South Korea’s CJ CheilJedang Corp. has officially launched a next-day delivery service on its official online mall, CJ The Market.

This move comes after CJ Group’s flagship food unit stopped supplying local online retailer Coupang Inc. with products such as Hetbahn steamed rice due to a dispute over delivery prices. As the food giant launches its own fast delivery service, competition for leadership in the retail industry is expected to intensify further.

CJ The Market’s next-day delivery service, ‘O-NE,’ which officially launched on Monday, offers a delivery service that allows customers to order CJ CheilJedang products before 11 p.m. and receive them the next day in most areas of the country. Starting with this service on CJ The Market, the company plans to gradually expand it to other platforms, including its official brand store on Naver by the end of January 2024.

CJ CheilJedang has expanded the next-day delivery service, which was previously limited to certain shelf-stable products in boxes, such as Hetbahn steamed rice and Bibigo soup dishes, to cover all its products. To this end, the company developed a system that links real-time inventory information with its online center in Dongtan, Gyeonggi Province, enabling the same-day shipping of products ordered by customers.

CJ CheilJedang also plans to increase benefits for customers and conduct various promotions. Starting on December 20, 2023, the membership fee for CJ The Market’s paid membership, ‘The Prime,’ will be reduced by more than half to 990 won ($0.75) for monthly members and 9,900 won for annual ones. Existing benefits, such as special points upon registration, a 10 percent constant discount, and a monthly free shipping coupon, will remain unchanged.

CJ The Market is also selling third-party products, including fresh produce and beverages, to enhance customer convenience, in addition to holding large-scale discount events such as ‘The Market Sale Festa’ and ‘The Market Fresh Festa.’ CJ The Market counted more than 3.5 million members as of the end of November 2023.

“We are pleased that CJ The Market’s next-day delivery service ‘O-NE’ allows customers to enjoy CJ CheilJedang’s popular products, such as Hetbahn steamed rice and Bibigo dumplings, more quickly and conveniently,” a CJ CheilJedang official said. “We will continue to strive to provide better benefits and shopping experiences through various promotions and services.”

By Ahn Byung-joon and Yoon Yeon-hae

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]