Use Airline Miles at Convenience Stores... GS Retail and Korean Air Join Hands

GS Retail, Korean Air Plan Comprehensive Cooperation
GS Retail Products Also Sold for Consideration to Jin Air

GS Retail announced on the 12th that it has signed a business agreement with Korean Air to jointly promote business and enhance customer benefits.

This business agreement aims to leverage the infrastructures and business capabilities of GS Retail, celebrating its 50th anniversary in the distribution industry, and the global airline Korean Air, to focus on practical business initiatives that provide tangible benefits to customers. Through mutual exchange activities between distribution and aviation, collaborative product planning and development, Korean Air mileage usage partnerships, joint promotional marketing, and joint social contribution activities, the two companies will continue comprehensive cooperation in distribution, aviation, culture, and ESG, connecting customer experiences.

First, GS Retail and Korean Air will engage in 'channel exchange.' In the second half of the year, GS Retail products will be introduced through Jin Air's paid sales service, effectively expanding GS Retail's sales channels to the skies. Korean Air is also planning to sell physical gift cards at GS25 and GS The Fresh once they are launched.

Additionally, customers will be able to use Korean Air mileage to purchase products across all GS Retail brands, including convenience store GS25, home shopping GS Shop, and supermarket GS The Fresh. GS Retail is also considering accumulating Korean Air mileage proportional to the payment amount. This will expand the usage of mileage to ground channels.

Cooperation in the content sector is also being explored. GS25 is preparing to open flagship stores themed around Korean Air at Incheon International Airport, Mongolia, and Vietnam. The stores will reflect Korean Air’s signature colors, brand identity, and key aircraft elements both inside and outside, and will sell products collaboratively developed by the two companies.

To realize Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) management, joint social contribution activities will be conducted. Next year, employees from both companies will participate in a tree-planting volunteer activity in the ‘Korean Air Forest’ established by Korean Air in Baganuur District, Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, focusing on ecological restoration. GS25 is actively expanding its stores in the Mongolian market, making this activity even more meaningful.

Furthermore, in the event of disasters in regions where both companies have jointly expanded overseas, they have agreed to provide relief supplies together. GS Retail will support land transportation, while Korean Air will handle air transportation, among other plans under consideration.

In addition, various joint benefits such as lounge access, product giveaways, and discount coupons for customers of both companies are also being discussed. GS Retail expects that this business agreement will provide customers with practical and differentiated experiences, expand touchpoints, and maximize core competitiveness in the distribution business.

Lee Jeong-pyo, head of GS Retail’s O4O division, stated, "GS Retail and Korean Air share the commonality of leading innovation in their respective core industries of distribution and aviation." He added, "Through this collaboration, we plan to promote synergies across O4O business, marketing, products, services, and ESG, and provide newer and more enjoyable customer experiences by expanding pioneering partnerships across different industries."