World's first Virtual store

Tesco Homeplus in South Korea has opened the world's first virtual store in the Seoul subway to help time-pressed commuters shop on the go using their smartphones.The walls of the Seonreung subway station in downtown Seoul came to life with virtual displays of over 500 of the most popular products with barcodes which customers can scan using the Homeplus app on their smartphones and get delivered right to their doorstep.

The beauty of the idea is that busy commuters can scan their groceries on their way to work int he morning and, as long as their order is placed before 13.00, their items will be delivered home that same evening, creating even greater speed and convenience in the whole shopping experience. The displays, which include a range of different daily items from milk and apples to pet food and stationery, will be placed on the pillars and the screen doors at the subway station. Commuters can then scan the OR code beneath the desired item via the Homeplus app on their smartphone and the item will then be delivered direct to the customer's home at a time of their choosing. 

A South Korean woman looking at the virtual retail shop at Seolleung subway station in Seoul. A major South Korean retailer has opened what it claims is the world's first virtual store geared to smartphone users, with shoppers scanning barcodes of products displayed in a Seoul subway station.