Only big-box stores offer fast delivery? ... 5,000 neighborhood marts set to join Baemin, too

[Financial News] Neighborhood grocery stores will have more ways to get products ordered through Baemin to customers within an hour. Baemin is linking its app with the sales and inventory management systems used by about 5,000 small and midsize marts nationwide, enabling them to provide fast delivery without separately processing orders. This lays the groundwork for neighborhood marts, as well as large retailers, to enter the quick-commerce competition.
Baemin operator Woowa Brothers said on the 18th that it had signed a business agreement with Togethers, a provider of point-of-sale (POS) solutions specializing in small and midsize marts, to build a system linking the POS systems used by marts with the Baemin app, allowing quick-commerce sales to be processed end to end without manually entering orders.
Togethers has the largest market share in South Korea’s retail POS market. The collaboration will give about 5,000 small and midsize marts that use Togethers’ POS easy access to Baemin’s quick-commerce infrastructure. Tomato Food Mart joined earlier this month as the first brand, with more expected to follow starting next month.
Unlike big-box stores, which are mainly located in urban centers, small and midsize marts—often called grocery or neighborhood marts—are found throughout local communities and play a role in the food-ingredient supply chain for both ordinary consumers and local small-business owners.
Previously, these small and midsize marts had to use a separate program to process Baemin quick-commerce orders and manually enter sales made through the app into their inventory management systems. This added work led to operational difficulties, including inventory discrepancies and delays in updates. The collaboration is expected to automate processes through the existing POS system, including receiving quick-commerce orders, listing products and managing inventory in the app, and processing payments, significantly improving both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Baemin continues to expand its quick-commerce service, which lets customers receive the items they need within an hour of placing an order. In addition to its own quick-commerce service, Baemin B Mart, it is bringing a range of sellers onto its grocery and shopping sections. About 24,000 businesses are currently listed, including stores belonging to major South Korean retail brands such as convenience stores and marts.
“We expect small and midsize mart owners across the country to benefit from a more convenient store operating environment and increased quick-commerce sales, supported by the technology and infrastructure of Baemin and Togethers,” said Park Min-a, head of Baemin Store Business at Woowa Brothers. “We will continue to strengthen partnerships across a range of sectors and help offline stores successfully undergo digital transformation (DX).”
[email protected] Jang Min-kwon Reporter