[비즈한국] Lotte Mart, which swung to a loss last year, is looking for a rebound opportunity by partnering with Kakao035720. Lotte Mart announced it will launch a service within the year to onboard its online grocery platform, 'ZETTA', onto Kakao Shopping. The backdrop for this strategy is reportedly the lackluster performance of its own platform. The ZETTA app, which Lotte Mart launched ambitiously last year, is suffering from stagnant user numbers. Industry analysts suggest this move is an attempt to leverage Kakao's user base, as there are limitations to growing solely through a proprietary platform.
Retailers increasingly collaborating with e-commerce platforms
On the 27th of last month, Lotte Mart announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kakao and plans to begin online grocery shopping services by onboarding its online grocery platform 'ZETTA' to Kakao Shopping. Users will be able to shop at Lotte Mart directly within KakaoTalk, and Lotte Mart products will be exposed in key commerce areas such as the KakaoTalk Shopping tab and TalkDeal.
Lotte Mart stated, "Kakao is a leading online platform in Korea that has built a commerce environment with high accessibility and convenience," adding, "Lotte Mart possesses high-quality grocery sourcing capabilities, including fresh produce, so we expect to provide a more convenient service by combining the strengths of both companies."
Recently, both online and offline retailers have been expanding collaborations with large e-commerce platforms. This strategy is interpreted as an attempt to acquire new customers and expand online sales channels by utilizing the massive user base and traffic owned by these platforms. Seo Yong-gu, a professor of business administration at Sookmyung Women's University, explained, "Large platforms have solid customer bases but face limitations in terms of fast delivery. The current atmosphere is to partner with large supermarket chains to compensate for these weaknesses. It is a mutually complementary strategy aimed at leveraging each other's strengths while addressing weaknesses."
The collaboration between Curly and Naver is considered a representative success story. In September last year, Curly formed a strategic alliance with Naver and launched 'Curly N Mart'. Users can purchase Curly products directly through the Naver Plus Store without needing to access the Curly app. It attracted industry attention as it allowed users to utilize the 'Saetbyeol Delivery' service that Curly has been operating, while also providing additional benefits such as Naver Pay point accruals.
In its earnings announcement on the 4th, Curly reported a consolidated annual revenue of 2.3671 trillion won and an operating profit of 13.1 billion won for 2025, marking its first annual profit since its founding. Kim Jong-hoon, CFO of Curly, mentioned 'Curly N Mart' as one of the primary drivers of this profit, explaining that they were able to efficiently acquire new customers by leveraging Naver's massive user base without incurring significant internal marketing costs.
The industry interprets Lotte Mart's recent move as a strategy referencing this success story. However, questions are being raised about whether it can secure differentiated competitiveness, given that it is introducing a similar model belatedly after the Curly-Naver collaboration has already achieved a certain level of market success. Since platform-based retail relies heavily on initial user acquisition and service experience, critics point out that a latecomer entering the market with the same method might have limited incentives to attract customers. One industry official remarked, "Due to its conservative corporate culture, Lotte always seems to respond to the market a step late," adding, "They will need to lead with more differentiated systems or products to improve their market competitiveness."
Ambitiously launched 'ZETTA' sees user count decline instead
The stagnant performance of its own online mall is cited as the backdrop for Lotte Mart's collaboration with Kakao. Last year, Lotte Mart launched 'ZETTA', an upgraded version of the existing 'Lotte Mart Mall' app, to capture the online grocery market. The plan was to provide a convenient and efficient online grocery shopping experience through AI-based features.
However, initial consumer reactions were cold. Users complained that the UI was inconvenient, as the structure—based on the system of British retail tech company Ocado—did not align with the usage patterns of domestic consumers. Although Lotte Mart stated it would incorporate customer feedback for improvements, user metrics have not rebounded as much as expected.
According to Mobile Index from data tech firm IGAWorks, the monthly active users (MAU) of the ZETTA app, which launched in April last year, stood at around 820,000 at the time of launch but plummeted to the 600,000 range within a month. By October of the same year, it had fallen to 590,000. It recovered to the 700,000 range this year, recording 720,000 as of February 2026, but it has yet to recover to its initial launch levels.
Amid this trend, financial performance also fell short of expectations. The Lotte Mart & Super division recorded 5.1513 trillion won in consolidated revenue last year, a 4.2% decrease compared to the previous year (5.3756 trillion won). Unlike 2024, when it posted an operating profit of 46.5 billion won, it swung to a loss last year with an operating loss of 48.6 billion won.
Professor Seo Yong-gu explained, "By onboarding onto large platforms like Kakao, Lotte Mart can expect an expansion in users. However, if it's just existing offline customers moving to online, it doesn't hold much meaning. The success or failure will depend on how many new customers, who didn't visit offline stores, they can attract."
Lotte Mart is seeking a turnaround this year by preparing to operate an online-only logistics center applying British Ocado's automated logistics system. It is a system that increases the efficiency of online order processing by utilizing AI and robot-based automation equipment. Lotte has been preparing for the establishment of logistics centers applying the Ocado system since 2022. A Lotte Mart official said, "We plan to target online grocery demand by opening a 'ZETTA Smart Center' in the Busan region this year," adding, "We will also maximize overseas operating profits by strengthening competitiveness in local markets through the renewal of overseas stores and opening of new locations."