[Photo provided by Lotte Group]

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Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin recently intensified his on-the-ground management activities by personally visiting major businesses from the conglomerate‘s traditional retail business to future growth engines such as electric vehicles and artificial intelligence (AI). This signifies the group’s determination to turn over a new leaf via a major overhaul and management rationalization.

Lotte Group said on Tuesday that Shin recently visited EVSIS‘s smart factory in Cheongju. EVSIS, a subsidiary of Lotte Innovate, specializes in the development and operation of EV charging infrastructure and is viewed as one of Lotte’s new ventures. Shin inspected the entire facility, evaluating production capacity and assessing business performance.

The Cheongju facility, a critical asset for the group’s EV charging infrastructure business, is equipped with automated systems such as autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and inline conveyor belt lines with an annual production capacity of 20,000 chargers. Shin emphasized the importance of diversifying product lineups and enhancing quality to facilitate overseas expansion, according to the company.

Shin has been accelerating efforts in on-site management since the beginning of 2024, and recently paid an in-person visit to the Grand Grocery store in Eunpyeong, operated by Lotte Mart, to gauge customer responses. As Lotte’s focus with Grand Grocery stores is on future foods, the store significantly increased the proportion of grocery items with food accounting for up to 90 percent of its offerings. The Eunpyeong branch has seen a 10 percent increase in sales since its opening at the end of 2023, as well as receiving positive feedback from customers.

Shin is also actively involved in AI initiatives within the group and participated in the ‘2024 Lotte CEO AI Conference’ held at Lotte World Tower on March 7th, 2024. During the conference, he emphasized the use of AI to enhance operational efficiency and improve the competitiveness and execution capabilities of core businesses.