GS25's in-house next-day parcel delivery service. [GS Retail]
GS25's in-house next-day parcel delivery service. [GS Retail]

GS25's in-house next-day parcel delivery service will expand its coverage nationwide starting Aug. 24.

According to industry sources, GS25 will extend the delivery zone for its Naeil Delivery ("next-day delivery") service to the entire country on Aug. 24. Launched in December last year, the service guarantees next-day arrival for parcels dropped off before 6 p.m. Customers bring packages to a GS25 store, and the items are delivered to a destination of their choosing.

Until now, the service was limited to Seoul and parts of the greater metropolitan area. Under the revamped system, parcels accepted at GS25 stores in Seoul and the metropolitan area can be sent to any region in the country, with the exception of Jeju and other remote islands. The delivery partner will also switch from Delivbox Jungang to CJ Logistics, which operates a nationwide distribution network. Rates will range from 3,500 won for packages up to 350 grams to 9,100 won for those up to 20 kilograms. The daily pickup cutoff will shift from 6 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and noon on Saturdays.

"The nationwide expansion became possible by transitioning to a courier with a national delivery network," a GS25 official said. "We broadened the service coverage in response to growing customer demand." Usage of the Naeil Delivery service was up about 400 percent as of July compared with the period just after launch.

A separate same-store pickup service called Naeil Banbak, launched alongside Naeil Delivery in December last year, will be discontinued on Aug. 24. Unlike Naeil Delivery, Naeil Banbak required customers to both drop off and collect parcels at the same store. GS25 said the decision was made to streamline operations under a single system.

Competition in the convenience store parcel delivery market is intensifying. Convenience store chains are well positioned to run delivery services because their nationwide brick-and-mortar footprints can serve as logistics hubs. GS25 opened the market in 2019 with a half-price delivery service built on its own logistics network, and CU and Seven-Eleven entered the space in 2020 and 2025, respectively. Last year saw the introduction of guaranteed next-day delivery options, including CU's Naeil Bojang and GS25's Naeil Baesong. CU launched its next-day service before GS25 but currently operates it only within the metropolitan area.

The push to expand delivery services is driven in part by a foot-traffic effect. According to GS25, its half-price delivery service handles about 1 million transactions per month on average, with each transaction drawing roughly two additional visitors to the store. About 40 percent of users make additional purchases while at the store. The associated sales impact is estimated at more than 50 billion won ($34.9 million) annually.


korean@heraldcorp.com