Surge in 'Baemin Order' Amid Untact Consumption Expansion

Before leaving work, order food for takeout via app... At the restaurant, scan the QR code and click to complete the order
Surpassed 5 million cumulative orders in 8 months since launch... 80,000 registered businesses

#Office worker Kim Kwanghyun (alias) has been frequently accessing delivery applications (apps) on his way home from work these days. It is not for delivery purposes. What Kim enjoys using is a service that allows food to be picked up. He finds restaurants near his home where this service is available, checks the menu, and with just a few taps after ordering and payment, his dinner worries disappear. Since he only needs to stop by the restaurant to pick up the prepared food before going home, he can avoid the tedious wait for delivery riders during peak order times.

#A restaurant in Jamsil, Seoul. Customers who visit here do not call the staff to order food. By launching the delivery app on their smartphones and scanning the QR code placed on the table, a menu with photos appears. The process of checking the menu, selecting items, ordering, and paying is the same as when using the delivery app at home. Although dining out at the restaurant, the entire process is conducted contactlessly (untact).

Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, untact ordering and payment services are gaining attention. 'Baemin Order' by Woowa Brothers, a service that allows ordering and payment without going through the counter or staff, whether for takeout or dining in, surpassed 5 million cumulative orders within 8 months of its launch.

According to Woowa Brothers on the 20th, the cumulative number of Baemin Order orders reached approximately 5,106,000 as of the end of June. Baemin Order, a service that allows customers to pre-order and pay before visiting the restaurant to pick up food or to complete ordering and payment contactlessly while dining in, has shown rapid growth every month since its debut in November last year. After surpassing 1 million orders in January this year, it exceeded 2 million orders in just over a month, and within less than three months, an additional 3 million orders were made. The growth rate accelerated as the spread of COVID-19 intensified.

The number of registered establishments steadily increased from 19,000 in November last year, surpassing 50,000 in March, and currently, over 80,000 restaurants provide the service as of June. As the number of registered establishments and orders increased, the transaction amount through Baemin Order exceeded 15 billion KRW monthly as of June. Considering that the transaction amount was around 1 billion KRW during the pilot service period in October last year, this represents more than a 15-fold increase. The cumulative transaction amount has reached 80 billion KRW.

Recently, the increase in untact consumption combined with the convenience of using the service through existing delivery apps seems to have driven Baemin Order’s growth. Moreover, from the restaurant’s perspective, they can continue to use the existing delivery reception channels, enhancing operational efficiency. Delivery and in-store orders can be managed efficiently in an integrated manner. Another advantage is that it provides an untact ordering environment preferred by customers without large facility investments. It also offers an opportunity to attract delivery customers who visit directly and convert them into regular customers. Notably, Baedal Minjok does not charge a commission on orders made through Baemin Order. The 'Baemin Order 0% commission' policy is planned to continue until the end of this year.

Woowa Brothers aims to expand the Baemin Order service to 100,000 establishments this year and target 20 million orders annually to promote the widespread adoption of untact ordering and payment. They plan to enable Baemin Order usage not only in restaurants but also in large cultural facilities such as baseball stadiums and shopping malls. A Woowa Brothers representative said, "We will enhance the Baemin Order service to meet the trend of untact consumption and customer needs to reduce the time and steps required for ordering and payment, thereby improving customer convenience."