A-1. I don’t see it as a big inconvenience. I think the problem was that many more people browed than actually bought products.
 
 A-2. I feel nothing in particular because while I bought some stuff, I didn’t buy too often. I think the profits were such that couldn’t support the shop, which is why it closed.
 
 A-3. I’m really disappointed because it was an amazing resource that elicited a lot of envy from other schools. Considering cosmetic products’ features, many items can’t be bought in convenience stores. And there are no cosmetic shops near the school, so we have to travel further away to buy them, which can take between 10 to 15 minutes by transportation. We miss accessibility and convenience.

Q. What facility do you want to be built in that space?
 
 A-1. I want a beauty and health store such as OLIVE YOUNG, lalavla, or LOHB’s. It would be great if the new shop had a similar character to the previous one. But I want them to have medical goods that we can’t buy at convenience stores. And I mean that focusing on medical, not cosmetics. Convenience stores don’t have various medical goods, so we have to go to the Student Union. It’s always an inconvenience.
 
 A-2. I want a tasty food store where students can have meals. I think there is a great deal of students at the level that Bugak Hall and the cafeterias cannot accommodate these days. It’s uncomfortable that I have to wait for a long time and quickly gobble up food because lunchtime isn’t that long. Most school stores are also somewhat expensive for students, which is burdensome. It would be good to have a store like Isaac Toast, where prices are low, but we can leave feeling full.

  A-3. I conducted a survey with Kookmin University students concerning the brands they want on the first floor of Bugak Hall’ last semester in my ‘creative strategy class.’ The results showed that most students want food services, especial-ly flour-based food and desserts — baked goods and ice cream, excluding beverage —. It would be good for food services to enter based on the results, but I personally want a facility similar to the previous one given how many food services the school already has. More specifically,what I most want is a pharmacy; I know there are health centers on campus and some pharmacies near the school, but they’re inaccessible for many students given it’s hard to go there when you’re really sick.
 As much as many students are paying attention, the school has to fill the space in a way that is more convenient for students, making the school a better place where students can enjoy various resources.

Ga-On Kim Reporter
gaon090@kookmin.ac.kr