CU Launches 24-Hour Delivery Service

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] CU will implement a 24-hour delivery service.

On the 30th, CU announced that it will expand the Yogiyo delivery service operating hours, which were previously limited from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., to 24 hours from noon to midnight.

The CU 24-hour delivery service can be used through the 'Yogiyo app,' just like the existing Yogiyo delivery service, and during late-night hours, both the minimum order amount (10,000 KRW) and delivery fee (3,000 KRW) will be offered at the same price without any surcharges.

The service will be tested for one month at 50 excellent existing Yogiyo delivery stores and will be gradually expanded based on customer response.

CU will also start testing a coffee delivery service from this month. When customers order freshly ground coffee beans on Yogiyo, store staff will grind fresh beans on-site and package the 'GET Coffee' with a leak-proof cap and a dedicated carrier, then hand it over to the delivery driver.

Currently, the number of items available for delivery at CU has significantly increased from about 240 at the service launch to around 360 in less than a year.

CU is expanding the scope of its delivery service to help customers purchase desired products from home in line with social distancing campaigns and to provide franchise stores with additional sales channels.

In fact, the average daily number of delivery service uses in March increased by 73.2% compared to before the COVID-19 outbreak (November 2019 to January 2020). Among these, customers using the delivery service between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. accounted for about 34% of total usage this month, showing a rapid increase in demand for late-night delivery.

CU started the delivery service industry-first in 2010 and developed an inventory-linked delivery service in 2015 that allows customers to check store inventory in real time when ordering. Currently, delivery services operate at over 5,000 stores nationwide, maintaining an average sales growth rate of over 25%.

Jonghae Cho, head of BGF Retail's Service Platform Team, said, “CU delivery service has established itself as a new shopping method that customers can use conveniently and safely anytime and anywhere,” adding, “We plan to design various delivery-exclusive products and events to positively support franchise stores facing difficulties due to the recent decrease in foot traffic.”