Unstaffed coffee shops, ramen eateries and flower outlets are spreading across South Korea as owners turn to robots and self-service to overcome rising labour costs in a business model that relies on the widespread honesty of users.
Such stores, usually open 24 hours, were estimated to number 9,000 nationwide by the end of 2024, the National Fire Agency said, while payments provider Samsung Card said their number probably grew four times by 2025 from 2020.
Stores with no staff are not uncommon globally, with cashier-free grocers in countries such as Britain and the United States, but the concept has spread wider in South Korea to encompass even pet supply stores and clothing boutiques.
Owners of such stores cite difficulties in finding suitable staff and rising wage costs as reasons for adopting the model, particularly as rates of petty crime are low in South Korea, where customers are generally rule-abiding.
South Korea has a rapidly ageing population, with one of the world’s lowest birth rates leading to a labour crunch. The government expects the population of 51.8 million to shrink by almost a third to 36.2 million by 2072.
