[Edaily Reporter Lee So-Hyun ] Naver (NAVER(035420)) is establishing a logistics subsidiary to strengthen its delivery capabilities and plans to invest approximately 1 trillion won by 2030.

The company will secure logistics centers through leasing and collaborate with existing partners for actual operations and delivery, while Naver will directly lead the design of the logistics system, data, and infrastructure. The strategy aims to accelerate e-commerce growth by improving delivery speed and efficiency through AI-powered demand forecasting and inventory allocation.

Choi Soo-yeon, CEO of Naver, stated during the Q3 2026 earnings call on the 12th, “Going forward, Naver plans to establish a specialized logistics subsidiary to further elevate our delivery competitiveness and gradually strengthen our delivery infrastructure centered on leased logistics centers.”

She added, “While we expect this will require an investment of nearly 1 trillion won by 2030, we plan to design the initiative so that the impact on cash flow and profit and loss remains limited by securing appropriate financing methods and establishing a sound revenue structure.”

The establishment of this subsidiary reflects Naver’s vision to strengthen its control over delivery infrastructure while maintaining cooperation with existing logistics partners. Rather than purchasing logistics centers outright, the company will lease them to reduce the capital burden, while existing logistics firms will handle the actual center operations and deliveries.

CEO Choi said, “While we will continue to collaborate with existing partners on facility operations and delivery, Naver will take the lead in system, data, and infrastructure design to create a structure where commerce and logistics are more closely integrated.”

In particular, Naver will actively leverage its search, shopping, and order data in logistics operations. CEO Choi emphasized, “Based on shopping search, order, and data, we will predict demand in advance and position inventory closer to users to enable faster and more efficient delivery using the same infrastructure.”

Through this approach, the plan is to enable users to receive products quickly even when they place orders later, while allowing sellers to access better logistics terms as their transaction volume increases.

The growth of N Delivery is a key factor behind Naver’s decision to expand its logistics investments. In the third quarter, N Delivery’s transaction volume increased by 38% year-over-year. Usage grew particularly for items with high repeat purchase rates, such as daily necessities, and the company explained that N Delivery helped prevent a decline in transactions even during the period leading up to the Chuseok holiday, when regular parcel services had stopped accepting new orders.

Results from the expansion of delivery infrastructure are also becoming evident. Transaction volume from direct contracts between sellers and Naver increased approximately fivefold year-over-year. The number of early-morning delivery centers grew from three to nine in the first half of the year, and early-morning delivery transaction volume grew more than fourfold compared to the previous quarter. Currently, approximately 75% of N Delivery orders arrive by the next day, and the on-time delivery success rate remains at around 98%.

Delivery benefits are also driving increased purchases among Naver Plus Membership subscribers. Following the enhancement of free shipping and free return benefits, the purchase frequency of membership customers rose by 27%, and their share of total transactions exceeded 70%. Naver plans to strengthen its delivery competitiveness in the fourth quarter by introducing an early-morning delivery service exclusively for membership subscribers.

Naver plans to establish a logistics subsidiary to enhance its competitiveness across the entire commerce value chain—from shopping search to ordering, payment, and delivery. CEO Choi stated, “We will build a commerce ecosystem where sellers, users, and partner companies grow together through a virtuous cycle in which delivery competitiveness drives transaction growth, and increased volume, in turn, boosts efficiency.”