E-Mart24 pilot-operates drone delivery

South Korea's convenience store chain E-Mart24 Inc. is launching a commercial drone delivery service in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province.

This service targets camping sites and residential areas without nearby supermarkets or convenience stores within walking distance. Customers will be able to order 115 types of products, including fresh produce and frozen meat.

E-Mart24 announced its participation in the "2023 Drone Demonstration City Project" in collaboration with the drone delivery specialist Ninano Company.

The first drone delivery location will be E-Mart24's Gimcheon Yeongnam Boulevard branch. This store is strategically located within a 20 km radius of Sannaeul Auto Camping Site and 6 km from the rural village Dogongchon, both of which require at least a 10-minute car drive due to the absence of nearby marts or convenience stores.

A wide range of products sold at this store will be eligible for drone delivery. This selection includes a total of 115 items, such as fresh produce, meal kits, and frozen meat, catering to the high demand at camping sites. Similar to in-store purchases, products with "buy two, get one free" promotions will also be available for drone delivery.

The eligible products for drone delivery were chosen based on the highest sales volume over the past three months at this specific location, taking into account input from nearby store managers and business owners.

The drones can carry a maximum weight of 4 kg. Two types of equipment are used for drone delivery: the "Unmanned Aircraft," which can fly up to 80 km for 3 hours, and the Multicopter, which can fly up to 10 km for 30 minutes without recharging. Each drone is responsible for delivering to Sannaeul Auto Camping Site and Dogongchon, respectively.

E-Mart24 plans to run drone deliveries on an ongoing basis, except during severe weather conditions like typhoons or heavy rain. The drones are designed to fly even in light rain. Consumers can place orders through Ninano Company's "Nilevery" delivery app and receive their products directly from the floating station located at the entrance of the residential complex or the camping site.

For drone delivery orders, customers will receive free delivery for orders totaling 8,000 won ($6.03) or more. When ordering E-Mart24 products through the dedicated drone delivery application, Nilevery app, customers can expect their products to be delivered within an average of 8 to 15 minutes.

Write to Young Chan Song at 0full@hankyung.com