GS25 Strengthens Character IP Business... Introduces 'Mumu-ssi and Friends'

Showcase of 'Mumu-ssi and Friends' Held at Headquarters
Character Franchise Expansion... Establishing New Growth Engine

GS Retail announced on the 23rd that its convenience store GS25 will foster its character intellectual property (IP) business as a new growth engine.

Previously, on the 22nd, GS25 held a ‘Mumu-ssi and Friends’ character showcase for its employees at the convenience store on the 1st floor and the cafeteria on the 2nd basement floor of GS Tower in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

This showcase was an event to expand the universe of its original character 'Mumu-ssi' by unveiling new characters under the concept of 'Mumu-ssi and Friends.' The newly introduced characters are three types: 'Geuraesopanda Meoyong-ssi (Lesser Panda),' 'Bukkutokki Anjeure-ssi (Arctic Rabbit),' and 'Sigoreugomnyangi Sunnam-ssi (Cat),' all inspired by animals like the existing ‘Mumu-ssi (Tibetan Fox).’

Starting at the end of this month, GS25 will begin active customer communication about the ‘Mumu-ssi and Friends’ characters through social networking services (SNS). They plan to actively use the characters in various product and goods launches as well as entertaining content releases across both online and offline service areas.

GS25 views the character IP business as a new growth driver, given the expanding market size. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency, the domestic character IP market is expected to grow from 13.6 trillion won in 2020 to over 16.2 trillion won by 2025. Having their own characters is also positive for diversifying revenue models. Since they can be used freely without additional costs or restrictions, it is advantageous for securing a loyal fan base and dedicated customers.

In fact, the ‘Mumu-ssi’ goods launched in May 2022 using GS25’s ‘Mumu-ssi’ character have surpassed a cumulative sales volume of 1 million units.

Lee Jeong-pyo, head of GS Retail’s O4O division, said, “We introduced ‘Mumu-ssi and Friends’ to nurture differentiated characters that embody the fun value of GS25, delivering a newer and more enjoyable brand image across all online and offline channels, and securing a strong customer base through the unique charm of the characters. We aim to become a cultural platform GS25 that provides special customer experiences with stories and diverse character culture marketing that resonate not only with the 10s and 20s generations but with all age groups.”