Hotels and Convenience Stores Also Join 'Untact Marketing'

Lotte Hotel's 'Drive-Thru' Lunchbox Popular
GS25 Increases Sales 10x with Delivery Service

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), contactless (untact) services have become normalized in daily life. As untact-related service areas expand in hotels, convenience stores, and large supermarkets, these services are expected to rapidly emerge as a mainstream trend even after COVID-19.

According to the industry on the 17th, Lotte Hotel has extended its 'Drive-Thru Signature Box' service, launched last month, for an additional month until the 31st of next month. The 'Drive-Thru Signature Box' is a service where customers receive their pre-ordered lunchboxes without leaving their cars, devised as a self-help measure when hotel visits sharply declined due to COVID-19.

Consumer response was enthusiastic, with over 200 lunchboxes sold within two weeks of the service launch. While the drive-thru method reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection, the greater appeal to consumers was the ability to purchase high-quality lunchboxes without wasting unnecessary time.

A Lotte Hotel representative explained, "Many consumers bought lunchboxes to serve their young children or elderly parents," adding, "The lunchbox product will be maintained after COVID-19, with plans to diversify menus and packaging to differentiate the offering."

In the convenience store industry, competition in delivery services has intensified due to COVID-19. GS25 began full-scale delivery service at over 1,200 franchise stores on the 2nd of last month, achieving a 12.7-fold increase in delivery orders and a 10.4-fold increase in sales within about a month. Accordingly, from the 13th, the number of stores offering delivery services was expanded nationwide to over 2,000 locations.

Although delivery service usage surged due to the social atmosphere favoring untact consumption amid COVID-19, the industry believes that the convenience of the service will lead to a continuous increase in consumers using delivery services regardless of COVID-19. Accordingly, convenience store chains such as CU, 7-Eleven, and Emart24 also plan to expand their delivery services.

In large supermarkets, the use of unmanned checkout counters has increased due to COVID-19. At Lotte Mart Seocho branch, the unmanned checkout usage rate was around 50% last year. However, after the outbreak of COVID-19, the usage rate rose to 70%. As of March, Lotte Mart installed 512 self-checkout machines in 50 stores (out of a total of 120 stores) and plans to expand their operation further. Emart began full operation of its Gimpo 2nd Logistics Center in February to respond to the growing untact consumption trend.

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