# Virtual Subway Supermarkets Homeplus Uses Clever Marketing Campaign to Become Number One By Kevin Young | Published 2012-06-25 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/homeplus References: [wimp](http://www.wimp.com/marketingcampaign/) & [tescoplc](http://www.tescoplc.com/index.asp?pageid=8&panel=5) While most businesses sell their products in grocery stores, Homeplus decides to sell theirs in a virtual subway supermarket. Homeplus is [Korea's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/trust-bars) second largest home goods store chain next to [E-Mart](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/e-mart), which leads in first place with more stores. To increase the amount of traffic to its stores, Homeplus decided to create a virtual store in the subway so people can easily shop without the need to travel to a store. [Subway](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sandwich-billboard) riders purchased goods by scanning the QR code, which automatically stores every item into the cart. The selected goods are then packed and delivered right to the buyer's doorsteps. As a result of this clever marketing technique, Homeplus became number one in the online market and if it keeps up the good job, they'll eventually become number one overall. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.6/10 - Popularity: 42% | Activity: 88% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Virtual Subway Supermarkets:** The concept of virtual supermarkets in subway stations presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for retailers to reach consumers in high-traffic areas. - **QR Code Shopping:** Using QR codes to enable seamless shopping experiences in virtual subway supermarkets opens up opportunities for retailers to enhance convenience and boost sales. - **Online Grocery Shopping:** The success of Homeplus' virtual subway supermarket highlights the growing trend of online grocery shopping and the potential for retailers to tap into this market. ### Who This Affects Most - **Retail:** The retail industry can leverage virtual subway supermarkets to drive sales and attract customers in urban areas. - **Marketing:** Innovative marketing campaigns like virtual subway supermarkets offer disruptive opportunities for marketers to engage with consumers and drive brand awareness. - **E-commerce:** The rise of virtual supermarket experiences and QR code shopping reflects the growing role of e-commerce in the grocery industry, opening up opportunities for online retailers. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Interactive Sandwich Billboards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sandwich-billboard.md) - [Virtual Appliance Showrooms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/appliance-showroom.md) - [Smart Fridge Vending Machines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smart-fridge-vending-machines.md) - [AI Shopping Applications](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lotte-mart-zeta.md) - [Virtual Convenience Store Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aldi-4.md) - [Diminutive Indian Grocery Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/indian-grocery-app.md) - [Employee-Free Smart Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/teo-smart-stores.md) - [Geo-Targeting Store Advertisements](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tesco-5.md) - [AI-Powered Supermarkets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/autonomous-grocery-store.md)