Emart24 Partners with University Cooperatives Nationwide to Lead Campus Convenience Store Innovation

The Kookmin University Co-op Sket store launched through the partnership between Emart24 and Kookmin University Student Cooperative. (Photo by Emart24)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Emart24 and the University Cooperative Federation join hands to enhance student convenience and welfare.

Emart24 and the National University Cooperative Federation (University Coop) announced on the 3rd that they will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 'Innovation of Campus Convenience Stores.' The University Coop is a cooperative that operates welfare stores on campus with students, faculty, and staff as members to promote welfare improvement.

This MOU focuses on collaboration in ▲using the University Coop's own convenience store brand COOPSKET ▲supplying Emart24 products, marketing, and system utilization at 107 stores across university campuses nationwide ▲introducing unmanned and manned hybrid stores and a Green Delivery system (walking delivery by campus students).

The University Coop's own brand COOPSKET, devised by the Student Committee of the Korea University Cooperative Federation, is a compound word of 'Coop' meaning university cooperative and 'Basket' meaning shopping basket, carrying the double meaning of 'a store of the University Coop.' Through this MOU, the familiar COOPSKET brand will continue to be used while operating with Emart24's products, marketing, and systems.

In particular, the new COOPSKET brand design will be handled by Emart24's branding team, striving to preserve the meaning and identity of COOPSKET. The remodeled COOPSKET stores will operate in a hybrid form, manned during the day and unmanned at night. This will allow students to conveniently use the convenience store even during late-night hours.

Additionally, a Green Delivery system model will be applied, enabling students to generate income by utilizing their spare time. When COOPSKET products are ordered through the Emart24 app on campus, registered students receive an alert, and those who wish can deliver the products on foot. The student who supports the walking delivery picks up the ordered products from COOPSKET and delivers them, enhancing convenience and providing an opportunity for additional income.

The University Coop evaluated that through this MOU, while maintaining the identity of its own COOPSKET brand, it can lead innovation in campus convenience stores by advancing products and marketing, and introducing hybrid stores and the Green Delivery system, thereby increasing student convenience and welfare.

Emart24 expects to secure a large number of franchise stores in excellent commercial areas and naturally promote the excellence of Emart24's products, marketing, and systems to students.

Kim Jang-wook, CEO of Emart24, said, “Following the launch of COOPSKET stores No. 1 and 2 in partnership with Kookmin University Cooperative last November, we have now joined forces with the National University Cooperative Federation nationwide. We expect the model introduced through this MOU to become a successful case of collaboration between corporations and consumer cooperatives.”

Kim Jong-won, Chairman of the Korea University Cooperative Federation, said, “I hope COOPSKET will be reborn as a cultural complex space that realizes the values of welfare improvement, cooperation, and coexistence for university members.”