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Homeplus hits the road with entry onto Baedal Minjok delivery platform

Published: 03 Dec. 2024, 16:54

KIM JU-YEON
[email protected]

Customers enter the newly rennovated Homeplus Mega Food Market in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, on its opening day on Oct. 17. [HOMEPLUS]

Homeplus has joined Emart to become the latest hypermarket to jump onto food delivery platform Baedal Minjok to deliver fresh groceries to households' front doors.

The delivery platform, colloquially referred to as Baemin, started delivering Homeplus goods from Monday, the hypermarket chain said Tuesday. Orders can be placed with 108 of Homeplus’s 127 branches nationwide.

Customers have the option of placing orders for same-day delivery or for a specific time and date of their choosing. While other grocery stores listed on Baemin also guarantee same-day delivery, only Homeplus allows customers to choose the drop-off date and time.

Homeplus’s entry adds to a growing number of grocery retailers on Korea’s largest food delivery app.

Smaller supermarket chains that target neighborhood residents with their compact selections, mostly centered around fresh produce like fruit and vegetables, were the first to enter. Emart Everyday, GS The Fresh and Homeplus Express entered the mobile app in June, July and August of last year, respectively. Hypermarket chain Emart joined in November.

Supermarket chain Homeplus started selling its products through food delivery app Baedal Minjok from Monday. [HOMEPLUS]

Homeplus looks to build on Homeplus Express’s success with the platform. Homeplus Express’s October sales from its quick delivery service — which promises groceries within an hour — was up 80 percent compared to last year on the back of its move onto the platform, according to Homeplus. The firm said the two supermarket chains’ online sales grew by double digits for the last three consecutive years but did not specify a number.

Homeplus says its entry will allow customers to choose from a larger variety of goods, especially in nonfood categories — sports equipment, kitchen supplies, daily necessities, clothes and home electronic appliances — that aren’t available through Homeplus Express.

The hypermarket chain is offering promotional discount events on Baemin this month, including a 5 percent discount on orders over 60,000 won ($43), capped at 4,000 won.

“We will continue to look into strategies and partnerships to improve Homeplus’s online competitiveness,” Homeplus’s online marketing head, Cho Hye-young, said.

BY KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]