[Exclusive] Baemin to Start Robot Delivery for B Mart from the End of This Month

Pilot Operation Planned in Selected Areas of Gangnam, Seoul

Baedal Minjok will begin a pilot operation of B Mart delivery using autonomous robots starting this month. Robots with improved driving performance compared to existing ones will be deployed. These robots are characterized by their ability to cross crosswalks and travel longer distances. Baemin's strategy is to address the shortage of delivery workers while competing with differentiated services.

According to industry sources on the 7th, Baemin will start a pilot operation of B Mart delivery using its own delivery robot 'Dilly' in some areas of Gangnam, Seoul, by the end of this month. A company official explained, "We are preparing with the goal of demonstration in the first half of the year," adding, "Currently, we are in the final stages."

Delivery robot 'Dilly' developed by Baedal Minjok. Provided by Woowa Brothers.

Once the B Mart delivery robot pilot operation begins, customers in the designated areas will be able to order from B Mart using delivery robots. B Mart is a service that delivers groceries and daily necessities immediately upon order. Currently, Baemin is conducting outdoor delivery robot demonstrations at six food stores located on Teheran-ro in Gangnam. In those cases, orders were only possible from locations near the stores, but for B Mart orders, delivery robots capable of traveling longer distances will be deployed.

Baemin has been experimenting with various robot delivery services covering both indoor and outdoor environments. Since 2019, it has tested autonomous delivery services inside buildings and robots capable of road driving. In August last year, it obtained outdoor mobile robot operation safety certification from the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement, increasing the possibility of commercialization. Currently, autonomous robots are also being demonstrated delivering food and beverages inside some buildings such as Gangnam Trade Tower. Baemin expects that the introduction of autonomous robots will solve the shortage of delivery workers and provide stable services even in areas where delivery is usually avoided.

The introduction of autonomous robots is also interpreted as a differentiation strategy in the increasingly competitive delivery market. Baemin is accelerating technological innovation to respond to the rapid growth of Coupang Eats, the industry's second-largest player. According to IGAWorks Mobile Index, Coupang Eats' monthly users exceeded 10 million last month. During the same period, Baedal Minjok still secured more than twice as many users with 22.61 million, but Coupang Eats showed a steep growth rate with a 74% increase in monthly users over one year.

Baemin's response strategy focuses on quick commerce innovation and delivery service advancement. While expanding the number of stores participating in grocery shopping services operated in collaboration with large marts, major distribution conglomerates, key consumer goods brands, and small business owners, it is also concentrating on improving the quality of quick commerce delivery, including B Mart and grocery shopping services, based on artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Kim Beom-seok, CEO of Woowa Brothers, emphasized the delivery robot business in his inauguration speech, stating, "We will further strengthen our position as a technology-leading company in the industry through investments in technologies such as delivery robots and AI."