This week, Lotte says it will soon launch a new department to drive its online businesses, as the South Korean retail giant looks to tap the country's growing online population and consumption.

The e-commerce unit would oversee a new platform that spans seven retail subsidiaries under the group, including its discount store chain and department store operations. Supported initially by a team of 1,400, the business unit planned to hire another 400 employees by next year and was targeting to introduce a mobile app in 2020.

According to local media, Lotte in May this year had announced plans to invest 원3tn won (£2.04bn) over the next five years to drive its e-commerce business, consolidating online retail outfits currently operated by its subsidiaries into a single platform. It hoped such efforts would help drive sales of 원20tn won (£13.6bn) by 2022.

Kim Kyoung-ho, who would head the new department, said the new app would tap the company's customer data to deliver improved services.

According to eMarketer, South Korea's e-commerce market was worth USD$35.58bn (£27.11bn) last year and the third-largest in Asia-Pacific, behind China's USD$1.12tn (£853.37bn) and Japan's USD$38.15bn (£29.07bn)

Lotte's e-commerce investment followed reports that the South Korean conglomerate was mulling plans to sell some of its department stores in China, where it operates five malls.

AU Post Buys Parcel Processing System to Support Online Demand

Australia Post has deployed a new parcel processing system to meet growing demand for online shopping.

The investment was part of Australia's AUD$300m (£169.16m) commitment over the next 18 months to boost the postal service.

Located at its Strathfield site, the new automation equipment would be able to process up to 10,500 parcels an hour, boosting the Australia Post's ability to support residents in New South Wales during the anticipated spike in demand during the year-end festivities.

Last year, the postal services operator delivered more than 37 million parcels across the country just for the month of December, including a record 2.5 million parcels on a single day. And it was projecting bigger volumes this year.

Australia Post's group COO, Bob Black, said the new deployment was part of the organisation's ongoing efforts to support parcel demand growth, fuelled by local consumers' spending AUD$21.3bn (£12.01bn) on online goods last year. This was an 18.7% climb over 2016.

Black said: "It's no secret that online shopping in Australia is growing. Consumers are buying more and more online internationally and domestically and, as a result, we're processing and delivering more parcels than ever before.

"This new automated machinery is great news for residents in New South Wales, where our research shows online shopping grew 21.1% last year. It also means we're providing a safer working environment for everyone, with automation reducing manual handling and the risk of injury."

Other new systems and deployments also were in the pipeline, including an automated parcel delivery centre slated to begin operations in Chullora to support the year-end rush. New satchel and small packet sorters also would be installed in Brisbane and Melbourne, which together with Strathfield, would be able to process more than 40,000 parcels an hour.

According to Australia Post's 'Inside Australian Online Shopping Report', local retailers accounted for more than 80% of the country's total e-commerce spend last year. Online marketplaces such as Etsy, eBay, and Amazon grew 74.8%, while global platforms such as Alibaba Tmall Global and JD.com provided Australian retailers access to international markets. In fact, overseas demand accounted for 46.7% of the country's overall online spending in the past two years.

Singapore Startup Launches Location-Based Retail App

Singapore startup WhereIsWhere has launched a mobile app that it says will enable shoppers to identify available flash promotions, product and service offerings, and activities within a kilometre of their location.

The location-based service currently has more than 1,500 locations in the country on its platform, including shops and malls such as Millenia Walk, Kopitiam, and Old Chang Kee.

The app features an interactive map and filters, such as favourite retailers, promotion timings, and category lists, allowing users to search the nearest outlets that offer various products and services as well as time-based offers.

Consumers are also able to receive alerts from their list of favourite retailers on their latest flash promotions and offerings. This then drives curated push notifications and live updates from the merchants based on the consumer's chosen parameters, according to the Singapore startup.

WhereIsWhere industry advisor Michael Leong said: "With Singapore's consumers spending hours each day on their smartphones, we are catering to their mobile-first needs. These consumers are inundated with content and information. We make their decisions simpler [and] easier, while bringing an element of discovery and excitement. WhereisWhere brings great places, experiences, promotions, and storefronts within your vicinity, or at any point on the map, helping you to decide what to eat, shop, and do."

WhereIsWhere's CEO and founder Terence Mak said: "Think of us as Google Maps, but for finding and connecting with deals and activities nearby. Not only do our users find plenty of options on what to see and do, but they can also follow their favourite brands and receive real-time offers and flash promotions."

The app can be downloaded for free on Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store.

Catch RetailTechNews' interview with Mak for more on the company's plans.