Lotte Mart opened its "Zeta Smart Center Busan," a next-generation AI logistics center in the International Industrial Logistics City in Gangseo-gu, Busan, to capture the online grocery market in Busan and the Yeongnam region. At the facility, hundreds of robots called "bots" moved at speeds of 4 meters per second across a grid-shaped facility called the "Hive," communicating with a central control system 10 times per second. Workers are only needed during the initial phase when products arrive, where they inspect and sort items into "Hive totes" stacked up to 21 levels high. AI then forecasts demand based on seasons, weather, and order patterns, moving high-demand products to upper levels for quicker retrieval. An AI robotic arm uses built-in sensors to adjust grip force to avoid crushing products, then packages items into "delivery totes" for regional delivery vehicles. AI also designs optimal delivery routes reflecting real-time traffic, delivering up to 13 times a day in two- to three-hour intervals. A center official said direct delivery will first cover Busan, Changwon, and Gimhae, with plans to expand to 4 million households in the Yeongnam region, including Ulsan and Daegu, starting next year. Lotte Mart partnered with British retail technology company Ocado to adopt the "Ocado Smart Platform (OSP)" in 2022.