From Hotel Holiday Meals to More... 'Drive-Thru' Becomes a Trend Amid COVID-19

Lotte Hotel Sees Strong Results Since March Introduction
Service Expansion with Chuseok Products
Convenience Store CU Also Introduces Drive-Thru
Department Stores and Large Marts Follow Suit

Lotte Hotel Seoul Drive-Thru Chuseok Special Menu 'Family Gathering' (Photo by Lotte Hotel)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] As non-face-to-face (untact) consumption has become routine due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), 'drive-thru' shopping, where customers can shop while staying in their cars, is gaining attention. Until now, drive-thru services were only available at some fast-food restaurants and cafes, but they are now accessible at convenience stores and hotels as well.

According to the industry on the 18th, Lotte Hotel Seoul and Lotte Hotel World will introduce a special Chuseok limited drive-thru menu during the special quarantine period this Chuseok, catering to customers who prefer simple yet formal meals at home rather than dining out with family. Lotte Hotel Seoul will sell the 'Family Gathering' menu, which can be picked up via drive-thru, from the 27th of this month to the 4th of next month. The Family Gathering menu combines popular hotel restaurant dishes with traditional Chuseok holiday dishes and is offered in three types for 4, 8, and 12 people, allowing large families to enjoy it together during the holiday.

At Lotte Hotel World, the 'Delight Box,' a Chuseok gourmet box designed to ease the burden of preparing holiday food and ancestral rites tables, will be introduced. The three-tier box contains a total of 15 representative holiday dishes, including galbijjim (braised short ribs) and japchae (stir-fried glass noodles). The Delight Box will also be available only from the 27th of this month to the 4th of next month in celebration of Chuseok.

Since its introduction in March to overcome the recession caused by COVID-19, Lotte Hotel's drive-thru service has become a successful product. The drive-thru service has seen usage increase by more than 20% every month since its launch, and reflecting this trend, Lotte Hotel has expanded the service to include Chuseok products.

Convenience stores have also started offering drive-thru services that allow customers to purchase goods and use various services while remaining in their cars. CU plans to introduce the industry's first 'CU Vehicle Pickup Service' at all its stores nationwide in October, in partnership with Owin, a vehicle service application that provides drivers with various services such as parking ticket reservations and food and beverage orders in a one-stop manner.

The vehicle pickup service is a drive-thru system where customers pre-order items and, upon stopping in front of the store, convenience store staff hand the items through the car window. CU introduced the drive-thru service in response to changes in customer consumption patterns due to COVID-19 and plans to continuously expand related services in the future.

Drive-thru services are spreading throughout the industry. Lotte Department Store operates drive pickup services at its Ulsan and Gwangju branches. Homeplus currently offers drive-thru services at 26 stores, and Emart provides the service at its Wangsimni branch.

An official from the distribution industry explained, "As untact consumption culture spreads due to COVID-19, the introduction of drive-thru services is expected to expand further," adding, "Consumers who had not previously experienced drive-thru services are now trying them and showing positive responses."

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