Korea Expressway Corporation and Rest Area Popular Food Commercialization MOU
Nationwide Rest Area Popular Menus Developed into GS25 Ready Meals
GS Retail's convenience store GS25 announced on the 3rd that it has signed a "Business Agreement to Enhance the Brand Value of Highway Rest Area Food" with Korea Expressway Corporation. Through this agreement, popular foods from highway rest areas nationwide will be launched as ready-to-eat meals by GS25.
The signing ceremony held on the 2nd at the Korea Expressway Corporation ex-Smart Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province was attended by Hutchihong, Head of MD Division at GS Retail, Hong Seongjun, Head of Ready-to-Eat MD Department, Ok Byeongseok, Head of Sales Division at Korea Expressway Corporation, and Jeong Seunghwan, Chairman of the Korea Highway Rest Area Facilities Association.
GS25 has signed a business agreement with Korea Expressway Corporation to launch popular rest area foods as convenient meals. Hutch Hong, Head of MD Division at GS Retail, Byung-seok Ok, Head of Sales Division at Korea Expressway Corporation, and Seung-hwan Jeong, Chairman of Korea Expressway Rest Area Facilities Association, are taking a commemorative photo. (From left) [Photo by GS Retail]
Through this agreement, both parties agreed to cooperate in making popular foods sold at approximately 200 rest areas nationwide easily accessible anywhere in the country. Additionally, they plan to use a portion of the sales revenue from collaborative products to promote various social contribution activities.
GS25 will strengthen its ready-to-eat meal competitiveness by securing intellectual property rights (IP) for popular rest area foods through this agreement. Korea Expressway Corporation also expects to increase restaurant usage by rest area visitors while promoting the excellence of rest area foods nationwide.
The ready-to-eat meals will be selected from the "Representative Foods of Nationwide Rest Areas" announced annually by Korea Expressway Corporation. Currently under review are menus such as "Jjageuli for Loss of Appetite" from Gokseong Rest Area (Suncheon direction) and "Yongdaeri Dried Pollack Hangover Soup" from Yeoju Rest Area (Gangneung direction).
GS25 plans to develop these products into ready-to-eat meals and launch them as early as the third quarter. Furthermore, they will involve the "MD Supporters," sales managers born in the 1990s, to reflect the preferences of the main convenience store consumer group, customers in their 20s and 30s.
Hutchihong, Head of MD Division at GS Retail, said, "With over 400 million rest area users annually, it means that most consumers, regardless of age or gender, have memories associated with rest areas. Since rest areas and convenience stores are very similar as places that provide rest and enjoyment, we will present delicious ready-to-eat meals that evoke memories through the best collaboration."
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