GS The Fresh Opens First Social Contribution Self-Support Supermarket

Social Contribution Self-Support Supermarket 'Naeil Store' 1st Branch Goyang Baekseok Opens on the 14th
Operational Feasibility of Self-Support Work Project Verified through GS25 Naeil Store

At GS The Fresh Goyang Baekseok branch, officials are taking a commemorative photo after the opening ceremony on the 14th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] GS Retail, which operates the supermarket GS The Fresh, officially opened the first social contribution-type self-sufficiency supermarket "Naeil Store" at Goyang Baekseok Branch on the 14th in partnership with the Goyang Regional Self-Sufficiency Center designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

GS Retail's social contribution-type store "Naeil Store" means "a happy tomorrow made through my job (My job, Tomorrow)" and is operated for workers participating in self-sufficiency projects. Its purpose is to provide work opportunities for low-income groups to achieve self-sufficiency and ultimately to cultivate basic skills for independence through entrepreneurship.

GS Retail develops the GS The Fresh Naeil Store outlets and supports opening investment costs such as franchise fees, deposits, interior costs, and order support funds, while providing introductory training and operational know-how. The Goyang Regional Self-Sufficiency Center, supported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, employs about 40 low-income self-sufficiency workers as franchise operators to manage the Naeil Store operations.

In particular, GS Retail expands the preliminary management training course for stable initial settlement of GS The Fresh Naeil Store and dispatches a head office opening guidance officer for one month. Through this, self-sufficiency workers receive systematic education on the basics of store operation, both theory and practice, and work alongside head office staff on-site to acquire crisis management skills and response know-how.

GS Retail launched the social contribution-type convenience store GS25 Naeil Store for the first time in 2017 and has been operating it stably with 50 stores (as of September 7). Judging that the operational suitability of the self-sufficiency labor project was verified through convenience stores, it decided to proceed with this opening. In fact, in April 2018, the first case of a "self-sufficiency enterprise" where a self-sufficiency worker became a GS25 franchise owner was born at the first GS25 Naeil Store.

By introducing a self-sufficiency supermarket that applies the same social contribution model as GS25 to GS The Fresh, GS Retail expects the total of 51 Naeil Stores to become a successful self-sufficiency model in the distribution industry pursuing a virtuous cycle of employment and entrepreneurship. Also, due to the nature of supermarkets operating medium to large-sized stores with many employees, it is expected to provide stable, quality jobs to vulnerable groups in the local community, helping to build their economic independence foundation.

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