GS The Fresh Marks Half a Century Since Launch... Became the 'Supermarket for Koreans'

First Opened in Euljiro in 1974... Currently 469 Stores
Commemorative Events Including 100 Million Won Prizes and Price Reversals on 5 Major Items

GS The Fresh has celebrated its 50th anniversary. GS Retail entered the distribution industry by opening Korea's first modern Lucky Super store, Euljiro Sampung branch, in May 1974. To commemorate its 50th anniversary, GS The Fresh plans to run a year-round campaign called ‘The Korean’s Super’ and launch anniversary products along with various promotions.

According to GS The Fresh on the 1st, the brand started as the Lucky Super chain in 1974, evolving through LG Supermarket in 1994, GS Supermarket in 2005, and finally to GS The Fresh, a ‘lifestyle market that enjoys the value of life,’ in 2018. Over 50 years, more than 170 million customers have visited its stores. As of the current day, it operates 469 stores, achieving sales of 1.4476 trillion KRW last year, ranking first in the corporate supermarket industry.

GS The Fresh explains that it has established a sustainable business structure through an expansion strategy of franchise business that grows together with franchise owners. Among the total 469 stores, 357 are franchises, accounting for 76%, and it is expected to surpass its 500th store this July.

The success factors of GS The Fresh include ▲the introduction of chain operations optimized for SSM to maximize store operational efficiency, ▲synergy from various online and offline channels such as the Our Neighborhood GS app and Yogiyo, and ▲providing optimized services and products through exclusive supply of fresh and excellent products via nationwide excellent production area MOUs.

In fact, GS The Fresh’s quick commerce sales showed a 49.2% growth in 2023 compared to the previous year. It offers quick service for about 9,000 daily necessity items such as fresh foods (fruits, meat, eggs), milk, and tofu, and is expanding to products for 1-2 person households in line with the trend of small-quantity frequent purchases.

Meanwhile, to celebrate its 50th anniversary, GS The Fresh has prepared various promotions including ▲launching anniversary planning products, ▲a total 100 million KRW prize event, ▲price rollback on five major items throughout May, and ▲about 90 planning products.

First, for the total 100 million KRW prize event, during the 50th anniversary event period, 1,000 customers who pay 100,000 KRW or more using GS Pay will be selected by lottery to receive products worth a total of 100 million KRW, including kimchi refrigerators, stylers, and mini dryers. Also, the price rollback items for the five major products in May are sold at the following prices: Dangjin Haenaru rice (10kg) for 23,900 KRW, Jin Ramen spicy flavor (20 packs) for 10,900 KRW, Seoul Fresh Milk (900ml, 2 packs) for 3,880 KRW, Gwangcheon traditional seaweed (20 packs) for 4,980 KRW, and Haitai hometown dumplings (320g) for 2,980 KRW.

Jung Chun-ho, Executive Director of GS Retail’s Super Business Division, said, “We sincerely thank our customers, franchise owners, and partner company employees for their great love and support that helped GS The Fresh become Korea’s representative food shopping platform. The members of GS The Fresh will work even harder to promise to be Korea’s number one in freshness and taste and create a new 50-year history as the strongest local shopping leader in Korea.”

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