[Photo: GS25]
The competition among retailers to penetrate consumers' daily lives with quick commerce (instant delivery) is intensifying.
Convenience store giants CU and GS25 have announced a 24-hour delivery system, filling the delivery gap from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. Meanwhile, grocery platforms like Curly, Homeplus, and SSG.com are also entering the local instant delivery market.
According to industry sources, CU and GS25 began their 24-hour delivery service in partnership with the delivery platform Coupang Eats on May 19.
To capture the surging demand for late-night deliveries due to changing nighttime lifestyles, they have completely filled the previously limited delivery hours during the night and early morning.
CU has started deliveries during the previously unavailable hours of 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. through Coupang Eats, achieving a 24-hour service across over 7,500 stores nationwide. CU reported that from January to April this year, late-night delivery sales grew by 120.0%, significantly outpacing the overall delivery sales growth rate of 91.6%.
GS25 has also initiated 24-hour delivery at around 1,000 stores in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, and six major metropolitan cities.
Since November of last year, late-night delivery sales have increased by 42.7%, indicating that this time frame has become a new growth driver. GS25 plans to gradually expand its delivery range to all areas where Coupang Eats operates 24 hours.
Seven Eleven is set to launch 24-hour delivery through Coupang Eats next month, while Emart24 is considering extending its delivery hours.
E-commerce and large supermarkets are also focusing on expanding their local logistics networks to deliver fresh produce and essential goods within an hour.
SSG.com’s quick commerce service, 'Baro Quick,' saw its average daily orders triple in April compared to January. Notably, small-sized ingredients like individual zucchini, a pack of green onions, and a block of tofu topped the sales charts.
The rise in demand for instant delivery aligns with a shift in consumer behavior towards purchasing only what is necessary for immediate meals, rather than bulk buying due to high inflation.
Curly opened its 'Curly Now' quick commerce service in Seocho in March and is preparing to open its fourth location, 'Songpa Store,' near Songpa Station in the second half of this year. Curly has already opened its second location, Dogok Store, following the first location, DMC Store, in Bukgajwa-dong, Seodaemun-gu, in 2024.
By concentrating its operations in affluent areas with dense office and residential complexes in Gangnam, Curly delivers over 6,000 products, ranging from fresh food to luxury beauty items, within an hour to meet premium quick commerce demand.
Homeplus is strengthening its collaboration with Coupang Eats, expanding its quick commerce stores to 47 nationwide. The company is applying its instant delivery expertise gained from its existing Homeplus Express (SSM) 'Magic Now' service to its larger supermarkets.
Homeplus offers free delivery for Coupang Wow members on orders over 15,000 won and is expanding its delivery lineup to include fresh produce, large-volume items, and deli options, enhancing its competitiveness.
The quick commerce market is rapidly growing. According to global market research firm Statista, the domestic quick commerce market was estimated at 4.4 trillion won last year and is projected to grow to 5.9 trillion won by 2030. This represents an increase of about 14 times compared to 350 billion won in 2020.
An industry insider noted, “As prolonged high prices lead to a trend of purchasing only essential items in small quantities, quick commerce has become a core survival strategy for retailers. The competition to optimize logistics networks will accelerate in the second half of the year, overcoming the spatial limitations of offline stores and driving additional sales.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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