Lotte Duty-Free will launch the mini-program via the Alipay app in March to enhance its e-commerce offer to Chinese customers.

Lotte Duty-Free has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Alipay+ to prevent Chinese customers from returning to its outlets. Lotte Duty-Free has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Alipay+ to prevent Chinese customers from returning to its outlets. Lotte Duty-Free has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Alipay+ to prevent Chinese customers from returning to its outlets.

Alipay+, the Ant Group's worldwide payment, and marketing platform was released in 2020 and currently covers payment systems in China, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Korea.

On February 10, prominent representatives from both organizations, including Lotte Duty-Free CEO Kap Lee and Ant Group Korea CEO Jung Hyung-Kwon, attended the signing ceremony at the Lotte Duty-Free Shop headquarters in Seoul.

"Through the business arrangement, Lotte Duty-Free intends to expand into the Chinese market...to improve customer convenience throughout Asia, as well as introduce the Lotte Duty-Free mini program within the Alipay app."

Through the Alipay+ digital payment system, Lotte Duty-Free intends to improve the convenience of duty-free shopping for customers in China and Southeast Asia, where credit card penetration is low.

While clients can shop through Lotte Duty-Free's tiny program online, the Korean travel retailer will introduce the mini-program via the Alipay app in March to expand its e-commerce offering to Chinese customers.