Surpassing 15,000 Stores in Korea and Mongolia
Operating 102 Branches in Mongolia Alone
Expansion to Malaysia Next Year
Collaboration with Franchise Owners and Infrastructure Improvement
Convenience store CU announced on the 30th that the number of global stores, including Korea and Mongolia, has surpassed 15,000. The photo shows the 15,000th store, CU Yatap Seongyeong Branch.
[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Convenience store CU announced on the 30th that its global store count, including Korea and Mongolia, has surpassed 15,000 locations.
According to CU, it took about 30 years and 1 month from opening its first store, Garak Siyoung Branch, in October 1990 to opening its 15,000th store, CU Yatap Seongyeong Branch. This means an average of about 500 stores per year, 42 stores per month, and 1.4 stores per day. Based on growth in the domestic market, CU became the first in the industry to export its convenience store business to the Mongolian market in 2018 and currently operates 102 stores as of the end of November. The opening of the first store in Malaysia is also scheduled for the first half of next year.
CU's growth over the past 30 years is the result of consistently building a franchisee-friendly system that prioritizes partnerships with franchise owners. CU introduced a new franchise model that increased the profit-sharing rate to a maximum of 80%, the first in the industry, to strengthen franchisees' profitability and rights, and annually signs win-win agreements with franchisees while implementing lifecycle management programs. Through the store sales improvement program 'Clinic for CU,' customized consulting is regularly provided, along with free labor, legal, and tax consultations and medical service discount benefits.
CU has also spared no investment in upgrading convenience store infrastructure. Over the past five years, CU has made investments totaling approximately 600 billion KRW to develop the mobile platform Pocket CU, introduce next-generation POS systems, and operate a central distribution center (CDC), carrying out a large-scale system upgrade.
In response to rapidly changing customer needs, CU has continuously introduced new products and services. From selling slushies and triangular kimbap in its early days to now operating the PB brand 'Heyroo,' CU has launched era-defining hit products such as Baek Jong-won's lunchbox, GET coffee, consomme-flavored popcorn, Delafe iced drinks, and the Giant series.
In terms of lifestyle services, CU has expanded beyond initial public utility bill payments, cash withdrawals, and mobile phone charging services to collaborate with various sectors including finance, IT, and e-commerce. Currently, it continuously introduces new services tailored to customers' lifestyles, such as delivery services, insurance sales, unmanned multifunction devices, Green Save (end-of-day discounts), and subscription coupon services.
The forms of CU stores have also evolved with the times, including cafe-style convenience stores, pharmacy-attached convenience stores, mobile convenience stores, financial kiosk convenience stores, hybrid convenience stores, facial recognition AI convenience stores, eco-friendly convenience stores (Green Store), and art gallery convenience stores.
Recently, CU has been focusing on environmental management by ▲introducing biodegradable eco-friendly bags (PLA) at all directly operated stores nationwide ▲using eco-friendly containers for ready meals ▲operating solar power plants at logistics centers ▲engaging in urban forest creation and marine litter collection volunteer activities. Following its industry-first acquisition of the international standard environmental management system ISO 14001 certification, CU is the only convenience store company to receive a comprehensive grade A in the ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) evaluation by the Korea Corporate Governance Service (KCGS).
CU has also consistently fulfilled its role as a public infrastructure. It began emergency disaster relief activities in 2015, the first in the industry, creating a national safety net model through public-private cooperation. It also conducts community self-support work projects, hires staff with severe disabilities, and runs campaigns for finding missing children and preventing child abuse, drawing a new blueprint for the future direction of domestic convenience stores.
BGF Retail President Lee Geon-jun said, "CU is demonstrating stronger competitiveness amid crises with its solid profit structure, systematic sales growth drivers, and extensive franchisee support." He added, "Having achieved both internal stability and external growth over the past 30 years with unwavering dedication to customers and franchise owners, CU is now poised to become a proud export brand expanding beyond Korea."
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