Shop 'til you drop means on all retail channels now

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Shop 'til you drop means on all retail channels now

Ikea Gwangju pickup point was opened last month. [IKEA]

Ikea Gwangju pickup point was opened last month. [IKEA]

 
Major retailers are expanding their so-called omni-channels because customers are demanding the convenience.  
 
People became accustomed to using online channels during the Covid-19 pandemic, and many are enjoying going back to bricks-and-mortar stores now that it's over. That's where "omni-channel" comes in.
 
Omni-channel is a buzzword in retail that means giving customers a choice of "channels" to buy things: in stores, online or on shopping apps.
 
Ikea Korea opened an Ikea pick-up point in Gwangju's Buk District last month, which will be open on a trial basis for six months. The service allows customers in Gwangju, which doesn't have an Ikea, to pick up items in person after placing an order online. There are only four Ikea stores in Korea.
 

Delivery fees for Ikea furniture run as high as 49,000 won ($37.70), but the pickup service only costs 9,000 won. The second floor of the pick-up point will have a showroom where customers can physically check out some Ikea products.
 
Last year, Ikea Korea partnered with GS Caltex to launch a pickup service at the company’s gas stations. Customers buying things online can physically pick up orders at a nearby GS Caltex gas station after selecting a date for less than delivery fees would cost. 
 
Market Kurly, an online grocery delivery service, launched a wine pickup service in March. Customers can pick up wine they ordered online at a nearby Artisée, a bakery chain with lots of branches. The pickup service is so popular the company increased the number of stores for pickup from 10 to 19. Kurly also increased the range of wines that it's selling. 
 
Health and beauty store CJ Olive Young launched a mobile gift pickup service last month. Users can purchase products and send them as gifts to others through Olive Young’s mobile application. The lucky recipient will get a text message saying that they have received a gift through Olive Young. They then select a branch to collect it from.  
 
In May 2021, the store launched a pickup service where consumers can pick up products purchased online from a nearby store.  
 
CJ Olive Young launched a mobile gift service last month. [OLIVE YOUNG]

CJ Olive Young launched a mobile gift service last month. [OLIVE YOUNG]

 
Nike is also combining its online and offline channels. Products purchased online can be returned or picked up from offline stores.  
 
Meanwhile, some brands are beefing up online services to make offline shopping more convenient.  
 
British tableware brand Denby started allowing customers to book consultation sessions on Naver starting in March. Denby is the first-ever tableware brand to implement such a system.
 
Customers reserve consultation appointments through the Naver Map application, then make a visit to a department store carrying the line, like Shinsegae and Lotte. Customers will be able to consult with store managers on what kind of tableware they should purchase. The service has been mostly used by newlyweds buying kitchenware and people looking for gifts.  
 
Denby allowed customers to book consultation sessions on Naver starting in March. [DENBY]

Denby allowed customers to book consultation sessions on Naver starting in March. [DENBY]

 
Convenience stores are also strengthening their online channels by upgrading their mobile applications. CU upgraded its membership app called Pocket CU in April, which could be used for placing delivery orders, pickup services and reserving products. GS25 also offers fast delivery through its mobile application.  
 
CU offers delivery order and pickup services through its mobile application. [CU]

CU offers delivery order and pickup services through its mobile application. [CU]

 
Fashion brand Zara renovated its Lotte World store in Jamsil, southern Seoul last month and began offering various services through its mobile application. 
 
“The trend is to combine the efficiency and convenience of online channels and the features of offline channels, where customers can physically check out the products,” said Lee Eun-hee, a consumer science professor at Inha University.
 
“Retailers will need to consider how to effectively merge these two channels in order to maximize the synergistic effect.”

BY YOO JI-YOEN [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]
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