CU Installs Droplet Barriers at Counters in 14,000 Stores

Measures to Protect Franchise Owners, Staff, and Customer Safety from COVID-19
All Related Costs Covered by Headquarters, Installation Completed by Early September

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-sun] CU announced on the 25th that it will install droplet barriers at the counters of 14,000 stores nationwide to protect the safety of franchise owners, staff, and customers from the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

As the spread of COVID-19 has recently intensified nationwide, CU prepared an emergency response plan last week and decided to install droplet barriers at store counters where frequent face-to-face contact occurs between customers and employees. The related costs will be fully covered by the headquarters.

The droplet barriers CU is installing this time are made of transparent carbonate material and are hung from the ceiling above the counter to physically block droplets between customers and employees. The area below the barrier remains open, allowing products, cash, and credit cards to be exchanged as usual. Through this, both customers and employees can purchase products and serve guests in a safer shopping environment, providing mutual psychological reassurance and, above all, significantly contributing to the prevention of COVID-19 spread in daily life.

The installation of droplet barriers is scheduled to start in Seoul on the 26th and be completed at all 14,000 CU stores nationwide by the first week of September.

Additionally, CU will continue to provide free hand sanitizers to all stores in the second quarter. Promotional materials encouraging mask-wearing and social distancing upon store entry will also be distributed to actively encourage customer participation, and COVID-19 prevention announcements will be broadcast every hour within the stores.

Through big data analysis, CU provides reports containing information on products with high demand during the COVID-19 situation and plans related marketing such as budget-friendly discounts and giveaways to help improve franchise sales in various ways. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, CU has actively implemented various support measures to enhance franchise competitiveness, including a win-win cooperation fund, full coverage of disinfection costs for stores visited by confirmed patients, and 100% disposal support for convenience foods during store closures since February.

To help franchise owners receive various government supports, CU has produced CU TV videos introducing related systems and offers free labor and tax consultation services to help them receive benefits such as tax incentives.

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