CU is a South Korean convenience-store chain operated by BGF Retail.
Last updated October 20, 2026
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Overview
CU is a South Korean convenience-store brand operated by BGF Retail, the retail arm of the BGF Group. The chain developed from the South Korean operations of Japan-based FamilyMart. In 1990, the Bogwang Group entered into a licensing agreement with FamilyMart and opened the first South Korean FamilyMart store in October of that year. As the business expanded, the group established Bogwang FamilyMart as a separate corporation on December 1, 1994, to manage its convenience-store operations. The network reached approximately 2,000 stores in 2003 and 5,000 stores in 2010. The modern CU brand was created during a strategic break with the FamilyMart identity. Bogwang FamilyMart changed its corporate name to BGF Retail on June 8, 2012, and launched CU as a locally developed convenience-store brand. From August 1, 2012, South Korean FamilyMart locations were progressively renamed CU, beginning with the opening of the first store using the new identity. The rebranding allowed BGF Retail to pursue a Korean-style convenience-store concept and end the royalty payments associated with the FamilyMart license. CU’s core business is the operation and franchising of neighborhood convenience stores. Its stores serve routine, immediate-consumption and top-up shopping needs, including packaged food, drinks, snacks, household necessities and other convenience-store merchandise. The format also supports prepared and ready-to-eat food, such as convenience meals and quick snacks, although the specific assortment varies by location and market. In addition to in-store retail, CU has developed logistics and delivery services. It began a delivery service in April 2019 and expanded the service to approximately 1,000 stores in May of that year. In October 2024, the company announced a door-to-door home-delivery service, extending the brand beyond conventional walk-in shopping. South Korea remains CU’s principal market. The chain has also pursued overseas growth through local partnerships and subsidiaries. CU entered Mongolia and Malaysia during the early 2020s, with Malaysia expansion conducted in partnership with myNews Holdings. It opened its first Malaysian stores in April 2021 and announced an ambition to build a much larger local network. Mongolia became one of the brand’s most substantial foreign markets, with stores in Ulaanbaatar and several other cities. CU opened its first Kazakhstan location in Almaty in March 2024 and outlined plans for significant expansion there. In May 2025, BGF Retail announced entry into the United States, with Hawaii selected for the first stores; a flagship location in Honolulu opened in November 2025 according to the referenced account. CU has also experienced the difficulties of international market entry. Its first Iranian store opened in Tehran in November 2018 but closed within a month because of the impact of United States sanctions on Iran. In Brazil, a ramen shop in São Paulo used CU-related visual styling and the name without authorization in 2024. The resulting online attention was connected both to the Korean convenience-store aesthetic and to the fact that “cu” has an offensive slang meaning in Portuguese. The venue was not affiliated with the South Korean brand. By 2025, CU was described as having more than 18,000 stores in South Korea and approximately 680 stores elsewhere in Asia. Its competitive identity combines a dense convenience-store footprint, localized Korean merchandise and food, franchised retail operations, delivery services and selective international expansion. The brand is distinct from BGF Retail as a corporate entity: BGF Retail owns and operates the CU brand, while CU is the customer-facing retail network.
History
CU’s history begins with the South Korean convenience-store business established under a licensing relationship with FamilyMart. In 1990, the Bogwang Group signed an agreement with FamilyMart and opened the first South Korean store in October. The business was subsequently placed under a separate corporation, Bogwang FamilyMart, established on December 1, 1994. This structure supported the development of a large convenience-store network and the operation of stores under the FamilyMart name. The network expanded steadily during the 1990s and 2000s. It reached about 2,000 stores in 2003 and 5,000 in 2010. The scale of the business eventually encouraged the operator to establish a more independent corporate and brand identity. On June 8, 2012, Bogwang FamilyMart changed its corporate name to BGF Retail. BGF Retail then introduced CU, a new brand intended to represent a Korean-style convenience-store model. Starting on August 1, 2012, South Korean FamilyMart stores were renamed CU, with the first CU-branded store opening as part of the transition. The rebranding was commercially significant because it ended the South Korean use of the FamilyMart identity and removed the need to continue paying royalties to the Japanese licensor. CU thereafter became the principal consumer-facing brand of BGF Retail. Its business focused on dense neighborhood coverage, franchise-based retail and an assortment suited to frequent small purchases. The offer included food, drinks, snacks, household goods and other convenience-store categories, with prepared and ready-to-eat products forming an important part of the modern convenience format. CU later added services designed to make stores part of a broader local logistics network. In April 2019, it introduced delivery service and expanded that offering to about 1,000 stores in May. In October 2024, the company announced a door-to-door home-delivery service. These developments reflected an effort to extend the brand’s role beyond physical store visits. International expansion followed. CU opened stores in Malaysia in 2021 through a partnership with myNews Holdings and developed a substantial presence in Mongolia, including locations in Ulaanbaatar and other cities. The chain entered Kazakhstan in March 2024 with a store in Almaty and described plans for a much larger rollout. In May 2025, CU announced its planned United States entry through Hawaii; the referenced material reports that a Honolulu flagship opened in November 2025. Not every overseas initiative continued. CU’s first Iranian store opened in Tehran in November 2018 but closed in less than a month because of United States sanctions affecting Iran. The brand also faced an unauthorized imitation in Brazil in 2024, when a São Paulo ramen shop adopted CU-associated visual styling and naming. Although unrelated to BGF Retail, the venue attracted significant online attention. By 2025, CU was reported to have more than 18,000 stores in South Korea and roughly 680 stores in other Asian markets. The brand remains operated by BGF Retail within the BGF Group and combines convenience retail, prepared food, delivery and international franchising or partnership-based expansion.
- 2025
United States expansion through Hawaii
[1]CU announced United States expansion and, according to the referenced account, opened a Honolulu flagship in November.
- 2024
Kazakhstan entry
[1]The first CU store in Kazakhstan opened in Almaty in March.
- 2021
Malaysia expansion began
[1]CU opened its first Malaysian stores in partnership with myNews Holdings, beginning in April at Centerpoint Bandar Utama.
- 2019
Delivery service introduced
[1]CU began delivery operations in April and expanded the service to approximately 1,000 stores in May.
- 2018
First Iranian store opened and closed
[1]CU opened its first Iranian store in Tehran in November, but the location closed in less than a month because of United States sanctions.
- 2012
BGF Retail and CU created
[1]Bogwang FamilyMart became BGF Retail in June, and FamilyMart stores in South Korea began changing to the CU brand on August 1.
- 2010
Network reached approximately 5,000 stores
[1]The predecessor network expanded to approximately 5,000 locations.
- 2003
Network reached approximately 2,000 stores
[1]The South Korean convenience-store network passed the 2,000-store mark.
- 1994
Bogwang FamilyMart established
[1]A separate corporation was created on December 1 to oversee the convenience-store operations.
- 1990
FamilyMart enters South Korea
[1]The Bogwang Group signed a FamilyMart licensing agreement, and the first South Korean FamilyMart store opened in October.
Products and positioning
A Korean-style, highly accessible convenience-store chain combining everyday retail, ready-to-eat food, localized merchandise and expanding delivery and overseas services.
Food and beverage retail · 2012
Convenience-store food and beverages
CU stores sell everyday food and beverage products suited to quick purchases, including packaged snacks, drinks, instant foods, chilled products and other convenience-store staples. The assortment is designed for neighborhood accessibility and frequent consumption.
Prepared food · 2012
Ready-to-eat and prepared food
Prepared and ready-to-eat food forms part of CU’s convenience proposition. These products support immediate consumption and help differentiate the chain from small-format stores focused only on packaged goods. The exact range varies by store and market.
General merchandise · 2012
Household and daily-use goods
CU convenience stores carry selected household necessities, personal-care items and other daily-use merchandise. These products complement the food offer and allow stores to serve urgent or top-up shopping needs.
Retail services · 2019
CU delivery services
CU introduced store-based delivery in 2019 and later announced door-to-door home delivery. The services use the convenience-store network as a local fulfillment and logistics platform.
Controversies
2020
BGF Retail fined for supplier promotion costs
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission fined BGF Retail KRW1.67 billion over the handling of promotion costs at CU-branded stores. The regulator found that the company required suppliers to shoulder most of the costs of promotions and, in some cases, failed to sign written agreements. The fine was reported in connection with these practices concerning supplier promotion costs.
Brand decisions
2025
Enter the United States through HawaiiStrategyBackground
CU selected Hawaii as its initial United States market for international brand expansion.
Action taken
CU announced the expansion in May 2025; the referenced account reports that a flagship store in Honolulu opened in November.
Aftermath
The opening marked CU’s reported entry into the United States market.
2024
Enter KazakhstanStrategyBackground
CU continued its international expansion beyond its established South Korean and Asian markets.
Action taken
The first Kazakhstan store opened in Almaty in March, with additional expansion planned.
Aftermath
BGF Retail described a long-term plan for hundreds of Kazakhstan locations and possible entry into neighboring markets.
2021
Expand in Malaysia through a local partnershipStrategyBackground
CU pursued overseas growth by working with an established Malaysian convenience-store operator.
Action taken
CU entered Malaysia with myNews Holdings and opened its first stores in April.
Aftermath
The partnership supported plans for a substantially larger Malaysian store network.
2019
Launch delivery serviceProduct launchBackground
Convenience stores were increasingly being used as local fulfillment points, creating an opportunity to serve customers beyond in-store purchases.
Action taken
CU introduced delivery in April and expanded the service to approximately 1,000 stores in May.
Aftermath
Delivery became part of CU’s broader service model and was followed by a later door-to-door delivery announcement.
2012
Replace FamilyMart with CUStrategyBackground
BGF Retail sought to establish a locally controlled Korean convenience-store identity and end royalty payments associated with the FamilyMart license.
Action taken
The operator changed its corporate identity to BGF Retail and renamed South Korean FamilyMart stores CU from August 1.
Aftermath
CU became the principal retail brand operated by BGF Retail and continued expanding in South Korea and overseas.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Reported
CU opens its 50th outlet in Malaysia[3]
CU established its 50th outlet in Malaysia, nine months after opening its first outlet in the country.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
CU opens two stores at Mongolia’s international airport[4]
CU opened two stores at New Ulaanbaatar International Airport in Mongolia, one for travelers and one for airport staff.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
CU opens its first outlet in Malaysia[5]
CU opened its first outlet in Malaysia, at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur. The article identifies the opening as having occurred Thursday but does not provide a calendar date for that day.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.
Reported
CU launches beer subscription service[6]
CU launched a beer subscription service with Dailyshot, allowing users to select beer through the Dailyshot app and pick it up at a nearby CU store for 6,900 won per month.
Reported
CU announces drive-thru order pickup service[7]
CU said it would roll out a drive-thru order pickup service at some stores in the Seoul metropolitan area during December, with a planned nationwide expansion to about 3,000 branches early the following year.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
BGF Retail fined for supplier promotion costs[2]
South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission fined BGF Retail KRW1.67 billion for requiring suppliers to shoulder most of the costs of promotions at CU-branded stores and for failing to sign written agreements in some cases.
Sources7 sources
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