GS The Fresh Opens Social Contribution Supermarket 'Naeil Store' with Local Self-Sufficiency Center

Gyeonggi Guri Regional Self-Sufficiency Center Partners to Launch Social Contribution Supermarket Branch No. 2

GS The Fresh Naeil Store Guri Galmae Branch.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] GS The Fresh has introduced a social contribution-type supermarket that supports the economic independence of socially vulnerable groups in collaboration with the Gyeonggi Guri Regional Self-Support Center.

GS The Fresh, a supermarket operated by GS Retail, announced on the 27th that it opened the second social contribution-type supermarket, 'GS The Fresh Naeil Store Guri Galmae Branch,' in Guri, Gyeonggi Province on the 24th. The Guri Galmae Branch operates as a social contribution-type store in partnership with the Gyeonggi Guri Regional Self-Support Center, supporting the self-support and independence of participants in self-support projects.

Naeil Store, meaning 'a happy tomorrow made through my job,' is operated for participants in self-support projects. The Guri Galmae Branch is managed by the Gyeonggi Guri Regional Self-Support Center as the business owner, selecting eligible participants among local residents involved in self-support projects to provide work opportunities and entrepreneurship support through store operation training and other opportunities to help them achieve independence.

GS The Fresh waives franchise fees to ensure the stable operation of Naeil Store. Compared to existing franchises, it expands the number of trainees and training periods for introductory education and actively supports early store stabilization by dispatching a headquarters opening guidance officer for one month. In the future, if store employees wish to start their own business, they will be offered the same support benefits as Naeil Store.

The Naeil Store Guri Galmae Branch plans to support various self-support projects beyond store operations, such as installing 'unmanned laundry collection boxes' operated by the laundry business unit of the Gyeonggi Guri Regional Self-Support Center. It is expected to provide additional diverse customer services, including store delivery services.

GS The Fresh expects to receive positive responses from the local community by operating social contribution-type stores in cooperation with regional self-support centers, providing practical support such as job opportunities for participants with a willingness to work, and offering entrepreneurship education to help participants achieve economic independence.

GS Retail opened the first social contribution-type supermarket in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province in 2020, the first in the industry, and has been conducting social support activities since then. Convenience store GS25 opened the social contribution-type convenience store 'GS25 Naeil Store' in 2017 and currently operates about 103 stores, supporting the economic independence of vulnerable groups.

Im Won-taek, Head of the GS The Fresh Franchise Division, said, "Following the successful achievement of job creation and self-support opportunities at the industry's first social contribution-type supermarket, Goyang Baekseok Branch, we have opened the second branch, Guri Galmae. We will carry out various activities so that social contribution-type stores operated by GS Retail can provide an economic independence foundation for socially vulnerable groups in local communities."

Sun Yong-jin, Director of the Gyeonggi Guri Regional Self-Support Center, said, "We will do our best to provide good jobs to self-support participants who need economic independence through the revitalization of GS The Fresh."

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