AlbaCheck officially launches its remote store management app

Alba Check, which operates an online service for managing store operations, announced on the 1st that it will launch its full version with improved usability and enhanced security ahead of its transition to a paid service.

In April, Alba Check rolled out its first update to develop features and improve speed based on a survey of actual users. It will now end its beta phase with features including prominent partner login access, streamlined store registration, stronger business verification, and store notice boards.

Alba Check expects to make communication and work processes between store owners and employees more efficient at offline stores. The company said that, instead of unnecessary “CCTV surveillance,” thumbnail-based checklists can address employee concerns while reducing the handover costs associated with frequent staff turnover and hiring.

According to the Statistics Korea survey of economically active people, the number of ultra-short-term workers employed fewer than 15 hours a week reached 1.232 million in the second quarter of this year, up 19% from the first quarter of 2018. The figure for wholesale and retail trade, lodging, and food services surged 51% over the same period.

An Alba Check representative added, “The minimum wage has risen 33% over the past three years, driving up labor costs for store owners by the same amount. As so-called ‘split-shift part-time jobs’—in which employers hire ultra-short-term workers for fewer than 15 hours a week—become more common, store owners are also having to manage more tasks beyond sales and operations.”

The trend is also reflected in Alba Check’s service metrics. As of July, the cumulative number of task “verification photos” submitted through Alba Check had reached about 700,000, a 2,335% increase from a year earlier. The number of tasks, which averaged 20,000 a month, grew exponentially over the past year to about 110,000 last month.

The number of store employees using Alba Check to receive and complete tasks remotely has also risen 230% in a year, sustaining its rapid growth.

Alba Check will use the launch of its full version as a springboard for sales expansion. In particular, it plans to step up service development to attract offline merchants and benefit store owners through a partnership with KSNET, one of the top five companies by market share in Korea’s VAN market.

Alba Check is set to begin charging for its service in October. CEO Kwon Min-jae said, “We plan to offer store owners a one-month trial in September, during which they can use all features for free. For the price of two cups of coffee a month, offline stores can begin their digital transformation with remote operations management.”

Alba Check: https://www.albacheck.co.kr/https://www.albacheck.co.kr/