Lotte Department Store has become the first South Korean department store operator to enter the quick-commerce market, launching a five-month pilot through a dedicated section on the Coupang Eats application. The service began the previous day, industry sources said on the 9th, at the company’s Cheongnyangni and Gwanak stores. Customers can order restaurant-floor menu items and products from brands inside the stores, including food, living and lifestyle goods. Brands prepare the items, store staff check and consolidate orders, and Coupang Eats riders collect them for delivery. The move marks the first time a department store has created a dedicated section on an outside delivery platform for same-day and instant delivery. It expands Lotte Department Store’s reach beyond its physical outlets and own online mall, while adding department store merchandise to Coupang Eats’ existing convenience-store, supermarket and hypermarket network. Coupang Eats said on the 7th that it had partnered with Lotte Super to provide quick-commerce service at about 170 stores nationwide. Department stores are testing the model as online retail continues to grow: online channels represented 60.8% of total retail sales, an all-time high, in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s July report on major retailer sales trends. Lotte Department Store will use the pilot to measure demand and is expected to decide on a broader rollout based on the results.