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GS Files Trademarks for Next-Day Convenience Store Delivery: 'Aiming for CU'

[비즈한국] It has been confirmed that GS Retail007070 is considering the introduction of a convenience store-based next-day delivery service. GS Networks, the logistics subsidiary of GS Retail, recently filed trademarks for terms such as 'Naeil Taekbae' (Tomorrow Delivery) and 'Naeil Pyeon-taek' (Tomorrow Convenience Delivery). With GS Retail joining the competition following BGF Retail282330, which introduced the industry's first convenience store next-day delivery service last April, the convenience store delivery market is expected to become even more intense.

Combining Fast Delivery and Price Competitiveness with 'Naeil Pyeon-taek' and 'Naeil Ban-taek'

According to the patent search site Kipris, GS Networks, a subsidiary of GS Retail, filed a total of four new trademarks on the 12th: 'Naeil Taekbae', 'Naeil Bangap' (Half Price), 'Naeil Pyeon-taek', and 'Naeil Ban-taek' (Tomorrow Half-Price Delivery). Given that the trademark rights include terms like "tomorrow," "half-price," and "Pyeon-taek" (convenience store delivery), this is interpreted as a move to launch a new convenience store delivery service that emphasizes both fast delivery and price competitiveness.

BizHankook's investigation confirmed that GS Networks is preparing a new service that combines the existing convenience store delivery with 'next-day delivery.' A GS Networks official stated, "We are reviewing a service that delivers packages by the next day after they are received," adding, "We have pre-emptively filed trademark rights for the related services."

The industry views this move as a strategic effort to check 'CU Next-Day Guaranteed Delivery,' a service offered by GS25’s rival, CU. CU, operated by BGF Retail, launched the industry's first next-day delivery guarantee service last April. Its key feature is that packages dropped off before 6 PM, excluding Saturdays, are delivered the following day.

In fact, the 'originator' of convenience store delivery is GS Retail. In 2019, GS Retail introduced the industry's first convenience store delivery service through its subsidiary, GS Networks. GS Networks was established in 2018 by spinning off the logistics functions of GS25 and GS The Fresh. It currently operates the 'GS Postbox' delivery service based on GS25 stores. GS Postbox has led the market by introducing 'Half-Price Delivery,' which utilizes a store-to-store delivery structure to offer rates roughly half those of regular delivery services. This service established itself as the representative delivery service for convenience stores, allowing GS Retail to lead the market.

However, recent trends have shifted. CU has been growing rapidly in the convenience store delivery market, expanding its influence. Last October, CU launched a 'Visit Delivery' service, where a courier visits the sender's location, eliminating the need for customers to visit a store. In contrast, GS25 only launched a similar service last month, a year after CU. To increase market share, GS25 has priced its service lower than CU's.

Intense Competition for Advanced Convenience Store Delivery Services

Although CU started its convenience store delivery service a year later than GS Retail, it is being evaluated as having a faster rate of service expansion. Earlier this month, BGF Retail expanded its service scope by introducing 'Japan Half-Price Delivery' aimed at users of cross-border shopping from Japan. Industry analysts suggest that BGF Retail is strengthening its convenience store delivery business by identifying various customer needs.

GS Retail's consideration of introducing next-day delivery is also interpreted as a move to respond to BGF Retail's offensive. As BGF Retail rapidly grows its influence in the convenience store delivery market, GS Retail appears to be preparing new services to recover its competitiveness. However, a GS Retail official explained, "No specific details regarding the timing or pricing of the service introduction have been decided yet."

The convenience store delivery market is growing steadily. Last year, the number of 'Half-Price Delivery' uses at GS25 reached an all-time high of 12.5 million. It is reported that the usage of CU's 'Altul Delivery' also increased by approximately 30% compared to the previous year. 7-Eleven is seeing a similar trend. Its delivery growth rate jumped from 60% in 2023 and 25% in 2024 to 130% this year (January–October).

The industry predicts that the growth of the convenience store delivery market will continue for the time being. This is due to factors such as the increase in single-person households and the expansion of personal secondhand transactions. Expectations are rising that the scale of usage will further expand as convenience store delivery services, such as visit-delivery and next-day delivery, become more diverse.

Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer science at Inha University, forecasted, "Convenience stores are consistently increasing their delivery customer base based on their superior accessibility. Since there is a 'spillover effect' where consumers who visit to send packages make additional purchases, it contributes to revenue growth. As the overall convenience store industry has been sluggish recently, it is highly likely that companies will further expand their delivery services to secure new sources of revenue."