A ‘walking delivery service’ in which elderly individuals buy products themselves and then deliver them to their destination via metro trains and buses has recently been gaining popularity. (Image Courtesy of The Catcher)
SEOUL, May 27 (Korea Bizwire) – A ‘walking delivery service’ in which elderly individuals buy products themselves and then deliver them to their destination via metro trains and buses has recently been gaining popularity.
The ‘walking delivery service’, which began in 2006 in Songpa-gu, Seoul, tallied over 10,000 deliveries last year – a whopping 25 percent increase from the 8,000 deliveries in the preceding year.
A total of 25 employees are part of the ‘walking delivery service’, which is comprised of 19 male elderly individuals and 6 female elderly individuals, and around 70 small service places within Songpa-gu are currently using the service. The products delivered most often are documents, rice cakes, cakes, and flower baskets.
“The walking delivery service only costs 70 to 80 percent of the cost of an ordinary delivery service, and the employees deliver on time, so my customers are all really satisfied,” said Eun Ja Lee, the owner of a flower shop.
The happiness is shared by the employees providing the service as well. “At first, it was difficult to find my way to different locations, but now I developed the know-how for it,” said Myung Soo Kim (age 71), a second-year employee of the delivery service.
“I am able to earn some spending money for myself, and I am also able to exercise and see the world through my deliveries, so I am very satisfied,” he added with a smile.
By M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
