Convenience Stores Also Preparing for Drone Delivery
Hotels Actively Serving as Delivery Butlers
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] As contactless services become routine, delivery robots are gaining popularity in the distribution and hotel industries. Convenience stores are introducing robots for external delivery, while hotels are adopting robots for item delivery, conducting pilot operations. The industry expects that delivery robots will enhance the efficiency of delivery services in the future.
On the 8th, Seven Eleven increased the number of autonomous delivery robots "Newbee," introduced last year at the Seocho I-Park store, to three units and is conducting experiments for the commercialization of short-distance delivery services. Newbee delivers outdoors in complex environments, not limited to indoor areas such as buildings and shopping centers. It has currently passed an intensive testing period and can safely cross crosswalks.
Recently, the service operation radius was expanded from 100m to 300m. Newbee's top speed is 7.2 km/h, and its maximum load capacity is 25 kg. When an order is placed through Seven Eleven or a delivery application (app), the store calls the customer via a safe call to confirm robot delivery and proceeds with the delivery. The average daily usage is about 4 to 5 orders.
Seven Eleven is also preparing to pilot a drone delivery service next month in partnership with Pablo Aviation, a startup specializing in drone logistics delivery solutions and services. They are scouting locations to open the first base store in the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.
GS Retail has completed a feasibility test for introducing delivery robots and is considering commercialization within the year. Previously, GS Retail conducted pilot indoor delivery robot services at the LG Science Park store in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, and the GS Tower store in Gangnam-gu. Delivery service usage was concentrated between 10-11 a.m. and 3-4 p.m. In the morning, orders were mainly for meal substitutes such as lunch boxes, bread, and salads, while in the afternoon, orders for snacks like coffee and snacks were common.
On the 8th, an employee at the Seven Eleven Seocho I-Park store in Seocho-gu, Seoul, is loading products onto the autonomous delivery robot 'Newbee'.
In hotels, the introduction of delivery robots equipped with advanced information and communication technologies such as autonomous driving is becoming a trend. Staff set the room number, place the requested items inside the robot, which then autonomously takes the elevator and arrives in front of the room. After notifying the guest of its arrival, the guest receives the items without face-to-face contact.
The delivery robot at L7 Gangnam, operated by Lotte Hotel, provides 24-hour delivery service between the 9th and 27th floors of the hotel. Busan Lotte Hotel operates two "Elbots," a mobile convenience store for guests and a delivery robot for room supplies, as well as a delivery robot serving and assisting in the 33rd-floor club lounge. Shinsegae Chosun Hotel has also introduced the delivery robot "Butler" at "Chosun Palace Seoul Gangnam, a Luxury Collection Hotel" and "Gravity Seoul Pangyo, an Autograph Collection Hotel."
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