Tesco’s trial of virtual shopping in a South Korean subway station is set to be expanded next month and could pave the way for similar hi-tech ‘stores’ in the UK.

Last month, Tesco’s Korean arm Home Plus transformed Seoul’s Hangangjin Station into a ‘virtual supermarket’ by pasting posters of stocked shelves onto platform walls and inviting commuters to ‘shop’ by scanning QR codes with their smartphones. The contents of the shoppers’ ­’virtual baskets’ were later ­delivered to their homes.

The trial was so successful that it is being extended to other Seoul subways next month with a view to rolling the format out across South Korea within two years. “The concept made sense,” said Irene Lam, a spokeswoman for Cheil Worldwide, the global marketing agency that helped develop the store. The trial boosted the retailer’s online sales 130% and online members 76%, claimed Cheil.

The concept’s next stop could well be the UK, according to experts. “The time is right for this,” said Simon Goodall, director of strategy at Saatchi & Saatchi X. “This is about bringing the store to the people.”

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