CJ Foodville Opens Vips Ilsan Branch... Introducing Taste Up Concept

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] VIPS, operated by CJ Foodville, announced on the 3rd that it will introduce a specialized store optimized for the commercial district and customer characteristics for the first time in the Ilsan area.

CJ Foodville newly opened the Ilsan branch with the ‘Taste Up’ concept on Jungang-ro, Ilsandong-gu, on the 31st of last month. Located in a central commercial district where large-scale gathering facilities such as complex shopping malls, hospitals, and cinemas are concentrated, it has about 350 seats. The company explained that requests from customers in the Ilsan area for VIPS to open stores have continued in recent years, and to meet those expectations, they decided to open the Ilsan branch. The strategy is to target mainly customers in their 30s and 40s in the Ilsan area, where more than one million people live and the proportion of families with children is high, and to compete with a specialized store emphasizing VIPS’ unique strengths.

‘Taste Up’ is VIPS’ specialized model that provides a trendy and comfortable dining experience. It is characterized by raising the completeness of each menu item?from salads to steaks and Italian dishes?to the level of specialty shops. Since last year, VIPS has introduced the Taste Up model in seven stores including Hapjeong Station, Children’s Grand Park, and Gyesan branches, proving its success potential with significantly increased customer numbers and satisfaction.

The most notable feature is the premium steak. Customers can experience steak cooked on a Wood Fire Grill that locks in the juices and adds a smoky flavor deep into the meat for the best taste. The salad bar is diversely composed with a ‘Wood Fire Grill Seafood’ section where various seafood such as shrimp, green mussels, and webfoot octopus are grilled directly over high-temperature charcoal, and a ‘Low & Slow BBQ’ zone where food is cooked slowly at low temperatures to achieve a tender texture and retain juices.

A CJ Foodville official said, “Even before the opening, there was enthusiastic customer response spreading by word of mouth not only in Ilsan but also in nearby areas such as Paju and Gimpo, so we prepared for the store opening with even greater joy,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to provide more differentiated menus and services to meet rapidly changing trends and increasingly segmented customer needs.”

Meanwhile, to respond to rapidly changing dining trends and diverse customer needs, VIPS analyzes commercial districts and customer types based on big data from multiple angles and operates three types in total: VIPS PREMIER, Taste Up, and ORIGINAL by introducing and expanding new specialized stores.

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