Providing ICT-based customer experience services at food courts in main and Bundang branches during June
Smart signage construction and energy efficiency business cooperation also planned

Lee Sun-hee (pseudonym), a woman in her 40s, frequently purchases side dishes and fruits at Lotte Department Store. While shopping by looking directly at products remains the same as before, now she no longer needs to place items in a cart or carry them; she simply needs to scan the products she wishes to purchase with a barcode scanner. The purchased items arrive home in fresh condition the same day.

SK Telecom (CEO and President Jang Dong-hyun, www.sktelecom.com) announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lotte Department Store on the 24th to establish a next-generation smart department store applying ICT.

Through this partnership agreement, both companies will build a smart store enabling convenient and enjoyable shopping, and will also pursue smart signage construction utilizing the exterior walls of the department store as media, as well as cooperation in energy efficiency projects.

The two companies plan to construct a smart store system by installing ICT solutions such as Smart Shopper, Smart Locker, and Smart KIOSK at the basement level 1 food courts of Lotte Department Store's main branch and Bundang branch by June.

Smart Shopper is a dedicated shopping barcode scanner that enables "shopping without a cart" by delivering products to the desired location on the desired date when customers scan items they wish to purchase. Smart Locker is a room temperature/refrigerated locker that can be reserved through Lotte Department Store's app, with enhanced safety and efficiency through smartphone authentication and point cam-based security management, while providing refined information provision and user operation through a mirror display on the locker's central control unit.

Smart KIOSK provides basic information about the food court and is equipped with BLE* wireless payment infrastructure, establishing a system where orders are placed simultaneously with card payment, with plans to add T-Pay/L-Pay** payment systems through future enhancements.

Both companies plan to expand the system to all Lotte Department Store locations to construct a smart department store through effectiveness verification of the pilot store and additional enhancements.

Additionally, the two companies plan to construct a smart signage solution that converts the department store's exterior walls into video media. By replacing the exterior walls with large-scale LED screens, it is expected that landmark image improvement can be achieved, and marketing management costs can be drastically reduced by easily promoting events and product information.

The companies also plan to establish a Building Energy Management System (BEMS) by applying ICT-based energy efficiency equipment for energy savings in department store facilities. By identifying and improving inefficient and wasteful factors in the operation of energy equipment at each store, energy operation costs can be reduced.

Song Kwon, Head of SK Telecom's IoT Solutions Division, stated, "SK Telecom, leading in IoT solutions, has been able to provide customers with new experiences through the construction of a next-generation smart department store with industry-leading Lotte Department Store, and we will continuously pursue diverse cooperation between the two companies to create new customer value."

Lee Wan-shin, Executive Director of Marketing at Lotte Department Store, said, "Through collaboration with SK Telecom, we plan to present an innovative shopping environment based on ICT, and will continue to showcase various omnichannel services that provide convenient and enjoyable shopping experiences to customers by leveraging new technologies."