Curly Enters Convenience Store... CU Launches Curly-Specialized Convenience Store

CU announced on the 21st that it is partnering with retail tech company 'Kurly' to open the 'CU Kurly Specialized Convenience Store (CU Tower Palace Branch).' This follows the business agreement signed in July between BGF Retail and Kurly to jointly promote online and offline platform-based projects.

Since the agreement, the two companies have started collaborating by offering exclusive discount coupons usable on each platform to Pocket CU and Kurly membership customers, as well as jointly operating monthly promotions.

The first Kurly specialized convenience store, opened in Tower Palace, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, is characterized by significantly expanding a wide range of high-quality food categories by leveraging Kurly's strengths.

In the 'Kurly Zone' located at the front of the store counter, customers can find over 110 products from Kurly's private brands Kurly’s, KF365 (Kurly Fresh 365), and KS365 (Kurly Safe 365), including fresh foods such as meat, seafood, eggs, and vegetables, as well as various frozen foods and ready-to-eat meals.

CU is also utilizing this store as a liquor-specialized outlet, filling one side of the store shelves entirely with alcoholic beverages. It stocks about 300 types of liquor, ranging from popular beers and soju to wine, whiskey, highballs, and traditional liquors.

Considering the high purchasing power of the location, the strategy is to offer a broad assortment in both food and liquor categories to attract not only residents but also nearby shoppers.

Additionally, the two companies will introduce CU's mobile liquor reservation service 'CU BAR,' operated through CU's own commerce app Pocket CU, into the Kurly app. A pilot operation will be conducted at seven CU stores in the metropolitan area until the 28th. Customers can reserve and order desired liquor products through the corresponding page in the Kurly app and pick them up at the designated store. The pilot stores include Seocho Green Branch, BGF Headquarters Branch, Bisan Ja-i Branch, Yeoksam Branch, Tower Palace Branch, Hanti Raemian Branch, and Giheung Hicks Branch. After the pilot operation, the service will undergo further improvements and is scheduled for official launch early next year.

Song Ji-taek, Head of Innovation Division at BGF Retail, stated, “CU and Kurly, each excelling in convenience stores and e-commerce channels respectively, have come together to break down the boundaries between online and offline, providing a new shopping experience. We will continue to explore ways to enhance customer shopping convenience by collaborating with various partners regardless of industry or business type.”