Naver Launches One-Hour "Delivery Now" Service with CU Stores

Seoul, South Korea - Naver Corp announced on Thursday a delivery service called "Delivery NOW" that will initially partner with CU convenience stores.

According to a company statement, the service will deliver products from CU locations to customers within a 1.5-kilometer radius in approximately one hour.

Deliveries will operate from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with exact closing times varying by location. Orders require a minimum purchase of KRW 10,000 and will use CU's motorcycle delivery network.

The company stated that 3,000 CU stores will initially participate, with plans to include an additional 4,000 locations.

A feature called "Nearby Search" will be introduced next month. 

It will allow customers to view participating stores on a map interface.

Joomi Lee, head of Naver's N Delivery Business, said the service represents a rebranding of the company's previous grocery service.

"We rebranded our existing grocery service as 'Now Delivery' in response to increasing user demand for rapid delivery," Lee said.

The company plans to begin promotional offers on May 22, including delivery fee reductions of KRW 3,000 and shopping cart discounts of KRW 5,000 for Naver Plus membership subscribers.

Naver indicated it intends to add various retail partners to the service within the year.