Elderly Having Difficulty Calling Taxis via Smartphone, CU Will Call for You

BGF Retail Signs Business Agreement with Kakao Mobility
Taxi Call Service for Customers in Digital Blind Spots

BGF Retail, which operates the convenience store CU, is promoting the introduction of a convenience store taxi call service for digitally vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children in collaboration with Kakao Mobility. Kakao Mobility is the operator of 'KakaoT,' the number one taxi call service in Korea.

On the 30th, the two companies announced that they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for "Enhancing National Mobility Convenience through Expanded Linkage between Convenience Stores and Mobility Services" at Park One Tower in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.

On the 29th, at the Park One Tower in Yeouido, Seoul, a commemorative photo was taken during the agreement ceremony for "Enhancing National Mobility Convenience through the Expansion of Linkage between Convenience Stores and Mobility Services," featuring Ryu Geung-seon, CEO of Kakao Mobility, Assemblyman Kim Hee-jung, and Min Seung-bae, CEO of BGF Retail. (From left) [Photo by BGF Retail]

The signing ceremony held on the 29th was attended by key officials from both companies, including Min Seung-bae, CEO of BGF Retail, and Ryu Geung-seon, CEO of Kakao Mobility. The congratulatory speech was delivered by Kim Hee-jung, a member of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee from the People Power Party (Busan Yeonje District).

Through this collaboration, CU will be used as a taxi call location for customers in digital blind spots such as the elderly and children. The two companies are exploring ways to support taxi call services without smartphones by setting convenience stores as the starting point.

This service is newly introduced in the domestic convenience store industry, with a goal to launch next year through system development and other preparations. It will be available to all customers beyond the elderly and children, and is expected to be useful for foreign visitors who have difficulty communicating.

Starting with this taxi call service, the two companies plan to cooperate to develop various services that can strengthen the linkage between convenience stores and mobility.

Min Seung-bae, CEO of BGF Retail, said, "Through this agreement, we hope to establish various systems that can practice the corporate spirit of 'Be Good Friends' by leveraging the business strengths of both companies." He added, "Going forward, CU will actively take the lead in improving quality of life by cooperating with various companies, brands, and local communities as a public infrastructure in daily life."

Meanwhile, BGF Retail has been conducting ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) activities. Since 2017, it has operated the child disappearance prevention system 'iCU' in cooperation with the National Police Agency, which protects lost children (including dementia patients and people with developmental disabilities) at CU stores and hands them over to the police and their families. In August, BGF Retail opened the first convenience store for the disabled in Jeju Island (CU Jeju Hondinurimteo Branch), supporting the independence and social participation of people with disabilities.