Tesco Creates Virtual Supermarkets in South Korean Train Stations

Having spent a couple of hours yesterday rolling the dice with checkout queues and playing ‘trolley dodgems’ at my local supermarket, I can easily say it’s one of my least favourite household chores. So what if I could do my grocery shopping with ease while waiting for a train or a bus? Well that is exactly what shoppers in South Korea can do thanks to a new campaign from ‘Homeplus‘, the South Korean affiliate of supermarket chain Tesco.

According to the Wall Street Journal (via a Google Study), there are over 10 million smartphone subscribers in South Korea. It’s this mobile phenomenon that the retailer hopes to leverage to appeal to young Korean shoppers.

At an underground station in Seoul the walls have been lined with billboards mimicking supermarket shelves -- brimming with images of over 500 popular grocery items.

Redefining the term ‘Convenience Store’, shoppers at this virtual supermarket just need to download the Homeplus app to make their purchases. Once downloaded, they use the app to scan the QR code under the product they wish to purchase. Once scanned, you can select size, quantity and when and where you’d like the product delivered. Nice eh?

Watch a video on this campaign here: