The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated the adoption of non-contact delivery services in South Korea. Platforms like Coupang’s Rocket Delivery and Market Kurly’s dawn delivery have reshaped consumer habits, making it common to shop without ever having to carry a basket.
Delivery apps have tapped into this growing demand for convenience, expanding their services beyond traditional food delivery. Now, they include convenience stores, butcher shops, grain mills, and stationery stores—places once considered “delivery blind spots.”
In June, GS25 became the last of South Korea’s four major convenience store chains to join the leading delivery apps, Baemin and Yogiyo, completing the integration of these stores into the digital delivery landscape. CU was the first to partner with Yogiyo in 2019, and within five years, all major convenience stores are now accessible through delivery apps. In January 2023, Yogiyo launched a dedicated “YoConvenience Store” service, offering delivery of all GS25 products within an hour, while Baemin provides similar services through its “Shopping” and “Baemin Mart” features.
Baemin’s shopping services, excluding food deliveries, typically take an average of 34.6 minutes, with a 98% completion rate within an hour. Approximately 12,700 local stores nationwide are listed on Baemin. Yogiyo offers similar services through “YoMart” and “Store,” delivering not just convenience store items but also alcohol, pet supplies, fresh flowers, and stationery. According to Choi Jae-seop, a marketing professor at Namseoul University, small businesses are leveraging “instant delivery services” as a competitive advantage against cheaper products sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms like AliExpress and Temu.
Convenience store companies have also started to deliver products through their own apps and services like Naver Shopping. Data from CU reveals that 86.9% of convenience store delivery demand last month came from residential areas, followed by office districts (5.3%) and entertainment districts (3.3%).
Younger consumers and single-person households are at the forefront of the “finger commerce” trend, where people increasingly rely on delivery apps for everyday purchases, even from nearby stores. However, some retail experts caution against the “trap of convenience,” which can deepen consumers’ dependence on these services, making it harder to break free. Despite being meticulous about finding discounts, these consumers are often willing to pay delivery fees of 3,000 to 4,000 won, sometimes purchasing unnecessary items just to meet the minimum order requirement.
For example, Kang, a 48-year-old office worker, recently ordered beer and snacks from a convenience store just 100 meters from his home while watching the Paris Olympics on TV. Although he could have easily picked up the items on his way home from work, he finds it much more convenient to have them delivered.
Similarly, Jeong, a 33-year-old who lives above a convenience store, admits to ordering simple meals or essentials three to four times a month. Despite the added costs from minimum orders and delivery fees, she considers the convenience well worth the price.
