E-Mart 24 mulls ramping up semi-unmanned stores

It currently has 150 hybrid stores across South Korea.

Shinsegae’s convenience store arm, E-Mart 24, has expressed plans to expand the number of its hybrid, semi-unmanned stores operated by employees by day and without workers by night using a digital payment kiosk system, Korea Bizwire reported.

The initiative is a part of a plan to boost revenue at stores that are usually closed late at night from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. These types of stores account for 80% of the 5,500 E-Mart 24 stores nationwide. At present, the number of hybrid stores is estimated at about 150.

The operation system of hybrid stores can easily be switched to unmanned mode using a dedicated mobile app, where owners can close or open the gates at the convenience stores as well as the doors of storage and office spaces within the stores.

E-Mart 24 also developed a mobile authentication system to make it easier and more convenient for customers to access the hybrid stores and make payments simply with their smartphones.