GS25 to Support Youth Preparing for Independence... 'Happy Store' to Open Within the Year

Connecting Startups and Employment for Youth Preparing for Independence

GS25 supports the independence of young people taking their first steps into society without guardians.

GS Retail, which operates the convenience store GS25, announced on the 22nd that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Self-Sufficiency Welfare Development Institute and the Korea Food for the Hungry International (Food for the Hungry) to help young people preparing for independence achieve stable self-reliance.

Officials are taking a commemorative photo at the GS25 Happy Store agreement ceremony.
[Photo by GS Retail]

At the signing ceremony, plans were discussed to operate some GS25 franchise stores as 'Happy Stores' to serve as educational spaces for young people preparing to enter society. Attendees included Kim Cheon-ju, Executive Director of GS Retail, Seo Gwang-guk, Head of the Development Institute, and Kim Tae-il, Division Head of Food for the Hungry.

The main contents of the MOU signed by the participating organizations include ▲providing Happy Store workplaces and educational services (GS25) ▲discovering and supporting operators and participants for Happy Store operations (Development Institute) ▲conducting customized education and promotional activities to revitalize Happy Stores (Food for the Hungry).

This agreement was promoted with the shared recognition by the three organizations of the reality that young people preparing for independence, who must leave orphanages or other protective facilities after turning 18, have to seek social independence without guardians.

GS25 plans to open two stores located in Gangseo-gu and Gwanak-gu, Seoul, as Happy Stores within this year. Afterwards, the number of stores will be increased mainly in metropolitan areas, and special benefits such as waiving franchise fees will be provided to young people who have experienced Happy Stores and operate franchise stores.

Kim Cheon-ju, Executive Director of the Convenience Store Support Division at GS Retail, said, "GS25 has carried out various activities that contribute to local communities beyond the function of retail stores. We hope this Happy Store will be of some help to young people who must take their first steps into society without guardians."

Meanwhile, since 2017, GS25 has operated a total of 196 stores as win-win sharing platforms, including Neulbom Stores for people with disabilities, Senior Stores for the elderly, and Naeil Stores for low-income groups, carrying out environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management activities that support the self-sufficiency of various socially marginalized groups.