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CU (store)

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CU
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryConvenience stores
Founded1990[a]
2012
Headquarters
South Korea
Number of locations
19,000[1]
(as of 2025)
Area served
South Korea
Iran (2018)
Mongolia
Malaysia
Kazakhstan
United States (planned)
OwnerBGF Retail
ParentBGF Group
FamilyMart (former)
Websitecu.bgfretail.com/en/index.do

CU (Korean: 씨유; RR: Ssiyu) (KRX: 027410) is a South Korean convenience store chain owned and operated by BGF Retail. It was formed after FamilyMart's franchise license in South Korea expired.[2] As of 2025, the chain has more than 18,000 stores across South Korea and 680 stores in other parts of Asia, with future stores planned in the United States.

History

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In 1990, the Bogwang Group formed a license contract with FamilyMart to launch convenience stores under the FamilyMart brand in South Korea.[3] The first FamilyMart in South Korea opened in October 1990.[4] On December 1, 1994, the Bogwang Group established a separate corporation; Bogwang FamilyMart (now the BGF Group) to oversee its convenience store operations division.[5] The chain enjoyed steady growth, reaching 2,000 stores in 2003 and 5,000 stores by 2010.[6]

Bogwang FamilyMart officially changed its name to BGF Retail on June 8, 2012, and subsequently announced the launching of its new convenience store brand "CU".[3] South Korea's FamilyMart was officially renamed to CU on August 1, 2012, along with the opening of the first store utilizing the new name.[7] The change came as BGF Retail aimed to create a "Korean-style" convenience store and cease its payment of royalties to FamilyMart.[8] In April 2019, CU has started a delivery service, and magnified the service to 1000 stores in May.[9] In Oct 2024, CU announced that it had introduced the industry's first door-to-door home delivery service.[10]

Foreign operations

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Iran

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CU launched its first foreign store in November 2018, in Tehran, Iran. However, the store had not even operated for a month when it had to close because of the United States' sanctions against Iran.[11]

Kazakhstan

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The first store opened in March 2024 in Almaty. In general, the project provides for the opening of about one hundred CU shops in Kazakhstan at the first stage. By 2029, BGF Retail plans to open 500 outlets in Kazakhstan and is also considering entering neighbouring markets.[12]

Malaysia

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A CU store in Damansara Utama, Selangor

CU opened its first stores within Malaysia in 2021, after reaching a partnership with local convenience store company myNews Holdings Bhd. CU plans to open 500 stores within Malaysia by 2026; the group will initially open 30 to 50 CU stores and assess their sales performance before expanding further. In April 2021, CU opened its first store in Centerpoint Bandar Utama.[13][14]

Mongolia

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CU has opened a net total of 363 stores; 348 stores in Ulaanbaatar, 3 in Erdenet City, 1 store in Darkhan-Uul, 1 in Lün, Töv Province, 1 in Kharkhorin, Ovorkhangai, 1 in Selenge, 1 in Khentii Province, 1 in Choir, Govisumber, CU competes with another Korean convenience chain, GS25, which has 124 stores throughout the capital region.

United States

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In May 2025, CU announced it would expand to the U.S. market, with the first stores opening in Hawaii in the fourth quarter. The flagship store will be located at the Executive Centre in Honolulu.[15][16]

Impersonation

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Brazil

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In October 2024, a ramen shop in Liberdade, São Paulo rebranded itself as a CU store, using aesthetic elements which were used by the Korean brand between 2012 and 2017.[17] Despite its name and branding, the store is not affiliated with CU.[18]

The fake CU store went viral online, as "cu" is a slang term for "anus" in Portuguese.[19] The store attracts visitors from across Brazil with customers waiting more than an hour to get in.[18]

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  • Logo used until August 1, 2012
    Logo used until August 1, 2012
  • Logo used from August 1, 2012, to November 2017
    Logo used from August 1, 2012, to November 2017

Notes

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  1. ^ As the South Korean branch of FamilyMart

References

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  1. ^ CU About
  2. ^ "[사진]훼미리마트, '씨유(CU)'로 브랜드명 변경". Money Today [ko] (in Korean). 2012-06-18. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  3. ^ a b "22년 훼미리마트 간판, 'CU'로 바뀐다". Naver News (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  4. ^ "국내 편의점 5만5천개 넘어서". 이코노텔링(econotelling) (in Korean). 2024-01-15. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  5. ^ "스카이데일리, [기업경영 기상도 ①BGF] 2세 경영 돌입… 장남 유통·차남 신소재 이끈다". www.skyedaily.com. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  6. ^ "훼미리마트 점포수 5000개 돌파". The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). 2010-08-16. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  7. ^ "훼미리마트, 한국형 편의점 'CU'로 재탄생". 아시아경제 (in Korean). 2012-08-01. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  8. ^ "'훼미리마트'대신 점령한 CU…이유는". Money Today [ko] (in Korean). 2012-09-20. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  9. ^ 강, 인선 (14 May 2019). "CU, 전국 1000여개 점포에서 배달 시작 - 매일경제". Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  10. ^ "CU, 집 앞까지 찾아가는 '방문 택배 서비스' 출시". Yonhap News. 2024.
  11. ^ CU opens first overseas store in Iran
  12. ^ "CU opens first store in Kazakhstan". Korea JoongAang Daily. March 7, 2024.
  13. ^ "MyNews to operate South Korea's CU stores in Malaysia". The Edge Markets. October 12, 2020.
  14. ^ Lee, Faye (April 1, 2021). "myNEWS Launches The First CU Convenience Store And Expects To Break Even Within 3 Years".
  15. ^ Popular Korean convenience store to open in Honolulu
  16. ^ Korean Convenience Store CU to Make Its U.S. Debut in Hawaii This Fall
  17. ^ @c.u_brasil; (2024-10-12). "O Rappa Ramen que você conhecia agora também é C.U!" [The Rappa Ramen you knew is now also C.U!] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-11-03 – via Instagram.
  18. ^ a b "'Visita ao CU': loja explora mente fértil de brasileiros, que fazem fila para conhecer imitação de franquia coreana em SP". G1. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  19. ^ "'CU na Liberdade': rede coreana de conveniência inaugura primeira unidade no Brasil". Pequenas Empresas & Grandes Negócios [pt] (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-10-29.
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