"Futsal Courts and Smart Farm Cafes as Family Outing Spaces" Large Marts Ignite 'Experience Competition'

Since the lifting of social distancing measures due to COVID-19, a 'experience competition' has ignited among large supermarkets. To differentiate themselves from online grocery shopping channels that grew during the pandemic, supermarkets are focusing on enhancing experiential content that encourages customers to visit the stores in person.

According to the distribution industry on the 17th, Lotte Mart opened a 'futsal stadium' of about 1,300㎡ (approximately 400 pyeong) on the rooftop of Zeta Plex Jamsil branch in Songpa-gu, Seoul. This futsal stadium, equipped with KS-certified eco-friendly artificial turf, LED lighting, and safety fences, operates by applying the training curriculum of 'Daecheong U12,' a youth soccer academy. Coaches certified by the Korea Football Association (KFA) and staff holding lifeguard and sports massage certifications are stationed on-site to ensure safety. Every Saturday, free public youth soccer classes are held, and on non-mandatory closing days every other Sunday, 'Soccer Classes with Dad' and 'Healing Yoga with Mom' sessions are conducted. These family-participation programs aim to attract family visits and connect the flow to grocery shopping and dining afterward.

Large supermarkets have recognized that simply being a place to purchase goods limits their ability to compete with e-commerce. Therefore, they are expanding the application of content that directly engages customers, encourages store visits, and increases dwell time. Zeta Plex Jamsil branch plans to transform into an entertainment space where culture and recreation can be enjoyed together by offering not only the futsal stadium but also a roller rink and the experience-focused mega sports store 'Decathlon.' Since the end of last year, Lotte Mart has been emphasizing customer experience by introducing 'Tasting Tap,' where customers can sample various wines, in collaboration with the wine specialty store 'Bottle Bunker.'

Homeplus opened the country's first urban smart farm caf? 'Farms365' at the World Cup branch in Mapo-gu the day before. Operated by the agricultural corporation Farm Segyero, the smart farm caf? reflects consumer demand for safe agricultural products by allowing customers to see the cultivation process from sowing to harvest. The concept includes selling well-being foods and beverages such as salads made from produce harvested on the same day in the store. The smart farm inside the store cultivates and harvests European leafy vegetables and herbs. Opposite the farm caf?, a 'Smart Farm Experience Zone' has been installed to allow not only family customers but also young people such as students to experience the smart farm.

In addition, recently, large supermarkets are transforming into 'family outing destinations' by introducing sports activity facilities, swimming pools, and vehicle showrooms. A distribution industry official said, "Since the lifting of social distancing, we are putting more effort into strengthening experiential content that can differentiate us from online grocery shopping," adding, "Going forward, strengthening experiential content that attracts customers to visit the store, along with the inherent competitiveness of fresh food products, will be the core competitiveness of large supermarkets."