"Convenience Store New Hallyu"... CU Opens 100th Store in Malaysia in the Shortest Time

First in the Industry to Reach 300 Global Stores, Record Fastest 100 Stores in Malaysian Convenience Store History
Expansion into Johor Bahru, Malacca, Penang in Kuala Lumpur Core... Eastern Region Expansion Planned
Koreanization Strategy... 4,000 Cups of Tteokbokki Sold Daily, Korean Foods like Dakgangjeong and Popular PB Products

CU Malaysia.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] CU has opened its 100th store in Malaysia, achieving the industry's first global milestone of 300 stores.

CU announced on the 10th that it opened its 100th store in Malaysia on the 8th. The store is a large-scale outlet of approximately 198㎡ (60 pyeong) located in a bustling area of Perak, western Malaysia, and is expected to become a landmark in the region.

BGF Retail, which operates CU, entered the Malaysian market for the first time in the industry by signing a brand license agreement with MYCU Retail, a subsidiary of Malaysian company Mynews Holdings. Since opening the first store in Kuala Lumpur in April last year, it has reached 100 stores in just over a year. This achievement is about twice as fast as the initial goal of opening 50 stores within one year, setting the shortest record for 100 stores in the history of the Malaysian convenience store industry.

CU has currently expanded to major Malaysian cities including Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Malacca, and Penang. Soon, it plans to extend its presence to the eastern region of Malaysia (Borneo Island), aiming to open 150 stores by the end of this year and more than 500 stores over the next five years.

CU's popularity in Malaysia is strong. From the opening of the first store, there were lines over 100 meters long in front of the store, with an average of 1,000 customers and up to 3,000 customers visiting daily. The Korean-style strategy targeting local consumer trends with a high preference for Korean culture is evaluated to have resonated well with local consumers.

Korean products are very popular, accounting for 60% of total sales. Two types of tteokbokki, ranking first and second in sales, sell 4,000 cups daily. In addition, Korean-style foods such as fried chicken and the private brand (PB) Delafe iced drinks are also highly popular.

CU stated, "Despite being a latecomer in the Malaysian convenience store industry, we are building outstanding performance and strong brand power compared to global competitors who entered earlier."

Meanwhile, CU said that since June, tteokbokki sales have started at CU stores in Mongolia, selling more than 50 cups per store per day with a good response. CU plans to continuously introduce verified products across countries. "Through the BGF Global IT system, we will continue organic collaboration with local partners."

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