7-Eleven tests three-minute drone delivery in Seoul
The retailer has launched a pilot test to demonstrate the new service for vacationers in a rural resort town located northeast of the capital city.
South Korea’s 7-Eleven branch has launched a pilot test for the implementation of drone delivery in a rural resort town northeast of Seoul. Korea Seven, the operator of the brand in the country, has demonstrated how autonomous delivery would function in this type of region when the service is fully operational in the near future.
The company selected a store in Gapyeong to house the pilot test. The facility is equipped with a drone station, which includes a helipad for the aircrafts to take off and land after delivering goods to a pension approximately one kilometre away. The test started last Tuesday and will last until Saturday, flying roughly three minutes per delivery while carrying a maximum loadout of five kilograms.
Autonomous delivery services have shown important advancements in the recent time, especially in countries such as Korea and Japan. Local companies have been working with authorities to obtain the required aviation permits and move forward with the commercial implementation of the service.
"We have differentiated our service by establishing a specialised drone delivery convenience store by combining a store and a drone station together," said Choi Byeong-yong, a 7-Eleven official, according to a report by local news site Aju Business Daily.
While a handful of companies have already debuted their own drone delivery options to clients in the country, both the convenience and fuel retail sectors continue to plan how to differentiate their offer in this regard. While stores are focusing on upgrading their delivery options, service stations operators seek to transform their forecourts into mobility hubs, providing helipads and refuelling services for aircrafts.
The Korean 7-Eleven branch has partnered with Allivery, a drone delivery startup, to roll out the pilot test. Customers near the Gapyeong store are able to order through a dedicated app and receive their products thanks to a traffic-free service.
