CU’s multifunction printer service. (image: BGF Retail Co.)
SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Korea Bizwire) – Amid the increase in the number of consumers who refrain from going far away from their homes due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, a variety of convenient services offered by convenience stores are gaining growing popularity.
Convenience store chain CU saw the use of its parcel delivery service rise by 23.6 percent in the July to September period of this year compared to a year ago, while the use of its automated teller machine (ATM) service grew by 8.8 percent year on year.
In particular, the use of the company’s multifunction printers that encompass the functions of printing, copying, faxing and scanning jumped by 182.5 percent year on year.
With growing consumer interest in convenient services, an increasing number of convenience stores are introducing a variety of extraordinary services.
GS25, for example, started providing a payment gateway service for about 50 online shopping malls, targeting teenagers without bank accounts or credit cards who have difficulty making online payments.
If shoppers at online malls select the ‘GS25 convenience store payment’ as a payment method, a barcode is sent to their mobile phones.
They can complete payments at online malls if they show the barcode and pay the amount in cash at GS25 convenience stores.
Another convenience store chain 7-Eleven launched a discount sales service for about 330 items with a short shelf life, including lunch box and dairy products. You can buy such items at a discounted prices through the mobile application Last Order.
7-Eleven also joined hands with the U.S. delivery firm FedEx Corp. to launch an overseas document delivery service.
Customers can enjoy this service simply by bringing the document to be sent to a 7-Eleven store after submitting an application for document delivery through the FedEx website.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
