[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] BGF Retail, the operator of convenience store CU, will relaunch its membership application (app) ‘Pocket CU’ on the 19th and expand the ‘CU Universe’ online.
Since its debut in 2018, Pocket CU has introduced services such as finding hot issue products, wine ordering, and reservation purchases, establishing itself as CU’s core channel with 13 million members as of the end of last year.
The purpose of CU’s Pocket CU rebuilding is to strengthen online capabilities that can serve as a booster for franchisees’ operational convenience and business growth as a convenience store specialist company.
BGF Retail invested approximately 10 billion KRW for this app rebuilding and plans to continuously invest to make Pocket CU the central hub of the O4O (online for offline) business that closely connects franchise stores and customers.
The main new features of the renewed Pocket CU are ▲delivery orders ▲PyeonPICK (convenience store pickup) ▲reservation purchase ▲home delivery ▲inventory inquiry ▲CU Wallet, focusing on strengthening the linkage between offline stores and online commerce.
First, the rapidly growing convenience store delivery and pickup services after COVID-19 will enhance partnerships with external channels while implementing in-house ‘delivery order’ and ‘PyeonPICK’ services within Pocket CU.
Pocket CU’s delivery and pickup services operate for all products, including +1 promotional items (excluding some items such as tobacco). When customers add desired products to their cart, an algorithm automatically matches the optimal store based on inventory status and distance. Notably, benefits such as keeping coupons and subscription coupons provided at offline CU stores are also offered.
Through this, CU expects significant improvements in store profitability and operational convenience by eliminating platform entry fees, which have recently been a heavy burden for small business owners.
‘Home delivery’ expands Pocket CU’s role beyond a simple membership app to an e-commerce channel. Through this, CU plans to offer differentiated products across various categories, from limited editions that were hard to find at convenience stores to trendy items targeting the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z).
Customer convenience in store usage will also be greatly enhanced. Starting with this app renewal, the wine reservation purchase service, which allows customers to pre-order desired products and pick them up at stores, will be expanded nationwide. Along with the popular ‘Hot Issue Product Finder’ service, a ‘Store Inventory Inquiry’ feature will be added to check real-time inventory of all products sold at CU by store.
‘CU Wallet,’ which allows customers to conveniently collect and use CU mobile gift certificates in one place, and a QR payment service that applies payments, coupons, and exchange vouchers all at once will also be introduced. Additionally, a ‘Review’ section will open where customers can directly leave evaluations of stores or request orders for needed products, enabling direct communication with franchise stores.
Furthermore, various services such as ▲parcel reservation and payment through CU Parcel ▲CU Con, which allows purchase or gifting of CU mobile gift certificates ▲Store Plus, enabling differentiated events by store, will be sequentially launched.
Song Jitaek, Head of Innovation at BGF Retail, said, “This Pocket CU rebuilding focuses on the core value of convenience stores by implementing the same products and services online as in offline stores.” He added, “Going forward, BGF Retail will focus on maximizing customer benefits through continuous collaboration with external channels while strengthening its own platform capabilities.”
Meanwhile, the new Pocket CU will be available for download from the App Store and Google Play Store starting on the 19th, and a large-scale rebuilding commemorative promotion is planned from the 1st of next month.
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