"Assistant Kim, Please Add A4 Paper to the Lunch Order"... Emart Near Offices Transforms in Surprising Ways [AZ On the Move]

"God-Value" Emart Products Delivered in One Hour: "OK"
SSG.com Launches Quick Commerce Service with Emart
Order Volume Doubles Since Launch, Showing Strong Growth
Competing with Over 6,000 Large-Scale Store Products and Price Competitiveness
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Editor's NoteThe retail industry is currently engaged in a fierce delivery war. Unlike in the past, when it took several days to receive ordered products, the speed has now accelerated from next-day delivery to same-day delivery, even on weekends. Not only e-commerce and delivery platforms but also department stores, hypermarkets, supermarkets, and convenience stores have joined the battle for faster delivery. A reporter in his 40s, an 'AZ' (Ajae) journalist, shares a firsthand account of the dynamic delivery scene.

Emart Guro Branch, located 500 meters from Guro Digital Complex Station on Seoul Subway Line 2, is surrounded by a dense cluster of digital office complexes, various dining establishments, and apartment complexes. Even on the afternoon of September 10, a weekday, the area around the store was bustling with taxis, cars, foot traffic, and delivery motorcycles constantly on the move. Descending to the basement level, where groceries are sold, a separate space dedicated to quick commerce services was set up next to a snack specialty rental store.

A customer is picking ready-to-cook products ordered through SSG.com Quick Commerce at Emart Guro Branch. Provided by SSG.com

This store, along with the Emart Wangsimni Branch, was the first among all Emart locations nationwide to pilot quick commerce services with the delivery platform Baemin (Baedal Minjok) starting in November last year. Beginning September 1, the Shinsegae Group’s online shopping mall SSG.com also launched this service, and the store was now handling orders from both platforms.

On seven PDA devices, voice notifications announcing incoming quick commerce orders were coming in every one to two minutes. Because this store receives a high volume of quick commerce orders, it has installed far more devices than other locations. Donning vests worn by Emart employees, staff printed out order lists received through SSG.com’s "BaroQuick" service, grabbed carts equipped with devices and small baskets, and set out to pick the ordered products.

Large-Scale Hypermarket with 3,000 Square Meters and Overwhelming Product Selection: "When Orders Surge, You Have to Run"

The grocery section at Emart Guro Branch covers approximately 3,040 square meters (about 919 pyeong) and offers around 6,000 different items, far surpassing other quick commerce competitors such as Super Supermarkets (SSM) and convenience stores in both area and product variety. The atmosphere has changed compared to before, when the process of picking, packing, and handing over products to delivery riders was always completed within 10 minutes at the latest.

The types of items ordered have also changed. As a large hypermarket with strengths in groceries, there is a marked demand for ready-to-eat (deli) products and bakery items. In fact, the first order of the day included BBQ smoked pork belly and freshly baked bakery products. For popular grocery items like eggs, customers could choose from packs of 10 to 30, with a variety of options available at different price points.

A customer is picking products ordered through SSG.com 'BaroQuick' at Emart Guro Branch. Provided by SSG.com

Kim Wontae, Head of Support at Emart Guro Branch, said, "While convenience stores, supermarkets, and e-commerce channels are all strengthening their quick commerce services, we take pride in the fact that hypermarkets have the strongest competitiveness in terms of product reliability, pricing, and various other aspects. Here, where office buildings are concentrated, orders come in not only for snacks and office supplies, but also for items like toys and Nintendo game chips that are not available at other offline channels."

Indeed, in the second quarter of this year, top-selling items in Emart’s quick commerce category included deli products such as sushi and Gangjeongsa shrimp, which are not offered by other retail formats. Small home appliances like hair dryers can also be added to the cart. Another competitive advantage is that refrigerated and frozen meats and home meal replacements (HMR) can be purchased at more affordable prices per unit compared to convenience stores or supermarkets.

An Seoyoung, a partner at Emart Guro Branch, said, "On weekends, when quick commerce orders surge, there’s barely enough space to push a cart, so we have to grab baskets and run around to find products. The OK Price (5K PRICE) lineup, which consists of grocery items priced under 5,000 won, is also a popular choice for quick commerce orders."

A customer is packing products ordered through SSG.com’s "BaroQuick" at Emart Guro Branch. Provided by SSG.com

On-Demand Delivery Puzzle Completed by Quick Commerce

SSG.com has strengthened its delivery competitiveness by offering "SSG Weekday Delivery," which delivers Emart grocery items on the same day for orders placed by 1-2 p.m.; "SSG Traders Delivery," which delivers warehouse club Traders products on the same day for orders placed between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; and "Dawn Delivery," which guarantees next-morning arrival for orders placed between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. in the Seoul metropolitan area and select regional locations.

A rider is transporting quick commerce products ordered by a customer at Emart Guro Store to the delivery location. Provided by SSG.com

BaroQuick is an additional delivery solution introduced by SSG.com to meet the demand for fast and convenient receipt of necessary products in the desired quantity throughout the operating hours of large hypermarkets. The quick commerce service will be expanded, starting with 19 Emart stores in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, Daegu, and Busan. When SSG.com members set their address within a 3-kilometer radius of a participating store and open the application, the BaroQuick category appears for ordering. With a minimum order amount of 20,000 won and a delivery fee of 3,000 won, customers can receive their products from a rider at their address within one hour. At Emart Guro Branch, the delivery area is extensive, covering not only Yeongdeungpo, Sillim, and Geumcheon, but also parts of Gwangmyeong in Gyeonggi Province.

Kim explained, "When the service first launched, there were cases where a single customer ordered 25 boxes of Choco Pie at once, or one person requested 71 different items. Considering packaging issues and rider safety, we now limit orders to a maximum weight of 10 kilograms or two bags per order."

Hypermarkets view quick commerce positively, as it generates additional sales. According to Emart’s analysis of quick commerce usage trends over the past 10 months, more than 50% of customers were in their 20s and 30s, indicating a high proportion of younger consumers. The company expects that this demographic will become potential customers who visit Emart stores in person. Grocery items accounted for 90% of sales, while the share of non-food items such as household goods and office supplies increased from 3% at the beginning to 10% recently, demonstrating the potential for category expansion.

Orders for SSG.com’s BaroQuick, which is backed by Emart, have more than doubled compared to the initial launch, confirming its growth potential. The company plans to expand the number of stores offering quick commerce to 60 by the end of the year and increase the number of products available to over 10,000. An SSG.com representative stated, "We plan to sequentially expand fast delivery services by reflecting regional demand."