Lotte Mart and Kakao said on the 27th that they signed a strategic business agreement (MOU) on the 26th at Kakao Pangyo Agit in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to strengthen competitiveness in online grocery shopping. The signing was attended by Lotte Mart & Super CEO Cha Woo-cheol and Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a, who shared the service operation method and step-by-step implementation plans.
With this agreement, Lotte Mart's online grocery platform "Lotte Mart Zetta (ZETTA)" will launch a shopping service within Kakao Shopping within this year. Customers will be able to purchase Lotte Mart products more easily through major channels such as the KakaoTalk shopping tab.
Starting with the opening of "Zetta Smart Center Busan," Lotte Mart will introduce dawn delivery and daytime delivery in two-hour windows in the Busan–Gyeongnam region. It plans to expand the service area to the Seoul metropolitan area and build a nationwide online grocery shopping system.
Under the collaboration structure, Lotte Mart will be responsible for product procurement and overall operations. It will directly handle the entire process from order processing to logistics and delivery to enhance stability, and plans to bring its fresh-food competitiveness, built up in offline stores, to the online space.
The two companies will also continue to work together to create a shopping environment spanning online and offline. They will jointly promote screen design focused on user convenience and the development of new features, while running marketing and promotions to expand the service. Through this, they plan to introduce a shopping service in which products, delivery, and platform experience are organically integrated.
Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a said, "This collaboration will serve as an opportunity to expand KakaoTalk-based commerce into everyday grocery shopping, including fresh food and daily necessities," adding, "We will strengthen delivery and product competitiveness so users can receive the items they need faster and more conveniently, and grow the commerce ecosystem through collaborations with various partners."
Lotte Mart & Super CEO Cha Woo-cheol said, "We will deliver a grocery shopping service closely connected to customers' daily lives by combining Lotte Mart's fresh-food capabilities with Kakao's platform convenience," adding, "We will lead the grocery market by building the most convenient integrated shopping environment that crosses the online–offline boundary."