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GS Caltex, a South Korean oil refiner and energy company inked a deal with the Korean unit of IKEA, a furniture retail chain, to launch a pickup service at gas stations. For starters, it was mentioned that the first service center would open in one of the gas stations in Gangnam, Seoul.
As per The Korea Herald, GS Caltex and IKEA Korea will initially open one pickup station and they have plans to open more. They are reported to be looking at expanding the project across the nation later this year.
The partnership to launch the service will offer convenience and the benefit of lower delivery fees. This is because the pickup stations are projected to cut the furniture delivery fees and reduce it to only ₩19,000.
Based on the report, IKEA Korea has high delivery fees due to the size and weight of the furniture and other products it sells. GS Caltex stated that its move to team up with the furniture company comes as the number of online shoppers who also avail of the pickup service has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic. The energy firm added that with its new offering, in partnership with IKEA, it is hoping that the reduced delivery fees will attract more customers.
“Gas stations are great in terms of load space but also for logistics vehicles to enter,” a GS Caltex official said. “They are everywhere around the country, making them a good fit for a logistics hub.”
After launching the service in Gangnam, IKEA Korea may add more pickup points in Daegu, Daejeon, Cheonan, Pyeongtaek, and Changwon. The number of GS Caltex’s gas stations is very beneficial and ideal for the pickup service for the furniture seller.
Meanwhile, Aju Business Daily reported that online shopping customers of IKEA Korea could choose to pick up their orders at GS Caltex gas stations. By the end of this year, the companies in this joint venture may have already put up at least six pickup points and charge just ₩19,000 per delivery to the station. This surely offers big savings to customers as the normal minimum delivery fee is around ₩59,000 or $49.70.
