The Korean mobile network operator’s new Q-Store aims to combine the best of online and in-store retailing by enabling shoppers to look at products in a retail environment and then use 2D barcodes and NFC tags attached to them to go online with their phone to get more information and make a purchase.
South Korean mobile network operator SK Telecom has opened the first in a planned chain of retail outlets that lets shoppers browse items in-store and then purchase them online via their mobile phones.
Around 200 products are on offer at the first Q-Store in Seoul and the plan is that the products on offer will be changed each month. Products available include luxury goods, consumer electronics products and cosmetics.
Each item has an accompanying QR code and NFC tag, enabling shoppers to view the item in-store and then access further information by simply reading the tag or barcode with their phone. They can then place an order — at online prices that represent a saving of between 10% and 40% on standard retail prices — and the item will then be delivered to their home.
“With the launch of Q-Store, SK Telecom expects to take initiative in the mobile payment and commerce market with NFC-based mobile infrastructure and further satisfy various customer needs,” a spokesman for the company told NFC World.
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