Convenience store CU said Thursday it will roll out a drive-thru order pickup service sometime this month, in the latest in a series of moves by the retail industry to reduce human-to-human contact amid the pandemic.

Using a mobile app, customers can browse through products and place their orders at the location they choose. As they drive to the store, staff will prepare the order then step out of the store to hand over the merchandise to shoppers in their vehicle.

The move comes as retailers seek new ways to reduce human-to-human contact, as the world battles a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last month, GS Retail began trialing a robot delivery service at a GS25 store in Seoul.

Earlier this week, Domino’s Pizza also said it had tested a drone and robot delivery, which are based on its geographic information system-powered “Domino Spot.”

CU’s drive-thru service will be available between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. during the week and 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on the weekend, free of charge for minimum orders of 5,000 won ($4.60).

In September, CU teamed up with mobility commerce platform Owin to create a one-stop drive-thru service in an industry first.

The service will first be available at some 500 stores with parking spaces in the Seoul metropolitan area, but the company plans on a nationwide rollout at some 3,000 branches across the country sometime early next year.

Jo Sung-hae, head of BGF Retail‘s e-commerce team, said demand for the new drive-thru service has been consistent among roadside locations where many customers visit by driving.

Introducing the drive-thru service does not require new facility investments, the official added.

By Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)