Hyundai Department Store Unveils HEYDI, Korea's First AI Shopping Assistant for Physical Stores
Hyundai Department Store has developed HEYDI, the first AI shopping assistant designed specifically for offline retail spaces in South Korea, the company announced recently.
HEYDI stands for "Hyundai Personalized Lifestyle Design AI" and functions as a conversational shopping companion that provides real-time recommendations within physical stores. Unlike typical online recommendation systems, this AI assistant is built specifically to enhance in-person shopping experiences.
The system can handle complex customer requests through natural conversation. For example, customers can ask for "Y2K-style jeans favored by K-pop idols within a 200,000 won budget" or "restaurants suitable for elderly mothers curious about Korean spicy food," and HEYDI will provide specific store locations and recommendations.
HEYDI will first launch as "HEYDI Global" for international customers, supporting seven languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese, and Arabic. The system will undergo a one-month trial in June 2025 at Hyundai Outlet Dongdaemun store via QR codes, followed by a full launch across all Hyundai Department Store and outlet locations in early July 2025.
A Korean version for domestic customers will be released later in 2025, incorporating additional features like membership data, purchase history, and personalized location services.
HEYDI connects to real-time data from all Hyundai Department Store locations, including brand inventory, restaurant availability, pop-up store schedules, exhibitions, and promotional events. Beyond recommendations, the AI can make restaurant reservations, manage waiting lists, and suggest optimal shopping routes.
The system is powered by Hyundai Future Net, the group's ICT specialist company, which has built machine learning capabilities that process live store information to provide personalized responses.
The company is prioritizing foreign customers because international tourists face relatively lower accessibility to shopping information compared to domestic customers. While post-COVID tourism to Korea has steadily increased, individual travelers often struggle to find current information that aligns with their actual travel schedules.
HEYDI Global will be accessible through the company's global website, QR codes at store information desks, and marketing partnerships at airports and hotels.
This launch continues Hyundai Department Store's AI transformation initiative that began after ChatGPT's emergence in 2022. The company previously introduced "Lewis," an AI copywriting system in March 2023 that reduced ad creation time from weeks to hours. Other AI systems include "JellBbo," an AI chatbot for customer service, and "OneStep," an AI-powered advertising designer launched in July 2024.
According to company representatives, retail has evolved from "purposeful shopping" to "malling-style shopping," and HEYDI represents the next phase: "AI-curated personalized shopping experiences."
The HEYDI launch positions Hyundai Department Store as the first Korean department store to implement AI-powered offline shopping assistance, potentially setting a new standard for retail innovation in the region.
