GS25 30th Anniversary... "We Will Make This Year One to Sincerely Give Back"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] GS25, a convenience store celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2020, has selected "Jinsim (True Heart)" as its core message.

On the 2nd, GS25 stated, "We chose 'Jinsim' as the core message for 2020 to express our gratitude and sincere feelings toward customers who have consistently supported us for 30 years," adding, "Throughout the year, we plan to carry out various customer promotions, customer participation events, social contribution activities, and mutual respect campaigns."

In January, GS25 will conduct ▲over 1,000 promotional product events ▲30 times reward points when paying with the '30th Anniversary Edition Membership Card' ▲30% discount coupons for fresh food through 'My Own Refrigerator' ▲a prize event for customers who upload 30th anniversary congratulatory videos ▲social contribution activities supporting new beginnings for homeless women.

Meanwhile, GS25 started its first store, 'LG25 Kyunghee Branch,' in front of Kyunghee University in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, in December 1990. From a transaction amount of 90 million KRW in its first year, it has grown approximately 90,000 times to over 8 trillion KRW (transaction amount basis) by the end of 2018. In 2018, it expanded into Vietnam and opened its 57th store last year. Following the full-scale export of private brand (PB) products in August 2017, exports tripled in 2019 compared to the previous year, expanding overseas exports to 17 countries and actively supporting partner companies' overseas expansion to strengthen win-win cooperation.

GS25 has led the distribution industry with various first-to-market products. In 2006, it launched the premium PB ramen 'Teumsae Ramen' for the first time, achieving remarkable success that surpassed the number one ramen brand and opening the era of PB ramen. Other notable firsts include the Chinese restaurant 'Gonghwachun' collaboration products Gonghwachun Jjajang and Jjamppong, the famous restaurant brand 'Sikgaek,' the launch of soft triangular kimbap in 2004, and the entire fresh food factory receiving HACCP certification in 2009.

Cafe25, which has received higher praise than specialty coffee shops, is popular for its convenient accessibility, excellent cost-effectiveness, diverse menu, professional-grade coffee bean blending, top-quality espresso extraction machines, and various menu options. In 2019, it surpassed 130 million cups sold annually.

It also serves as a platform for social safety nets. Since 2006, the GS Nanumi Volunteer Group has been active nationwide with 80 bases as of December 2019. The number of participants in GS Nanumi volunteer activities has significantly increased, with a cumulative total of 100,000 participants and 15 billion KRW worth of donated goods to date.

Additionally, GS25 has received an 'Excellent' rating for three consecutive years since 2016 in the Win-Win Growth Index evaluation, thanks to its high profit-sharing rate with franchise owners and win-win systems such as utility cost support up to 1 million KRW. It has also secured first place in sales per franchise unit area (3.3㎡).

This year, GS25 plans to respond to competition by establishing a Platform Business Unit (Platform B/U) overseeing GS Retail's offline stores and integrating divisions. By leveraging big data-based customer analysis, it aims to quickly respond to new consumer groups such as Generation Z and Millennials, and plans to solidify its role as a lifestyle platform by introducing 'sharing economy' content that opens a practical consumption era.

Yoon Sung Cho, CEO of GS Retail, said, "In 2020, marking the 30th anniversary of GS25, we will make it a year to repay with 'Jinsim,' including various social contribution activities. Through overwhelming win-win support compared to competitors, differentiated product power and services, we will write a new 30-year history of 'overwhelming sales gap' and 'store profitability enhancement' that no one can rival."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.