"Increase in Homebound Population Due to COVID-19"... KT Strengthens Delivery and Ready Meal Membership Benefits

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] KT announced that it will launch a membership service with enhanced benefits for ready-to-eat meals starting in April, as the number of ‘homebodies’ has significantly increased due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

According to the January 2020 online shopping trends announced by Statistics Korea on the 4th, the online shopping transaction amount was 12.3906 trillion KRW, an increase of 15.6% compared to the same month last year. In particular, due to the development of delivery services and a shift in consumer trends favoring ready-to-eat meals, the transaction amount for food services showed the highest increase among detailed product categories, rising by 69.3%.

In the case of KT Membership, the use of up to 7,000 KRW discount benefits on Gmarket (VIP Choice) in March increased by about 70% compared to February. The use of the 3,000 KRW discount benefit at GS fresh also increased by about 50% compared to February.

KT strengthened its benefits in April to meet the needs of customers who have to spend all day at home and manage ‘three meals a day’ due to changes in consumption behavior and the expanded implementation of ‘social distancing’ to prevent COVID-19. The April double discount special benefits include ‘30% discount at Pizza Alvolo’ and ‘5,000 KRW discount at The Banchan.’ For Pizza Alvolo, a 30% discount is available when ordering online, and both delivery and takeout services can be used. For The Banchan, an online side dish market, a 5,000 KRW discount is available for orders over 20,000 KRW, and new members can also enjoy benefits such as free orders of popular products upon sign-up.

For the online grocery mall GS fresh, a 3,000 KRW discount is offered for purchases over 50,000 KRW, and a 5,000 KRW discount promotion (which can be combined) for Simply Cook (ready meals) and Hetbahn (12-pack) will be provided during April to help customers enjoy a meal at home. In addition to the double discount special benefits, a 30,000 KRW discount is available for Domino’s Pizza orders over 40,000 KRW (once a month for VVIP customers, for takeout), and discounts of up to 30% at Papa John’s, up to 20% at Mr. Pizza, and 15% at Pizza Hut are also offered. Rankingdakcom offers a 10% discount on new products and a 2,000 KRW discount for new members.

KT also provides non-face-to-face membership discount benefits that can be used during leisure time at home. Representative benefits include a 40% discount on Seezn (Seezn) paid VOD (once a month), a 20% discount on Olleh TV VOD, and a 100% discount for two months on Media Pack and Genie Pack. Online lecture benefits are also provided, such as a 10% discount on Eduwill online certification and civil service courses, and a 20% discount on Yanadoo online English conversation courses (best 4 types).

Seong Eun-mi, KT Wireless Service Director, said, “The nationwide ‘Pause for a moment’ campaign has led to a change in membership usage patterns due to customers’ consumption trends for ‘home-cooked meals.’ We quickly responded to customer usage data and strengthened membership benefits in April, and we will continue to strive to provide benefits that customers truly want.”

Meanwhile, KT has extended the ‘Our Child’s First Smartphone’ promotion until April 30, which offers a monthly discount of up to 11,000 KRW for six months on fees for customers under 12 years old who purchase their first smartphone, due to the delay in school openings caused by COVID-19.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.