With the goal of '2030 Drunk on CU'... Convenience Store CU Launches Alcohol TF Team

Team Leader and Members Born in the 1980s and 1990s Form a Team
Focusing on the Birth of the Second GomPyo and MalPyo Beer

CU Alcohol Category Annual Sales Growth Rate (Data Provided by BGF Retail)

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] CU, a convenience store operated by BGF Retail, has launched a task force (TF) dedicated solely to the alcoholic beverage category to significantly strengthen its business in this field next year. The team, composed of the 80s and 90s generation, aims to actively target the drinking culture of the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z).

According to BGF Retail on the 21st, the ‘Alcohol TFT’ team was newly established in the regular personnel reshuffle on the 15th. The team leader is Lee Seungtaek, MD of the Beverage Food Team, who created hit products such as ‘Gompyo Beer’ and ‘Malpyo Beer.’ This organization, set to launch this week, will have Lee, born in the 1980s and in his early 40s, as the leader, and the team members will also be composed of young people from the 80s and 90s generations.

The reason CU made this personnel move is that with the increase of ‘home drinking’ due to COVID-19, overall alcohol sales have risen, and hit products like ‘Gompyo’ have continued to be released. CU’s alcohol sales have been on the rise through the COVID-19 period, increasing from 9.9% in 2018 to 12.3% in 2019, 17.8% in 2020, and 30.2% in 2021. From January to October this year, sales grew by 19.5%.

Despite active collaboration and sales growth, BGF Retail had no specialized team overseeing both online and offline businesses. Offline alcohol sales were managed by the Beverage Food Team, while the DX Team handled online sales, causing inconvenience as the same business was divided between departments. Additionally, the recent launch of ‘Butter Beer’ by GS25 has accelerated competition in the industry’s private brand (PB) alcoholic beverage market, which also influenced the formation of the TF.

In fact, the alcohol business is also a focus of the CEO. It is reported that when Gompyo Beer became a hit, BGF Retail CEO Lee Geonjun conveyed a message within the company saying, "With the increase of home drinkers due to COVID-19, actively pay attention to this area."

A BGF Retail official said, "60% of convenience store customers are in their 20s and 30s, showing sensitivity to new products that cannot be found elsewhere," adding, "This personnel move reflects the interests of MZ customers in both the growing home drinking trend and new products."

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